((Happy 4th of July! This will be proofread by Myricle and updated once she finishes her read-through, but for now, I'm posting this version. (I know a lot of you end up reading the chapter several days later anyways.) A quick answer to Filibuster first, though: I don't have a set schedule for updates, sorry! I write, which takes a while now that the chapters are long, and then I go back through and change scenes a little, and edit. And then I post. But now there's an extra step, which will be going back and adding the proofread/corrected chapter after Myricle does a quick read-through. EDIT: Which, as of today, has been completed!
Happy reading!))
Sheik was sure she'd never been so tired in her life.
Her arms, though long since exhausted, were probably the least pained part of her, with everywhere else having sustained some kind of damage long ago. In the twenty minutes she'd been fighting, she'd been thrown into two walls—and nearly broken through one of them—and grazed with swords and daggers more than she was comfortable admitting.
The worst of it, though, was how tired she was getting.
There were so many monsters in the front room that Sheik didn't even have the energy to count how many she'd taken out—and she didn't even want to think about how many she and Link still needed to kill. The only good thing about the odds stacked against them, and the sheer number of enemies, was that the monsters couldn't take them on all at once.
And despite a good portion of these creatures being Hylian, Sheik had fought almost entirely monsters so far—which was never good.
She knew what the Hylians were doing. They were sending all the monsters out to fight first, trying to waste Sheik and Link's energy before they even had a chance to fight the smarter, more strategy-minded Hylians.
Not for the first time, she hated their Hylian enemies more than any monster. These were people, fighting for an entity that had kidnapped young girls and was driving thousands of people out of their homes. Sheik didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse as she slid her katana through their bellies.
It had taken all the resourcefulness and agility she had to avoid getting killed already. She was using moves that she hadn't used since Impa had taught them to her. After all, when she was but a child, she had needed every edge she could get. She used their size against them, their own bodies as leverage, and was willing to twist and contort to strike unblockable blows. It had been easier as a child—she'd been lighter then, and smaller—but now she had the power to make them even deadlier. But despite her best efforts, her energy was waning, and the room was still filled with far too many monsters.
If she was going to make it out of this one alive, she needed a real strategy. The monsters had the upper hand, and the Hylians were currently holding all the cards and deciding the rules. And, judging from the cries of pain and exertion from Link, he wasn't having any easier of a time than Sheik was. She needed to come up with a plan, and fast.
And for that, she needed time to think.
So though she felt bad for temporarily leaving Link alone, she knew he couldn't be in more danger than he already was. Monsters could only cluster so much around someone—and Sheik's absence wouldn't change the fact that only a few could fight him at once. (She thanked Nayru that they weren't trying to enclose him in a circle again, though.)
Sheik dodged her way across the room, till finally she found a vantage point atop a bannister. It was still too low for her to be out of reach, so she checked her options. Seeing a curtain nearby and a high, mostly unguarded balcony further up, Sheik grabbed onto it and swung.
Thankfully, the curtain was strong enough that she made it to the other side, and once she was close enough, she flipped off of it and stuck her landing. The few guards on the top seemed surprised at her entrance, but Sheik paid them no mind. Figuring that the least she could do was help Link a little, she beat the guards—all four being Hylians—until they offered no resistance. Then, she threw them off of the balcony, aiming to take down as many monsters as she could with their fall. There was an explosion of black smoke, and she was grateful to have knocked down at least eight monsters from the impacts.
Link looked up towards her, but Sheik signaled him not to draw attention to her. Though Link looked confused, he soon looked away, instead focusing on his current opponents.
Sheik knew she didn't have a lot of time before the monsters set their sights on her again, so she quickly surveyed the room. Ideally, she was hoping for a bottleneck, or a way to kill off most of the monsters at once. But either way, she'd have to somehow alter their environment.
After a moment, she spotted the wall she'd nearly been thrown through, and suddenly, an idea sparked in her head.
In order to put it into place, she'd need Link's help—and the unwitting help of the monsters.
She jumped from the balcony, taking down one Hylian guard as she landed, then maneuvered her way over to Link.
"We can't keep this up," she said, mindful of the monsters surrounding them. "But I have a plan."
"Yeah?" Link was panting, the word barely audible between his exertion and the clang of his blade. "And what—exactly—does that entail?"
