((A lot of you have expressed worries and concerns for Link having the Triforce of Courage in this fic, so before you start to worry, your question will either be answered in this chapter, or in the ending notes. If you're super concerned, you can skip down there really quick before reading the chapter. But, either way—Happy reading!))
Early in the morning as they set out for Marr, Sheik couldn't get Link's secret out of her mind. She'd folded and refolded her blankets at least three times, but she was too wound up and distracted that even on her fourth attempt, it ended up a jumbled mess.
Finally she just rolled it up and stuck it in a bigger bag, rearranging her underthings to accommodate the bulk of the blanket.
For once, Link was actually packed and ready before she was, but as she finished up loading her own things, she couldn't bring herself to put them on her horse yet.
Though the responsible part of her knew that they needed to get on the road, the analytical side of her wasn't willing to go anywhere until she'd solved this mystery. And after thinking back through every interaction she'd had with Link—and to an almost embarrassing degree of recollection—she finally put her finger on what was bothering her.
Because, although his story made sense for the most part, something didn't add up.
"Why did you laugh," she said, hardly looking at Link while she piled her things by Blossom, "On the way to Lon Lon Ranch?"
Link, distracted with tying the last of his bags to Bashful, looked curiously up at her. "Huh?"
"When I compared your green tunic to the Heroes of Legend," Sheik said. "You laughed, then told me not to insult the Goddesses' taste." She put her hands on her hips, summoning up as much authority as she could. "Why did you laugh if you have the Triforce of Courage?"
"Oh." Link scratched the back of his neck, looking more than a little embarrassed. "Um. I mean… I don't really think I'm cut out for being a legendary hero, that's all."
"But you have the Triforce of Courage." Sheik stared at him, wondering if he could really be that dense. "Of course you're our era's hero."
Link looked away, face turning a light pink. "That sounds nice and all, but," he hesitated, still avoiding eye-contact. "I just… I doubt it's me, that's all. Besides, not all heroes had the Triforce of Courage, so, I mean—why couldn't I have it and not be a legendary hero?"
Sheik's lips pressed into a deep frown. "Do you have something against being a hero?" she asked. "Because I understand if you do, but—"
"It's nothing like that," he said quickly. "I just… If Farore has something planned for me and wanted to give me the Triforce of Courage, fine. But…" Somehow, he looked more caught off-guard about this than he had been last night, when he was confessing to having the Triforce of Courage in the first place. "I'm happy to help out Hyrule as much as I can, but I really doubt I'm cut out for the whole… hero of legend thing. Making a hero out of a farmhand like the last Hero is one thing, but…"
"Link." Sheik raised a brow, voice deadpan. "Humble beginnings are more common to the heroes than the Master Sword is."
"I know that," he said quickly, finally making eye-contact, though he didn't hold it for long. "I just—I don't know. I'll do what I can for Hyrule, but I'm not gonna go around calling myself some kind of hero. You have to earn that title."
"And you don't think the Triforce of Courage is proof enough? Or going to Ecchar, and Oxon, and Tal?"
Link shifted behind his horse, its body blocking his face as he readjusted the saddle-bags. More than anything, it seemed that he was just hiding so he didn't have to look her in the eye. "There's a difference between being brave and being a hero," he said. "Being a hero is… different."
There was something worrying about Link's tone, but Sheik wasn't feeling particularly generous. "Just because you believe it doesn't make you right," she said, letting out an irritated sigh. Remembering Malon's parting words to him, though, she pressed her lips into a thin line. "So, now that I know, do I have permission to call you 'hero' or is that a title reserved for pretty ranch hands?"
"She only said that because of my tunic and because I was searching for the princess," Link said, startled and irritated enough to look up at her again. Though he certainly didn't look happy with her, at least there was some fire behind his eyes now. Sheik decided she liked him better that way.
Instead of arguing with him rationally though, Sheik shrugged, finally starting to load up Blossom. "Well, Triforce of Courage or not, if you don't want to be called a hero then maybe you shouldn't dress up in green and go on long quests to save maidens and princesses," she said, matter-of-fact. Despite catching a glance of Link's embarrassed, angry expression, Sheik didn't apologize. Instead, she finished loading her horse and hopped up in one fluid motion. As she turned her horse towards Marr, she glanced at Link, finding him still standing indignantly beside his horse. "Come on, we've got a job to do. Let's get going already."
"Sheik…" Link sighed, looking for a moment as if he wanted to say something more. But before Sheik could ask, he closed his mouth and shook his head, dropping the subject.
Despite Link's subdued behavior, he hopped up onto Bashful and rode up to her. Without another word between them, Sheik plotted a course for Marr and started on the way, Link just a bit further away from her than he usually was.
For some reason, the distance felt like a rejection.
When they arrived at Marr, daylight had just turned to evening, and their horses were tired from a hard day's riding. Even more than the horses, though, Sheik and Link were ready to stop riding for the day.
After paying to keep their horses at the city's gate, they ventured into the city.
Because Sheik had so rarely ventured into this province—preferring to stay north and west, rather than so far to the east—Sheik had only been to Marr once before, when she was quite young. Because she'd been so young, the city had seemed frightening and unfamiliar and new… and yet, coming back to it, it still gave off the same off-putting atmosphere.
Residents were skeptical and suspicious, staring down everyone who came into the city, and the business-owners were hardly better. Despite the stares, though, the city was almost silent. The few conversations that were happening on street-corners were quiet, either spoken softly or outright whispered, and when Sheik and Link came within earshot, the conversations abruptly stopped.
Sheik noticed all too late that she couldn't see a single woman her age. Worse than that, Sheik could feel eyes on her. And the further she went, the more stares she seemed to be attracting.