"See the cracks on that wall?" Sheik asked, gesturing to a spot half across the room. "I was almost thrown through it earlier. If we hit it much more, we'll get through it."
"And how's that gonna help? There's probably more monsters on the other side!"
"That's where one of the tunnels is," Sheik said. Remembering her vision, and the sight of monsters inside it, she bit her lip, hesitating briefly as she continued fighting. One of the monsters she was fighting nearly sliced her side clean open, but Sheik moved out of the way enough that it barely grazed her. There was obvious pain in her voice as she spoke, though. "The—agh—monsters know about it, but I'm almost positive there aren't that many of them inside. It'll give us a break."
Though Link looked concerned at Sheik's injury, there wasn't exactly time for him to help her. Instead, he doubled his efforts in driving the monsters further back, having to raise his voice a little now that she was further away. "And how are we supposed to keep the monsters from following us inside?"
"I'll handle that. You just open the hole and get inside. Bottleneck the monsters—keep them coming at you one by one, and see if you can't make a spear out of some of the wreckage so you can skewer them when they come."
Though Link looked wary, he didn't argue. Instead, he gave her a hesitant nod then slowly started maneuvering towards the hole in the wall.
That left Sheik to work on killing their enemies in one fell swoop. It would be highly unlikely to kill all of the monsters, of course. But she could get rid of most of them. And once most were gone, then it would be easy to fight the rest of them now that they weren't in a swarm.
So as Link made his way across the room, Sheik journeyed back to the balcony she'd been standing on earlier. It was big, and supported by three huge pillars. Connected to that was a long staircase that was held up by several thinner pillars.
If she could take down those pillars, and somehow trap the monsters underneath the balcony, then she could dispose of them all at once.
All she needed to do was weaken all of them, and then trigger a complete collapse of the main three. With those gone, the entire balcony and staircase would—hopefully—fall.
…Even if she got crushed by the impact, she could rest assured that Link would be okay. The hole in the wall was away from the balcony, and so long as he was safely inside, he wouldn't get hurt. That in mind, Sheik started planning how to actually get it to fall. And, with a slightly dark glint in her eye, she started putting it into motion.
Some of the monsters had axes. Huge, heavy, painful things—and they could do a lot of damage if she was hit by one. So far she'd just been avoiding the monsters that had axes, but now she realized they could serve a greater purpose.
She didn't wait for one of them to notice her and try to kill her. Instead, she approached one of them from behind and hit him in the back of his head, knocking him out but not killing him. Once he was down—even if it was only for a few seconds—she stole his axe and started chopping at the columns. It was huge, and heavy, and Sheik was already tired—but if this plan worked, then she could rest easy for a while afterwards.
Fortunately for her, now that she had an axe, most of the monsters were giving her a slightly wider berth.
And now that they were avoiding her, and realizing just how many she and Link had already killed—at least fifty inside—they were starting to become just a bit more intimidated.
That meant she could get more under the balcony if she herded them just right. It was cruel, she knew, but at the moment, the only thing she could think of was killing as many of them as possible.
After she had taken a few swipes at all of the support pillars—having to travel all across the room and tiring herself almost to the point of exhaustion—she finally travelled to the three main ones in the center of the room. They'd take a lot more energy to chop down, but what choice did she have?
As she went, though, she had to keep her mind on all the enemies that were still trying to attack her… and on not dying before she finished fighting. Her more serious injuries—especially the one on her side—were starting to bleed in earnest, but she couldn't be bothered with them. Not when there was so much to still get done.
Just as she had started to weaken the one furthest to the left, she heard Link's voice from across the room.
"Sheik!"
"I'm kind of busy at the moment," she shouted back. "Just stay where you are!"
Despite Link's warning, Sheik kept hacking away at the pillars, making sure each was just on the point of collapse before going to the next. Finally, all were cracked and ready to break except the middle one—the one bearing the most weight. Knowing that it would all come crashing down once she completely obliterated the center one, she focused all her energy on it.
Before she could deliver the finishing blow, though, she felt a sudden, strong mental urge. Her hand suddenly felt hot, and she knew that whatever was happening, there was influence from the Triforce of Wisdom.
It seemed to be telling her to hold on, and though Sheik didn't want to, she allowed it, just for the time being. Whatever she was waiting on needed to hurry up, though. She could only force the monsters back for so long before they realized what was going on and tried to leave.
In her hesitation, though, Link completely ignored her order to stay put.
He rushed forward, sword drawn and a bright glow from his left hand. It seemed the mark of the Triforce of Courage was enough to intimidate the monsters and the Hylians alike, because they practically ran from him, seeking to run out the front door and take their chances with the outside world.
Sheik didn't intend on giving them that option.
When Link stopped short of the balcony, Sheik felt the Triforce of Wisdom urge her to take the final blow on the middle column.
For a moment, it seemed that nothing was happening.
And then, all at once, the columns crumbled under the weight of the balcony. The balcony tipped forward with a sickening crack, then fell completely on top of the monsters still trying to flee.
The dust and rubble from the explosion wasn't easy to dodge, but fortunately the moment it started crumbling in earnest, Sheik and Link had made their way back to the hole in the wall. The monsters hadn't all been defeated, of course—Sheik and Link were never that lucky—but it had taken more than three-quarters of the remaining monsters out.
The moment Sheik was inside the secret passageway, she dropped into a sitting position; exhausted, sore, and bloody.
The monsters had stopped advancing for the moment—none even searching for Sheik and Link—and Sheik was grateful for the break. She supposed the few remaining Hylian generals were trying to estimate just how many of their monsters were left, and perhaps trying to make some kind of plan to retaliate.
All Sheik could think about was how tired she was—and how grateful she was that Link was here with her, and safe.
"Are you hurt too badly?" he whispered, kneeling in front of her. Despite the dim lighting, Sheik could see ash and blood and dirt on his face—and plenty of red stains on his tunic. Between all the blood he'd lost and the exhaustion in his face, Link looked almost as bad as Sheik felt.
"Does it really matter at this point?" Sheik pulled her mask down, allowing her to breathe freely. "We need as much red potion as we can stomach."
Link nodded and handed her a bottle. She waited till he'd pulled out one for himself before she was willing to drink anything—and even when she had, she was horribly aware that it still didn't feel like enough. Even if her injuries were healed, red potion did nothing for the exhaustion she felt, and the way her cold, damp suit was bringing down her temperature. Tossing that cloak aside had been a mistake, she realized. With all the adrenaline from the fighting, she'd hardly noticed how wet her suit had gotten from the storm. But now that they were inside such a cold, damp passageway, she was feeling it in earnest.
"We should just seal off the hole with rubble," Link mumbled. "I know that we wanted to bottleneck the monsters, but… I don't have much left in me, Sheik. I don't know how long we could keep it up."
Sheik closed her eyes, letting out a hum. The Triforce of Wisdom wasn't giving her any ideas, though, and she let out a sigh as she realized she'd have to figure it out herself. Fortunately it didn't seem too tough of a solution when she found one. "We can shove as much big rubble against the hole as we can," she said. "Then I'll freeze it shut. It'll buy us time, and we can just focus on moving through the tunnels."
Link nodded tiredly, forcing himself to get to his feet. "Whatever we do, we need to keep moving. Ashei and Shad… If they were as blindsided as we were, then they'll need help."
Despite Sheik's exhaustion, she knew Link was right. So she stood as well, ignoring how weak and shaky she felt. Between the two of them, they soon sealed up the hole, and Sheik froze it all together, just as planned. It definitely took more energy than she wanted to use, but so long as she gave herself some time to rest before she next used it, she'd be alright.
To Sheik's relief, Link wasn't walking too fast.
Still, no matter how fast or slow they walked, they had a long journey ahead of them. Sheik only hoped that Ashei and Shad were alright.
Though they certainly weren't alone in any of the secret passageways, the passageways were mostly quiet.
Maybe it was because only a few monsters could fit in it at a time, due to their size. Maybe it was because Hylian guards wanted to stay out in the open. Maybe the monsters wanted to be anywhere that wasn't damp and wet and smelled like mold. Or maybe, for once, Sheik and Link had just gotten lucky. Whatever the reason, she was grateful that there weren't too many monsters waiting for them in the dark.
After they'd been walking (mostly) peacefully for about half an hour, Sheik had finally recovered some of her strength.
But like all good things in her life, this too came to a quick end.