"Something's definitely going on here," Sheik said, leaning close to whisper in Link's ear. "I don't think it'll be easy to get information."
Link nodded, looking unnerved the further into the city they walked. "Stay close," he said, taking her hand. Though Sheik didn't appreciate the need for contact, his hand was warm in hers, and she couldn't fault him for being protective. "I don't like how some of them are looking at you."
Sheik adjusted her mask, pulling it up just a little higher on her face. Somehow, she had the feeling that she wouldn't be taking it off any time soon.
As they walked, Sheik couldn't help but compare the city to Ecchar. The mood was similar to it, that was for sure—but Ecchar had been so much more run-down, and the people had seemed much braver, much more willing to take action.
Whether or not the people of Ecchar had been successful in liberating the tunnels, Sheik didn't think the people of Marr would even be willing to try.
Sheik frowned, the suspicious stares starting to get to her. "Let's just—let's just find an inn," she finally said, pulse hurrying the longer they stayed out in the open. "We're almost in the middle of town—there's bound to be something, and I'm tired of carrying a pack."
Though she was sure Link saw through her words, he didn't correct her. Instead, he simply looked around, eyes sharp as he searched for an inn.
"There," he said, gesturing for one with a rusted 'Open' sign. Nothing fancy, but with their budget—after having to rent horses from Malon—Sheik knew they couldn't afford to be picky. "Seem alright to you?"
Though Sheik was unsettled by the town, and the Inn didn't ease her worries any, she nodded all the same. The sooner they got inside, the better.
However, even as they got inside, the atmosphere was dark and grim. Sheik slowed her breathing to calm herself, but the unsettled feeling remained. Something wasn't right here—but then, there wasn't much else they could do unless they wanted to sleep outside.
Link, to Sheik's eternal gratitude, bought their room. He used 'he' pronouns for Sheik to the clerk, too, which made Sheik feel loads more at ease. Though she usually tried to assert herself as male, it was always more helpful to have someone else backing up her disguise.
That didn't mean there weren't still stares from the people in the lobby, though. Sheik pulled her mask up closer, more than a little.
Because of the unexpected expense with the horses, they'd agreed earlier to try and save money. So when she heard Link ask about the prices and, after some debate, choose a single bed, she didn't protest. Sheik wasn't exactly happy about sharing a bed, but they didn't have much of a choice—especially since they didn't know how long they'd be staying in Marr.
So Link finished paying and Sheik tried not to grimace at the raised eyebrows directed their way as they headed up the stairs. Some probably thought they were a strange couple, some probably wondered what a Sheikah and a knight were even doing in a town like Marr. Whatever the reason, it made Sheik's skin crawl, and she self-consciously checked her eye glamour.
As bad as it would be to reveal herself at all, it'd be far worse in this town.
Once they made it up to their room, they both hurried through the door and bolted it shut.
Link hopped onto the bed, lying back with a deep sigh. "I'm not looking forward to figuring out this town," he confessed after a moment, voice betraying his exhaustion. "It won't be nearly as easy to figure out as Ecchar, that's for sure."
Sheik nodded, dropping her stuff on the ground, too tired to bother with arranging it yet. "We got lucky in Ecchar, overhearing Coro like that. I don't think we'll be as lucky here."
"And it's not like we can just…" Link sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's not like we can just march up to someone and ask for information. I just wish we knew how to make people trust us here…"
Sheik pressed her lips together in concentration, hoping to remember some detail from her childhood exploration of Marr. It had been so long ago, and the city was so different—Sheik wasn't sure any information she remembered would even be useful.
However, she did remember that even long ago, the city was a bit quieter than other ones she remembered visiting.
But, despite all the secrecy of most townspeople, there were a few places in town that were loud even into the evening and late at night.
"Taverns," Sheik finally said, not liking the word even as she said it aloud. Though she tried not to think about them too much, taverns reminded her of Ecchar now, and of getting dragged down a long passageway and praying to any deity that would hear her that Link came soon. "Taverns are usually rowdy, and if someone's drunk, they're more likely to give away information."
Link didn't look happy about it, but after a moment, he nodded. "It's worth a shot. When do you want to go?"
Sheik glanced out the window. It was still light out, though the sun had set below the horizon some minutes ago. "Taverns tend not to get busy until later—and if we're looking for information, we ought to go late at night. I'd rather not be there for longer than we have to be."
That said, she started taking off her mask and outerwear, biting back a yawn. If they weren't heading out for a few more hours, there was nothing holding her back from taking either a quick bath or a nap. Though they'd had a brief respite at Lon Lon Ranch, it had still been a long past few weeks, and Sheik was ready to go back to bathing every day and going to bed with muscles that weren't sore from riding.
"If you need me," she said, unbraiding her hair, "I'll be in the bath."
Link didn't get up. Instead he just waved a hand, already working on stripping down to his under-clothes. "That's fine," he said. "Just don't take forever—I want one, too."
Sheik made no promises. Still, he looked tired and he was likely as sore as she was, so even as she started the overly warm water and settled into it, she didn't plan on wasting too much time.
When Sheik came out of the bath, re-dressed and ready for a nap, she wasn't surprised to find Link already dead asleep.
Despite his sleep, though, she kept her expression unreadable, unwilling to let anything show through her carefully constructed mask of disinterest.
Upon getting closer, Sheik's first thought was that he wasn't nearly as peaceful in sleep as he should have been. Because their camp sites were always dark, and Link was often awake after her when they shared a room, it wasn't often that she could actually see him while he slept.
There was a crease between his brows that wasn't normally there when he was awake—though she recognized it from the times they faced danger together.