Link stopped in front of her, looking puzzled and confused at best—and upset at worst. Sheik stopped as well, grateful for the break, but found she couldn't relax when her partner looked so distraught.
"The staircase to the basement was supposed to be here," Link said, looking intently at the empty space before him. "I don't see it anywhere."
Sheik closed her eyes, hoping against hope that there was a simple explanation. She didn't have the energy for setbacks; they couldn't just look over the entire compound for the girls. They needed to find them, and find them quickly. "Maybe we got turned around," Sheik said, praying her voice didn't sound as tired as she felt. "Are you sure you're not reading the map wrong?"
Link showed her the map, pointing to the symbol for 'staircase.' "It's supposed to be here."
Sheik pressed her lips into a thin line. Her mind immediately started trying to backtrack and find another way down, but even as she was thinking of possible solutions, she quickly felt something tell her to stop. There was little—if any—warmth on her hand, but she decided she couldn't be too careful, and she quickly crossed her arms to conceal the back of her left hand. Considering how dark it was in the tunnel, her hand might let off light even with bandages, so she couldn't be too careful.
"Sheik?" Link asked, looking up at her. "…Any ideas?"
"Give me a minute to think," she said. "I have a feeling there's more to this than we're thinking…"
As she thought about it, she slowly remembered how tightly concealed many of the secret rooms were. Some required hidden knobs to be pressed, some required a wall to be opened like a door, some required books to be moved from their places. Passageways were greatly concealed, and Sheik realized with a start that the staircase must have been concealed.
"Knock on the walls," she said. "Listen for something that sounds hollow. That's the side the staircase will be on."
Link blinked at her. "Shad's notes said nothing about the staircase being hidden."
"He was also under the impression that most of these tunnels were a complete secret from the monsters," she said. "I'm willing to bet that he was mistaken about an awful lot of things. Besides," she continued, knocking lightly on a few panels of wall. "If he was sure they were hiding a secret bathroom, then why wouldn't they hide a stairway, too?"
"…Fair enough." Link soon busied himself with knocking on the walls as well, though softly, so as not to draw attention from the inhabitants of any nearby tunnels.
Soon, Link's knuckles rapped against something that gave off a hollow sound, and he waved Sheik over to him. Sheik knocked around it, soon finding the borders and edges.
As she was determining the bottom-most part of the hollow zone, her hand brushed against a stone that jutted out further than the rest. Suspicious, she felt underneath the rock, and soon she found grooves to put her fingertips in. Though she wasn't entirely sure if it would work, she decided to go with a hunch, and tried to lift the stone.
The entire panel raised when she tried to lift the stone, and before long, there was a hole in the wall just large enough for Sheik and Link to fit through, one at a time.
The footsteps of monsters startled her, though, and she gestured for Link to crawl through first. Once he was safely inside, Sheik followed, and closed the panel.
They waited just inside the staircase for a moment, hardly daring to breathe. But the monsters seemed completely unaware of the secret panel, and soon their footsteps passed their hiding place.
It took a moment to regain her bearings, but once she did, Sheik stood, mindful of the low ceiling. The staircase was tiny, small enough for a child to fit comfortably inside, but not much else. It wouldn't make for a very good escape route, either, and she hoped against hope that they wouldn't have to lead any of the kidnapped girls through it. If all went well, they wouldn't have to, but… still, with how difficult everything had been so far, she couldn't rule it out.
But after surviving so much hardship already, Sheik didn't want her last moments to be spent fighting for her life from inside a too-small staircase.
As they descended the staircase, Link walked ahead of her, keeping his place slow and careful. Sheik appreciated it, especially since they didn't really know what they were up against.
After a while, though, Link suddenly pitched forward, one leg hitting nothing but air. He nearly fell forward, but Sheik caught him before he went too far. Even though she'd caught him, though, Sheik had a hard time reassuring herself that he was safe. She kept her arms around him for far longer than necessary, her heart pounding against her partner's back.
"It's okay," Link finally said. "I—I think it's just one missing step. Didn't see it in the dark."
"I'll go ahead of you," Sheik said. "I—I think it'll be easier that way."
Her logic didn't make much sense—after all, she could fall just as easily as he could. But before Link could protest, she carefully maneuvered in front of him, sitting down on the last step and stretching her leg forward to make sure there was definitely a step below it.
It seemed that the staircase had changed from stone to wood, and that it hadn't been used for years. Sheik hardly felt safe as she stepped down onto it, but she was sure—or, mostly sure—that it'd hold her weight.
"Keep most of your weight on the handrail," Sheik said, carefully moving to the next step before motioning for Link to join her. "The stairs aren't very strong."
As Sheik continued forward, Link stayed about a pace-and-a-half behind. That way, they wouldn't bump into each other or test their luck with the weaker stairs. It bothered Sheik, though, that she didn't know how deep the staircase descended. Shad's notes said that there were staircases that descended all the way to the basement—and possibly even to levels unknown—but Sheik had no clue if this staircase was one of them. It seemed too weak to descend much further than a floor or two… but then, this house was full of surprises.
After they'd traveled further down, though, Link suddenly came to a stop.
"The hallway that Shad and Ashei were supposed to leave banners in," he said. "It's supposed to be on the next floor down."
Sheik stilled as well, trying not to sound as panicked as she felt. "And how are we supposed to know when we've reached the next floor? We started at the ground floor, and it feels like we've climbed down at least two floors. I know Shad said that this might have more than one level below-ground, but… I didn't expect to be so far underground." As she tested the creaky wood below her feet, she added, "And I don't know about you, but I don't want to see if climbing up works as well as climbing down."
"Sheik…" Link finally took a step towards her, forcing Sheik down to the next step to accommodate him. "What if we're going on a suicide mission? What if they've already rescued the girls and are heading back?"
Though Link's concern had some valid points, Sheik had a strong suspicion that Ashei and Shad were having just as bad of a day as they were. She didn't need the Triforce of Wisdom to confirm it for her—and its lack of intervention made her pretty sure she was right. "If Shad's map was outdated," Sheik said, "Then the tunnels probably led them right into a trap. No matter what banner they laid out, I'm almost positive that their plan failed. They're probably captured with the girls as we speak." As she continued onwards, picking up the pace just a hair, she couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation. "Besides," she said. "This whole plan was a suicide mission. For us, anyways."
Link was quiet for a while, but when he spoke, he almost sounded indignant. "Shad and Ashei wouldn't lead us to our deaths," he said. "They helped us. How can you talk about them like that?"
"We came here to help them, not the other way around." Sheik grimaced, remembering some of the drafts she'd read, where any 'extra warriors' were sent out as mere diversions. Perhaps that was still all they were. "And, in case you don't remember, Shad and Ashei didn't have a very solid plan on our escape route."
"What do you mean? Their plan was to wait until everyone was out, and then seal the tunnels leading back to the mansion." Though Sheik couldn't see Link's face, she could practically hear his furrowed brow. "Everyone includes us."
"Doubtful." Sheik continued forward, but stopped short when the handrail suddenly disappeared. Testing the darkness below, she stepped out, and found that her foot had met something solid. "…I think we reached the end of the staircase. Watch your step."
After Sheik stepped down, Link followed, hopping down onto the sturdy ground below.
Because they still didn't know what floor they were in—or even where this room let out—Sheik kept her katana close.
As they explored the room, Sheik kept close to the walls, knocking to find any hollow spaces. Hopefully the way out would be similar to the way in, but she didn't expect to get that lucky again. When did she and Link ever get lucky when the Goddesses themselves weren't directly involved?
After what felt like ages, she finally heard a hollow sound behind the door.
She called Link over, and the two of them felt for oddly shaped stones, just as they had in order to get inside the staircase. They worked for a while before, finally, Sheik found a stone with grooves on the bottom. Assuming that it opened up, just like the first one, she pulled. Sheik held her breath, bracing for monsters awaiting them on the other side.
Once it was open, she and Link hopped out just as quick as they could, ready for anything.
There were no monsters in the basement.
Or, at least, there were no monsters waiting for them when they came out of the stairway. But Sheik could feel a strong magical presence not far from where they were. Between that feeling and the distant sounds of fighting, Sheik could only assume that Shad and Ashei were under attack.
…Considering Shad wasn't good at fighting, Ashei was probably on her own. Sheik didn't want to think about her chances of survival if she continued fighting on their own for much longer.