He worried enough for the both of them—he didn't need to look worried while he was sleeping, too.
Sheik sat down on the other side of the bed, gently reaching over and shaking his shoulder. "Link," she said, trying to ignore the way he jolted when he first woke. "You wanted to take a bath?"
It seemed to take a moment for him to fully come to, but once he did, he propped himself up onto his elbows and greeted her with a smile. "Hey. Thought I'd get a quick nap before we head out later tonight."
"Probably a good idea," Sheik said, glancing at the unoccupied half of the bed. She wasn't sure when they'd head out to a tavern that night, but it still wouldn't be for at least another few hours. Plenty of time to sleep. "Take your time. We won't be heading out till it's late."
He nodded, getting out of bed.
Though Sheik tried not to, she watched him as he left, eyes trained on his back. Even as he slipped behind the closed door and started the water, Sheik stared after the space he'd once occupied. Finally, though, she settled down onto the cold side of the bed.
Link hadn't done anything wrong, she knew—he couldn't help the expressions he made when he slept.
So why did she feel so frustrated with him?
Sheik wasn't aware of falling asleep, but she was aware—in a distant, only half-awake way—of someone settling down behind her. The bed was big enough that they didn't have to touch—especially since she'd laid down as close to the edge as she could manage—and Link seemed to respect that, lying down on as far away from her as he could. Still, the motion of someone lying down behind her was destined to wake her.
"Sorry," Link breathed, voice hardly loud enough to be heard even in the quiet room they occupied. Sheik, not wanting him to feel bad for unavoidably waking her, didn't move a muscle or give any indication that she was awake.
And, because she was turned towards the wall rather than towards him, he didn't notice her open eyes. So after some hesitation, he settled back down onto his side and pulled the blankets over him.
Sheik didn't budge, staring holes into the wall across her. Link slowly settled down, but every time she thought he was finally falling asleep, he shifted.
At this rate, he wouldn't get any sleep with all his tossing and turning.
Finally Sheik could take no more and rolled over, training her eyes on him in the darkness.
She couldn't make out his face very well in the darkness of the room, but she could practically feel his embarrassment.
"Sheik," he said, voice halfway to panic. "I didn't—Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's fine," she said. Propping herself up on one elbow, she watched him, slowly making out his features in the dark. "…Can't sleep?"
"I, um…" Link bit his lip. "Not really, no."
Sheik hummed. It wouldn't do either of them any good if neither of them slept, so she was half tempted to ignore him and focus on getting some rest. But, try as she might, she didn't feel right going back to sleep if he was lying awake behind her. "Any reason you can't fall asleep?"
Link looked at her for a long while, indecision clear on his face. What he was uncertain about, Sheik couldn't tell, but he seemed to be holding something back. Finally, though, he just shook his head. "Nothing in particular."
It felt a like a lie. Sheik looked closer at him, noticing his averted eyes and guilty frown.
But she'd had enough of having truth withheld from her, even if she was guilty of just as much or more. So she pulled her lips into a frown and settled a little closer—just a little—so she could see him better.
"Does it…" She hesitated, reaching a hand forward to take Link's left one, tracing her thumb over where the symbol of the Triforce was concealed. "…Have anything to do with this?"
He didn't look at her. Sheik took it as a yes, or as good as a yes.
Sheik gently traced her thumb over the long-calloused hand, brows furrowed in concentration. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Link shook his head. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize. It's your story to tell, not mine to pry out of you." There was the faintest temptation to kiss the hand she was holding, but Sheik resisted. Not wanting that temptation to resurface, she released his hand. "I'm sorry for—for pushing you, earlier. At Tal."
Link finally looked up at her, meeting her eyes with a curious look. "It was a normal reaction. To be honest, I was expecting worse."
Sheik raised a brow. "Worse?"
"Thought you might just up and leave." He bit his lip. "…Did you want to, before you decided not to?"
There was a certain vulnerability to his voice, and Sheik knew that no matter what she answered, it would be important. No matter what she wanted to say to soothe him, though, she didn't want to lie to him. She'd told him enough lies.
With a rare gentleness, Sheik lowered her voice to soft words rather than the normal, albeit quiet speaking voice she'd been using. "I thought I might have to," she admitted. "I didn't want to stay partners with someone who'd lie to me." Seeing his face fall, though, she only paused for a moment before continuing. "But I lied to you, too, earlier. About who I was, about not knowing Zelda. You stayed with me even though I'd lied—so of course I had to stay with you when you finally told me the truth."
Though his face didn't exactly light up at her words, he looked at least a little relieved. "I guess it makes sense when you put it that way."
Sheik hummed. The words were just on the tip of her tongue, and though she wanted to say them, her mind was trying to prevent her. "That, and…"
That, and he was a good teammate.
That, and he had unflinchingly stayed beside her even when she was icy and even downright rude to him.
That, and he was a genuinely kind person to both her and everyone around her.
That, and he cared for her and tried to help her even when she pushed him away.
That, and—
"And?"
Link's prompting made her realize just how long she'd hesitated after speaking. "You're a good friend," she finally finished. "I haven't… had much experience, but… I'm…" She let out a frustrated sigh through her nose, tempted to just roll over and tell him to forget it. "I'm glad that you chose to come with me."
"Forced you to take me with you, more like it," Link said, lips pulling into a small—guilty—smile.
Realization suddenly struck Sheik, and disbelief rose up in her. "You weren't even in contact with the king, but you threatened me with telling him?"
Link's smile became a little smaller at that, and infinitely more sheepish. "Um…"
"I'm going back to sleep," Sheik said, then rolled over and attempted to do just that. Link actually laughed. Remembering why she'd stayed up in the first place, her voice lowered to a grumble, only mildly irritated. "You ought to be sleeping, too."