"Hurry," she said. "Something's going on further down."
Even without a knowledge of magical energy, Link seemed to understand what she meant. So he followed the sound of the fighting, with Sheik only a few steps ahead of him.
The hallways were deserted, leaving Sheik to believe that every guard and monster must have gone to the location of the fight. On one hand, it was good, because Sheik and Link wouldn't have to face any monsters on the way. But, on the other hand, it meant that the fight would be all the bigger.
As they finally came upon the scene, Sheik found it impossible to see over the throes of monsters and guards. It seemed Link was having the same dilemma—if not worse, considering his lesser height. Instead of barging into the room, though, Sheik suddenly pulled Link back and hid behind a wall.
Because no guards were roaming the halls, no one would notice two eavesdroppers—and like this, it was less likely that someone would turn around and find two intruders just outside the main doors. It was chaos in there, after all; swarms of monsters and Hylian guards filled the room to its maximum capacity and beyond. Despite the cool of the basement (and goddesses, Sheik had almost forgotten what it was like to be warm, she'd been in the compound so long), the room exuded heat. Had it not smelled like blood and sweat, she might have appreciated it.
Worse, she could scarcely tell what it looked like. Aside from the simple wooden structure, she had nothing she could make a plan with. She couldn't see inside and check for any staircases, or anything she could use to defend herself—she couldn't even find a safe exit route. Without even a scrap of a plan, Sheik knew their odds of survival were limited. But it wasn't as if she could come up with a plan while fighting, either. It
If she could only hear Shad and Ashei's location (if they were still alive), and the girls', it would be easier. She could come up with something, some way to get them through the door and into the tunnels—some way to save them.
There was a chance it still wouldn't be enough. But if she knew their location, she could at least try.
Amid the chaos, Sheik finally, finally, made out Ashei's voice. It was mixed faintly with others—the girls? Shad's?—but she couldn't hear anything distinctly, save for Ashei's cries of pain. It seemed that Link was hearing the same, because his face pulled into a frown.
"We need to get in there," Link said. "I can't even make out real words, just…" He hung his head, listening to Ashei's cries of exertion. "I don't like their odds against this many monsters."
"I don't like ours, either." Sheik pressed her lips into a tight frown, already trying to strategize. From what she could tell, Ashei's voice was coming from further up. That meant they had the high ground, which probably explained how they were still alive—but the monsters must have stopped them from advancing any further. Though she still couldn't tell just how many monsters were here, she knew it was comparable to how many were in that first room… and probably more. Their odds weren't good, and whatever chance they had at surviving this meant someone had to make a sacrifice.
All the monsters were inside this room, intending to overwhelm Ashei, Shad, and the girls. If by some miracle they managed to escape, the monsters would follow. Unless, of course, someone stayed behind to protect them, and managed to stall the monsters long enough for them to make their escape and seal the exit behind them. Past that, whoever stayed behind would have to find a way to kill the monsters in one fell swoop to make sure they never found the girls again.
Sheik knew neither she nor Link had the strength to win in a fair fight. The only way they could kill this many monsters all at once was if they buried them alive, or…
Sheik bit her lip, the beginnings of a plan forming in her head.
It wouldn't be pretty, but with any luck, it would work. She couldn't guarantee her own survival, or Link's, but…
"We're going to get everyone out," Sheik said, a steely determination settling onto her. "I don't know how well it'll work, but… I think I have an idea."
When they entered the main room, Sheik had been expecting the monsters to be at least a little surprised. But if anything, it seemed they'd been expecting Sheik and Link's arrival. Granted, none of the monsters or guards looked happy to see them, but they barely looked up. Sheik felt her stomach sink; they didn't even have the element of surprise this time.
Sheik squinted at a particularly gutsy Hylian guard, and realized all too late that she recognized him.
It had been a mistake not to take out the remaining guards. They must have regrouped and come down here to add security to the girls. Sheik mentally swore, but she knew there was nothing that could be done about it now.
All it meant was that she'd have to be more careful. They knew that Link and Sheik had a few tricks up their sleeve, and that they weren't afraid to cause some serious damage in order to succeed in their mission. Sheik knew all too well that the girls were, if anything, in more danger now that Sheik and Link had arrived. The monsters and guards had what Sheik and Link wanted—and, unlike the partners, the monsters didn't care if the girls got hurt.