Though she couldn't see him, she heard and felt Link move behind her, as if trying to shift closer to her. "Come on, don't be like that…"
"We only have a few hours to sleep before it's time to head to the tavern," Sheik said. "And I'm not sure about you, but I'd like to be awake while we're eavesdropping."
Link sighed, but she knew him well enough now to know that his mood hadn't actually lowered. "Fine," he said, lying back down. "But I make no promises of actually falling back asleep."
Because he normally slept on his stomach, he finally moved the pillow under his face away from him so he could lie down more comfortably. As it was, though, it ended up lying by Sheik's feet—much too warm on top of her.
Without thinking about it, Sheik moved the pillow from her feet. She didn't toss it back at Link or onto the floor, though. She simply hugged it to her chest, holding the softness in her arms.
If Link noticed or cared, he didn't mention it, but after Sheik had settled back down with it, she could have sworn she heard a soft laugh behind her, as breathy and as quiet as a sigh. Face turned away from him, Sheik did nothing to hide her furrowed brows or embarrassed frown. But tossing it aside now that she had it would only draw more attention it, and…
It was rather nice having something soft to hold.
So she cradled it to her chest and closed her eyes, focusing only on sleeping, and the softness in her arms, and the steady, even breaths behind her.
Sheik fell asleep within minutes.
When she woke, only two hours had passed, if that. The moon was high in the sky, and the stars shined brightly, illuminating the room through the window. If they wanted to get information tonight, they'd have to act fast.
So Sheik sat up, turning to face Link, who was still fast asleep on the other side of the bed.
There was a strange pang in her heart at the thought of waking him, but she tried not to pay it much mind. Instead, she merely reached a hand towards him and gently shook his shoulder.
She tried not to notice how his face, yet again, was scrunched up in a worried expression.
This time, she didn't dwell on it. "Link," she said. "It's time to go."
Link cracked open one eye. "How late is it?"
"Does it matter?" She stood up, running a hand back through her hair. She'd have to re-braid it, she realized with a frown. It was a tangled mess now—not like that was anything new—and she wasn't looking forward to coming through it. Absentmindedly, she combed her fingers through it, already working on separating the worst of the tangles.
When she looked back at Link, he was staring at her. Once she made eye-contact though, he looked away, quickly getting up and fully re-dressing.
Now that Link was up, Sheik got to work on getting fully re-dressed, sliding her Sheikah ensemble on over the training clothes she'd slept in. She didn't have enough time to fully sort out the mess that was her hair, instead just quickly braiding it, tangles and all.
Link didn't comment on her appearance. Instead, he almost seemed to be avoiding eye-contact, focusing on making sure he had his things with him.
"Don't take your sword or shield," Sheik advised, already stocking knives in pouches under her armor. "I have some knives you can use, if you can conceal them. But taking visible weapons would just make people suspicious of us."
"You'd really lend me some of your knives?"
"Obviously." Sheik passed him one, looking him over. "Probably would work in your boot. Keep it in its pouch, though. I'd rather your ankle not get cut open."
"Noted," Link said, a small smile on his face as he took the knife—pouch and all—and slid it into his boot. He shifted his ankle around, clearly trying to adjust to the change. "How can you carry so many of these on you?"
Sheik shrugged, finishing storing the last few. "You get used to it eventually. Hopefully you won't even need it." Looking him over again, she frowned a little, a question on her lips. "Do you even know how to use a dagger?"
"Yeah. It's been a while, but…" He managed an uncomfortable smile. "Never had to actually cut with it, but I know how if I ever need to."
Deciding that it probably wasn't the best idea to ask, Sheik just nodded and threw a cloak over her ensemble. It was chilly outside, and unlike Link's tunic and warm underthings, Sheik only had a thin suit and armor atop it.
Weapons fully concealed, they left the safety of their room, locking the door behind them.
Sheik prayed that they would find good information that night. She didn't want to stay in Marr any longer than they absolutely had to. Though she'd only spent a short time in the city, Sheik had already grown weary of all the stares she received.
But, though she was worried, with Link by her side, it was bearable.
As they walked, he reached for her hand, and Sheik didn't pull away.
After such a negative experience in Ecchar, Sheik was somewhat wary when they walked into a seedy tavern on the other side of town. They'd chosen it intentionally, of course, because the more run-down the tavern was, the more likely it was to be frequented by criminals. And the more criminals they were near, the more information they were likely to pick up.
That didn't mean Sheik had to like it.
She'd been to her fair share of taverns, but there was something different about entering one and purposefully seeking out evil.
When she saw that Link looked about as worried as she was feeling, Sheik wasn't sure whether to feel more or less anxious. Still, such an expression didn't belong on Link's face (even if it was rather frequent). Before they got inside, Sheik pulled him aside, leaning in close to whisper in his ear.
"It'll be fine," she said softly. "We'll stick together while we're in here. Don't worry so much."
"Easy for you to say," Link said. "I've only been to two taverns in my life, and one of them belonged to Telma."
"And you practically live there. Obviously you know how to act in a tavern," she said. "Just don't draw attention to yourself."
Link fixed her with an unimpressed stare. "I'm here with you," he said. "How could I possibly avoid drawing attention to myself when I'm here with a Sheikah in full costume?"
Sheik rolled her eyes. "We're not that rare. I doubt anyone will even notice."
Her partner didn't look convinced, but they didn't have time to waste. Sheik pushed the doors open without another word, calmly walking forward and scoping the room in her peripherals. To her relief, no one stared for too long at them—or at least no more so than customers usually stared at people who walked through the door.
The tavern was packed, too, so any disturbance that they might have caused was quickly overshadowed by people going back to their parties, and by other customers coming through the door after them.
Sheik scanned the room for an empty booth, finally spotting one in-between a group of shady looking people. Fortunately it was one of the only booths, which meant that no one would wonder why they'd chosen such a vulnerable position.
Once they were situated, Sheik leaned over the table to whisper to him. "I'll get us some drinks," she said. "Anything you have in mind?"
Link looked up, nervousness clear on his face. "Um. I'll just—I'll have whatever you're having."
Though she wondered why he looked so worried now that they were already inside, Sheik didn't question him. "I'll be right back," she promised, trying not to look at the burly, somewhat frightening men lining the booths around them.
Sheik returned only a few minutes later with drinks, grateful that Link was right where she'd left him, and that no one seemed to have taken notice of him.
She set a single pint of ale in front of him, keeping one for herself as she slid in across from him.
"Hear anything?" she said softly, making eye-contact but looking nowhere else. When he shook his head, she quirked her lips into a frown. "Damn…"
A few minutes passed in relative silence, and Sheik slowly but surely worked at her drink. The last thing she wanted was to get drunk while she was trying to investigate, but it would be too suspicious if they went to a tavern and didn't drink.
That in mind, though, she furrowed her brows when she realized just how little Link had drank.
It struck Sheik, suddenly, that she'd never seen Link drink anything alcoholic while staying at Telma's. Her lips quirked up into a slightly smug smile. "Your drink alright?" she asked, glancing down at the mostly-full glass.
Link sat up straighter. "Oh! Um, yeah. I just," he started, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "I just don't want to overdo it."
Sheik didn't protest. It was probably for the best that her partner didn't end up wobbly and loose-lipped. As interesting as it might be to see—and Sheik cursed as she realized that she wanted to, someday—she pushed the thought out of her mind. "I'll slide some of my glasses your way when I finish them, then," she said, a slight smile as she finished her glass.
True to her word, Sheik made sure to pass some of her glasses towards Link, but she wasn't planning on drinking herself into a stupor, either. And as over two hours passed with only meaningless conversations around them, Sheik was beginning to worry.
Was this the wrong place? By all odds, they'd made the best choice they knew to make by coming here, and yet, nothing.
The conversations hardly even touched on the missing girls, let alone where they were being hidden. Sheik sighed, lips pulling into a frown.
She'd stopped counting which glasses were hers and which were Link's, but if she had much more (high tolerance or not), she knew she wouldn't be in fighting shape if things went south. Still, she stood up anyways and turned towards the bar's main counter.
"I'm going to find something non-alcoholic," she said. "For the both of us."
Link rested his head against his hand, elbow propped up on the table like it had been for the past hour. "Take your time," he said. "Not like you're missing anything."
As Sheik approached the bartender for what must have been the fifth time that night, he greeted her with a smile. Though they'd hardly exchanged more than drink orders, the tall, burly, red-headed man acted almost familiar with her when she came up to him.
"You know," he said, "Just because you keep buying him drinks doesn't mean he's going to go home with you."
Sheik blinked at him. "Excuse me?"
"Take it from a pro," he said, smile widening. "You see the way he's sitting? He's bored. Either it's you, or it's the scenery, but buying him even more drinks isn't gonna help you—especially since you're gonna end up way more drunk than he is, at the rate you're going." Seeing her blank stare, he explained, "Well, you can't woo him if you're drunk, can you? Best to stop while you're ahead, yeah? Take it from Groose, here—I've seen enough drunken confessions to last a lifetime."
The words refused to process properly in her head. Yet, when they finally did, Sheik understood that this man—Groose, apparently—believed that she and Link were on a date. And why wouldn't he, really? They'd come together late at night and hadn't talked to anyone else, and had drank enough between them that if they weren't dating, they were still close enough to trust each other with lowered inhibitions.
But something about Groose's words agitated her. Maybe it was the assumption that she didn't know how to read people, and maybe it was the few (several) glasses of ale she'd consumed, but Sheik was having none of it. "I'm doing just fine wooing him, thank you," she said, eyes hardening as she stared him down. Remembering what she came there for, she took a breath and tried to convince herself that it wasn't worth the argument. "And I'll take…"
She stared up at the board, biting the inside of her cheek. It occurred to her, suddenly, that she didn't actually know what Link wanted.
"…I'll take something sweet," she finally decided. "I don't care what it is, just make it non-alcoholic."
"Sweet, huh," Groose said, looking her up and down. The idea that she'd be ordering something sweet seemed to amuse him, and his lips settled into a slight smirk. "Something tells me this is for your, uh…?"
"Partner," Sheik answered. At the bartender's confusion, she looked away. "…Romantic partner."
The bartender laughed. "You don't sound too sure there, Sheikah." He poured a mixture of something, and the drinks ended up green and blue, with pink gracing the very top. As he finished mixing them and she paid, though, he leaned in a little closer. "You'd best be careful with him, you know."
"Planning on it," she said, gritting her teeth as she reached for the glasses. "And mind your own business."
"Just saying, Sheikah," Groose said. "Marr's no place for a cute little thing like him—or you, either."
As much as it pained her, this bartender was probably the best lead they'd had all night. She looked at Link, forcing her face into something that didn't (fully) betray the anger she was feeling. "And why's that?"
The bartender looked at her with a raised brow. "Look, Sheikah. I'm sure wherever you come from, it's safe enough that you don't have to worry every time you cross the street. But here in Marr? You'd better watch yourself, or you might just disappear, yeah?"