Still, despite the monsters' lack of surprise, Sheik knew they had to act fast. So they cut through as many monsters as they could, taking advantage of anyone whose back was turned. It was a dirty tactic, and one that Sheik might have hesitated on if she wasn't sure it was saving her life. But for now, she was willing to do anything if it meant she—and Link, and Ashei, and Shad, and the girls—lived.
Once they were further inside the room, Sheik searched for Shad and Ashei and the girls. It was difficult to see even now that they were inside, especially since she had to keep her eyes on the fights going on around her.
But finally she heard Link's voice above the noise, just a few feet away from her.
"Sheik!" he cried. "Look up!"
Sheik did, and finally spotted a small group on the stairway. It seemed to be mostly young women, though the age range was wider than Sheik had seen before. There was also a greater diversity in the races and appearance of those captured. She spotted several that looked like they had Gerudo blood in them—and several half-or-quarter Sheikahs.
In front of them was Shad, who seemed to be in a panic—and attempting to wrap up an injury on his torso. But in front of the both of them was Ashei.
They'd wedged themselves into something of a bottleneck, similar to what Link and Sheik had tried to do earlier. Except Ashei and Shad's strategy seemed to be working—for now. It allowed Ashei to only take on a few monsters at a time, which meant that she could keep everyone safe and no one else would get hurt.
However, though it was keeping the girls and Shad safe, it was obvious that Ashei was wearing down.
Sheik was glad she and Link had arrived when they did; Ashei looked like she was in pretty bad shape.
"Ashei!" she called. When Ashei looked up at her, there was palpable relief on her face, though she didn't slow down her defensive maneuvers. Sheik rushed up towards her, signaling for Link to follow.
It took a few minutes, but finally Sheik managed to get to the top of the staircase. She took Ashei's place in an instant, allowing the exhausted girl to rest beside Shad.
"How did you know to find us here?"
"The maps were wrong about everything except the secret tunnels," Sheik said, "But we figured everyone would still be in the basement. Followed the sound of fighting and it lead us straight to you."
Ashei sank to the ground, clearly trying to catch her breath and recover. Sheik couldn't spare too much time to examine her, but even from a brief glance, she could see that Ashei was hurt pretty badly. Fortunately Shad was willing to help her, and soon was wrapping her injuries as much as he could with his limited supplies. "Yeah? How're you and Link? Heard an explosion earlier—was that you?"
"Brought down the second story onto some monsters. Front room woulda been a suicide mission otherwise." The monsters seemed to be coming in a never-ending stream towards the bottle-neck. Sheik wished she still had her daggers, if just to give her a few minutes to rest—but her katana would have to do. "And if we're gonna make it out of this one, we'll need to think creatively."
Ashei squinted up at her, a head-injury dripping blood into her eye before Shad started to dab it away. "Creatively, how?"
"Link and I have a plan," she said. "But you guys need to get back to the tunnel that leads out of the compound."
"What do you think we've been trying to do?" Ashei said. "But in case you didn't notice, there's a wall of monsters blocking us."
Sheik started to reply then stopped short, noticing the next monster to approach. Goddesses, it was at least four times her size—how had she not noticed it inside before?
But there was nothing she could do besides fight it…
Except maybe use its size against it.
"Shad, Ashei," she said, giving them just a moment of forewarning. "When I disarm it, push."
Shad, who had been silently working on Ashei until that point, reeled. "Excuse me, but I don't believe we're in any condition to be—"
"If this thing gets up here, no one will be in any condition to do anything. I'll be doing all the hard work, so all you have to do is push him, alright?"
That said, Sheik trusted them to follow instructions, and finally engaged with the beast once it came at her. It would be a brutal fight, she knew, especially since her goal was to disarm this monster—not to kill it. So instead of aiming to strike through its torso, Sheik aimed for its arms.
However, because she was aiming for smaller, faster-moving targets, the monster was bound to land a few hits on her before she could kill it.
Before Sheik had time to dodge, it clubbed her in the middle, and she was thrown against the back wall from the impact. She didn't have time to stay down, though, and used the wall as a spring-board. Knowing she'd only have one shot at this, she jumped forward, then cleanly sliced her blade through its dominant arm.