Sheik pressed her lips together into a firm line. "I'll take my chances," she bluffed, turning to walk away.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said, leaning forward. "Look—I'm nor joking around here, alright? This isn't the place to hang around if you're strangers to the town. If you think your date is going bad now, it'll be much worse if one of you gets lifted."
"Lifted?" Sheik finally turned back towards him, narrowing her eyes. "Lifted how?"
If her sudden change in mood phased him, Groose gave no indication. "Lifted as in stole, Sheikah. Lots of money offered to people who manage to snag a would-be princess. And you're not exactly playing it smart, wandering into a bar after dark, even if you are with someone else."
Sheik looked at the glasses in her hands, deeply considering whether or not to continue the conversation. But Groose was staring to look around at other people now, a wariness on his face that hadn't been there before.
Was he worried about being overheard?
Deciding it was best to end things there, Sheik backed away, drinks in hand. "I'll keep it in mind," she said, only catching a glimpse of his relieved smile before she turned and walked away.
After the worrisome conversation she'd just had, Sheik was relieved to see that Link was still right where she'd left him.
She quickened her pace as she walked back towards the table, nearly (but not quite) spilling the drinks in her hand. "Sorry," she said, sliding him one. "It took him a while to make it. But it's sweet, and it's not alcoholic."
Link leaned in a little closer to take his drink, but even when he'd taken hold of it, he didn't move backwards. Instead, he leaned in closer, till his lips were almost on her ear. "Hear anything interesting?" he said softly, breath warm against her ear.
Sheik didn't want to think about what the bartender might be assuming from such an interaction. "Bartender," she whispered. "Says Marr's not safe. I'll explain once we're out of here." Before he pulled away, though, she leaned in a little closer, lips brushing against the tip of his ear. "…Look embarrassed," she said. "He thinks we're dating."
When Link finally pulled away, there was an amused smile on his face, though she could see a tell-tale blush over his cheeks. Hopefully that'd suffice for 'embarrassed,' though Sheik had hoped he'd do a more convincing job of it. "Yeah?"
"And he thinks I'm doing a bad job at wooing you," she elaborated, refusing eye-contact. When Link's smile only grew—and she saw the way his hand came up to hide his laughter—an indignant frown crossed her lips. "I'm not, am I?"
"Absolutely not," Link said. Before Sheik could feel relieved, though, he added, "You're doing a terrible job."
Sheik raised her glass to her lips, a glare meeting his gaze just over the rim. "You're terrible," she countered. "And next time you can pay for your own drinks."
Link didn't even try to hide his laughter this time. But even though it was directed at her, Sheik couldn't stop her smile at the sound. "I'll pay you back once we get home, sweetheart."
As much as she wanted to fire back, the tavern was starting to quiet down, and Sheik wasn't keen on staying there when there was no new information to be had.
So she downed her drink rather quickly, grateful that Link seemed to be thinking the same.
Once she was finished, she put her cloak back on and stood, looking closely at the exit. As she and Link started towards it, though, Sheik saw some of the men in the booths around them get up, too.
Though she didn't feel any kind of magical signature from them, she trusted her instincts, and her instincts told her not to let her guard down. So she led Link quicker to the exit and hurried outside, feet picking up pace as they left through the doors.
As soon as they got onto the sidewalk, the doors opened again, a small group of large men following them. "Hurry," Sheik said, voice urgent as she picked up the pace.
Soon, the footsteps behind them made it clear that her instincts were right. Link didn't question her; as soon as he heard the group behind them, he ran.
Sheik cursed her past self as she ran. Why hadn't she just left when Groose had mentioned something? But there was no sense dwelling on it. They couldn't change the past, and the longer she dwelled on it, the less focus she was putting on running.
"Sword and shield," Link suddenly said. "I want my sword and shield."
The longer they ran, they more they outdistanced the group following them—but it was late, and dark, and they'd both drank. Sheik wasn't sure how long they'd have a lead.
She looked around for some kind of an out, and finally, a plan began to form in her mind.
"Follow my lead," she said, then abruptly swerved into an alleyway. As soon as they turned, she kept a silencing spell on their feet, then grabbed his hand and vaulted the fence at the end of the alley.
From there, she climbed the first ladder she saw, going up, up, up, till finally they reached the roof.
The silencing spell held strong, but she knew they'd have to wait here for a while if they wanted to avoid being caught. By the time she and Link had laid down flat against the rooftop, the group had already caught up to the alley she and Link had run through. Not wanting to keep going blindly, Sheik raised her head just high enough to make out the group that had been following them.
With bated breath, she watched as they slowed to a stop.
"They must have gone into one of these side streets," a man's voice said, booming against the quiet of the night. "They couldn't have just disappeared."
"I don't hear anyone running," another said. "Maybe they went inside, somewhere."
"People of these streets know better than to let strangers into their homes." Someone hummed, suspicions. "Something fishy's going on. I don't like it."
As discussion continued amongst them, Sheik ducked her head back down, maintaining the silencing spell with all her strength. It would do them no good to stay there forever, though, so Sheik decided that they ought to make good of the diversion while they could, before they started searching the streets in earnest.
She crawled backwards then down the ladder, stretching the silencing spell to accompany Link until they were back together.
Once he was next to her, she dropped the spell just for long enough to lean down and whisper in his ear—her voice no louder than a breath. "Back to the inn."
Link nodded, then she restarted the spell and took off. This side street was almost entirely barren, which Sheik was grateful for. Not wanting to run into any of the men following them, they kept their path random and as far removed from main streets as they could manage.
When they finally came back to the inn they were staying at, it was nearly dawn.
"Think we have time to sleep?" Link asked, an almost joking tone to his voice as they hurried up the stairs. Though they'd slept some of the night, it hadn't been nearly enough, and somehow, Sheik doubted that they'd get to sleep before nightfall.
Not wanting to be overheard, Sheik waited till they were safely inside their room and had locked the door before replying. "We need to grab as many weapons as we can. I don't want to stay here even for one more night," she said. "I don't care what it takes—we're finding those girls and getting out of here."
Not one to waste time, Sheik threw a satchel over her shoulder and filled it with water and enough food to get them through the day. As she was searching through other useful materials, though, she saw some rope, and the beginnings of a plan started to form in her mind. Sheik grabbed as much rope as she could find, then got to work putting a few extra knives in her bag, just in case.
When she looked up at Link, he'd already strapped his shield to his arm and had his sword-belt around his shoulder. But, across his other shoulder and resting at his hip was a brown satchel that she hadn't seen him wear before. "Red potion," he explained. "There's too many ways this could go wrong, and I'm not taking any chances."
Though Link looked ready to go, Sheik hesitated.
"We need to have a plan," she said. "Even if it didn't go just how we wanted in Ecchar, we still had a plan."
"Yeah, because I knew the tunnels, Sheik," Link said. "I don't know the first thing about this place, and you don't, either. We're going to have to improvise."
Sheik shook her head. "People are still people, Link." At his confusion, she elaborated, "Those weren't magical beings chasing us. Those were regular people. And regular people—criminals or not—can be dealt with."
Unsure where Sheik was going with this, Link gave her a wary look. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
"I don't know how long they'll chase us for. For all I know, they've stopped already." She steeled her eyes, taking a long dagger from a pouch sewn into the armor of her outer thigh. "But people are willing to do anything to save their own skin—especially a group of people looking to kidnap young women."
Link wasn't stupid; Sheik knew he understood her implication. But she could see the hesitation in his eyes—an unwillingness, almost, to accept her idea. "You're planning on… on threatening them…? How do you even know who to threaten, Sheik?"
"We can scope the streets for anyone who looks suspicions," Sheik said. "And if that doesn't work, we can always go back to the tavern. They'll probably be back tonight, if nothing else."
"Sheik…"
His hesitation set Sheik on edge, and she looked at him with eyes hard as steel. "What, do you have a better idea? People like this won't listen to reason, Link. Even if they might, I'm not willing to risk both our lives."
"You think I don't know that, Sheik?" Link looked away, letting out a long sigh. "I don't care if you threaten them, Sheik—but these are people. Not monsters. That guard, back at Ecchar—he was a person. Even if he deserved to be put in jail, that doesn't make you his judge, jury, and executioner—"
"He didn't see me as a person anymore. He tried to sell me, Link," Sheik said. "That's what they're all trying to do. They want to steal young girls and get paid for it. Anyone who does that isn't a person anymore—even if they don't give off a magical signature, they're still a monster."
Link looked at her for a while, letting out a long breath. "All I'm saying," he finally said, "Is that if you threaten them, don't act on your threats. If they hurt you, by all means, defend yourself. But if you take them aside, and they're at your mercy and you hurt them… You're no better than them."
"I'll do what I need to do," Sheik said. "I don't care if you participate or not—but don't get in the way."
Something settled in Link's eyes, desperation showing a little deeper within them. He shook his head. "Sheik," he said, moving forward and grabbing hold of her upper arms. "Please, don't talk like that."
Sheik forced his hands off of her and stepped backwards. "I never said that I was actually going to hurt them, Link," she said. "But they've already tried to hurt me before—both of us. If they try it again, I'm not going to go easy on them."
Link closed his eyes, letting out a long breath. "Okay," he finally said. "Just…"
"I won't make promises I can't keep. But I'm not going to go overboard unless I have to." With that, she walked past him, sliding her longest dagger underneath her armor. Though Link's sword and shield were obvious—and Sheik even had her katana at her back—it probably wouldn't be a good idea to show off just how many knives she was carrying.
Still, the time for a low profile had passed.
They needed to get through Marr as quickly as they could, and sneaking around unarmed wouldn't help them.
As it turned out, it didn't take long for the men to find them again.
While there didn't seem to be a formal search going on for them anymore, they were everywhere. And, fortunately for Sheik's purposes, they tended to travel alone.
Sheik was just glad that they spotted their target before he spotted them.
Not wanting that luck to run out, Sheik pulled Link behind a merchant's cart, ignoring the stares from the woman running the shop.
"Walk through the middle of the square and look natural," she said. At the worried look he gave her, Sheik tried to give him a reassuring smile. "I'll be right behind you. I won't let anything happen to you."
Though he still looked wary, Link didn't refuse.
With his heart clearly beating a mile a minute, Link stood to his full height and walked to the middle of the square. Though she wasn't sure just how natural he was acting, he at least didn't look panicked.
In no time, a huge, burly man spotted Link from across the market. Sheik watched as he approached—from the casual way he walked, it was obvious he wasn't trying to make a scene, probably to avoid anyone coming to Link's rescue.
There was a glint of metal poking out of his long-sleeves, though, and Sheik knew she'd have to act a bit quicker than she'd thought if she wanted to keep Link safe.
So Sheik strode across the courtyard, arriving next to them just as soon as the man got up to Link.
Though he seemed surprised, he tried to play off his intentions by stepping out of the way and continuing across the courtyard. Sheik let him get past them, but not for long. As the man walked away, Sheik followed only a short distance behind him, with Link close on her heels.
The man turned into an alleyway, and now that they were finally out of the public eye, he turned on his heel and raised his voice at her.
"What do you want, Sheikah? Stop following me already!"
In one fluid motion, Sheik was on him. She cast a silencing spell before she pulled a long dagger from her clothing and held it to the man's neck, ignoring the way his mouth opened in a silent scream. Maintaining the spell, she forced him deeper into the alleyway, then behind a dumpster, so no one could see them unless they entered the alley. As soon as they were completely hidden, she dropped the spell and leaned closer, eyes fixed in a deep glare. "You have information about the missing girls, don't you?"
"M-Missing girls?" he asked, and Sheik could practically see his heart pound against his ribcage. "Who are you—?"
"You know the stakes if you lie to me," she said, pressing the knife harder against his neck. It had left an indentation already, and some blood. If she pressed much harder, she might risk seriously hurting him—but she couldn't risk easing up now. "Tell me everything you know and I'll let you go."
The man's eyes widened, but he wasn't a complete coward. "I'm not telling you any—"
"Tell me where they are," Sheik said, eyes cold and cruel. "Any information you have about where they're being kept and how we can find them, and I'll let you go."
The man went abruptly silent for a while, unwilling to look her in the eye. Sheik didn't budge. At least a minute passed before finally, she heard a sigh behind her.
"Sheik," Link said, stepping forward. "Give him time to talk."
Sheik's lips set into a scowl, but she eased up just enough to let him breathe easier. "Tie him up," she told Link, then looked back towards the man. "You have a minute to give me something useful. Make it count."
Link didn't look happy about his role in this, but he took the rope from her bag anyways and tied the man's hands behind his back, then tied a section around his feet. With every passing moment, Sheik was becoming more agitated, more worried that someone would come.
Finally, though, she crouched in front of the man, eyes staring right into his once more.
He cracked soon after she got in his face.
"They're—they're not being kept here for long," he said, looking away from her. "They're outside the city limits. I think—people talk about it like it's a warehouse, but I don't know where it is!"
"Have you been there?" Sheik asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Do you know how to get there?"
The man shook his head, eyes wide with fear. "No—It's—I'm just the guy that—that takes the girls and hands them over to someone else."
At that, Sheik was tempted to plunge her knife into his neck anyways. But one look from Link and she steadied herself. "Okay," she said. "Who does know?"
He gulped. "The—the people above me, but I don't know their names! Please don't kill me, I—"
Sheik slammed his head against the brick wall, knocking him out in an instant.
"He was out of information," Sheik explained.
Link didn't look impressed.
"He'll wake up eventually," Sheik said, not looking at Link again as she reached down and untied the man's feet. "…But we need to move quickly. Someone might have noticed his absence."
Not wanting to waste any time, Sheik hurried from the alleyway, Link close behind her. The only glimpse of his face she caught made him look almost sick, so she kept her face turned away from his.
There would be time to feel guilty later.
For now, they needed to focus on saving those girls.
In the end, it took three more interrogations before they found the site: an old, run-down warehouse several miles outside of Marr.
Not wanting to draw attention to themselves, they went on foot, leaving their horses back at Marr.
"You alright with this?" she asked Link. He still looked a little sick, and Sheik wasn't sure how to help him. More than anything, she needed him to be at the top of his game that night, and if he couldn't focus, then…
He shook his head. "No, but I'll—I'll figure it out."
Sheik set her eyes back on the warehouse, huge and looming in the distance. "Well then," she finally said. "We didn't come all this way for nothing. Come on."
With that in mind, she took a single step forward into the grassy field that separated them from the warehouse and the missing girls.
It was too late to turn back. All she could do was hope that this would be easier than Ecchar had been.
Somehow, she doubted it would be.
((Okay, so, in response to a lot of reviews I got for last chapter: Many of you are worried that I'm slowly turning this into an Ocarina of Time specific AU. Before I say anything else, I just want to assure you that I'm not. The actual Ocarina of Time will never make an appearance in this fic, and I wouldn't have included so many characters from other games if the storyline was just going to be Ocarina of Time. There's a lot of lore associated with OoT in this fic (mostly because of the Sheik dynamic), and I apologize if it made anyone nervous. But again, I assure you, I won't turn this into a revision or AU of that game.
As for the worry that this is going to turn into 'too generic' of a Legend of Zelda fic, I hope you'll stick around long enough to see the plot develop further, because the climax and ending that I have planned (while still consistent with Legend of Zelda lore) are things, I hope, that will be unique to this fic. But please bear in mind that this is still a Legend of Zelda fanfiction. If I didn't love the lore and love the games, I wouldn't be writing this in the first place, so my goal is always to have something consistent with the canon lore, but with my own twist.
That being said, this mixes a lot of lore from many different games—and because I try to remain faithful to the lore, certain things will unavoidably be mentioned and make an appearance. Like the Triforces. However, many of you have expressed concerns about the Triforce, specifically Link's Triforce.
While I don't want to give away spoilers, I do want to reassure you of a few things.
The Triforces have certain powers in this fic. I cannot explain these powers right now because that would be a huge spoiler, but rest assured, they aren't all-powerful. And just because Link believes he already understands his Triforce piece doesn't mean that he actually does.
There were a few questions about Link being the Hero of Time, and I'd like to answer those now, before any more confusion settles in. Link is not the Hero of Time in this AU; that title is reserved for Link from the Ocarina of Time. Some Links never get titles, and those that do get titles don't usually have overlap. And as for whether or not he knows he's destined to be some kind of hero of legend… that will be answered in time.
Hopefully most of your worries have been assuaged, but if not, I hope the coming chapter will put you more at ease as things start to develop.
But no matter what, I really appreciate your feedback! Whether they're compliments or criticisms, I thank you all for telling me what you liked or disliked in the last chapter, and I hope you'll continue to tell me in chapters to come. So, whether you loved this chapter or hated it, or were somewhere in-between, please tell me what you thought in a review! See you next chapter!))