While it was still reeling from pain, Sheik shouted, "Now!"
She started pushing in earnest, but it wasn't until she felt others near her pushing that there was any real difference.
The giant fell backwards, rolling down the stairs and hitting countless other guards and monsters on the way down. Because of its size, it either killed or knocked out many of the guards it hit, and vanished the monsters into black dust.
Though it wouldn't stop the stream of monsters from coming up the stairs, it had taken out many of them, and given them a few moments to talk amongst each other.
"So, the plan," Sheik said, hugging one arm around her middle. Her ribs ached, and she was pretty sure she'd cracked some of them, but there simply wasn't time to focus on them. "Link's down there fighting on his own, and I'm going to get back down there with him—along with all of you. He has red potion with him if you need it. We'll clear a path as much as we can, but it won't hold for long. The basement is almost completely empty, so once you're out, nothing should be in your way. You're home free once you make it out—but you need to run as fast as you possibly can. Link and I will keep the monsters from following you."
Though Shad looked outright panicked, Ashei seemed to be keeping a clear head. "And then?"
"Same plan as always," she said. "Seal the tunnel behind you."
Ashei furrowed her brows. "But what about you and Link? What if you get cap—"
"We will find another way back, or we'll die trying," she snapped, cutting her off. "Believe me, whatever happens, we won't get captured. But you have to make sure the tunnel is completely sealed. Do you understand me?"
Ashei glanced between Sheik and the girls huddled further up on the staircase. "…Okay."
"Then leave it to us." The monsters were approaching now, but Sheik advanced towards them, pushing backwards. Already, she was clearing a path, but once she reached the bottom of the staircase, she waited. Link was crossing the room towards her, and soon he took her place at the front of the stairs. Sheik went back up to the top, at the very end of the procession, and urged everyone into formation.
There were more girls than she'd anticipated—with some having been behind the staircase's corner—but she'd just have to make it work.
If it meant exerting herself until there was nothing left in her, so be it.
As Link led the group towards the door, Sheik stayed at the tail end. She kept the back clear of opposition, and helped to protect the sides, though Ashei and Shad were doing their best. Though daggers of ice were fairly easy to make, Sheik was running low on energy as it was, and she knew she could only continue for so long.
But she wasn't going to let any of the girls get hurt. Not on her watch.
The fight to the exit was long, and bloody, and Sheik had lost count of how many times she'd been struck in the back while she was facing forward and protecting the sides.
At the very least, she was losing enough blood and sweat that she could simply freeze them and use them as daggers instead of forming them from nothing. Because of how Sheikah magic was so related to blood-lines and energy, she supposed it made sense. Besides—at least this way her body could do something useful. If she couldn't wrap her injuries or cool down, she might as well use it to stay alive for as long as she could.
It didn't matter if she was quickly running out of energy. She knew she wouldn't make it outside, anyways.
As the group continued forward, the resistance seemed to increase more and more. Some of the girls on the outskirts got cut up and bruised, not to mention Ashei and Shad. Shad had managed to slip some red potion out of Link's satchel, but no one could stop to drink it until they were safe.
Towards the end, it looked—just for a moment—like they wouldn't be able to make it out. Monsters were closing in, forming a barricade towards the door. But Link—damn him—had given up all pretense of fighting defensively. In a recklessness she hadn't seen from him in ages, he rammed his shield into a guard's sternum, then threw it behind him, for one of the girls to catch. Sheik could only watch and continue giving cover from behind, but she felt her blood run cold as Link continued to fight without a shield.
He was faster like this, and he took out more guards and monsters in half the time he had been—and for that, Sheik was grateful. But without his shield, and without any defensive maneuvers to speak of, he was leaving himself completely open for attack. And the monsters took advantage of it. He was struck several times—each time drawing blood—and Sheik was powerless to help when his voice joined the chorus of monsters' screams.
But even so, he took out the last monsters between himself and the door, till finally the way was clear.
Shad quickly opened the doors, seeing that Link was too injured to do much else. Not wasting even a moment, Ashei and the girls bolted through the doors, narrowly missing the monsters' last attacks. Though some of the girls certainly looked roughed up—particularly the older ones, who'd stuck around the outskirts and left the younger ones inside—fortunately most had escaped without too much injury.
Sheik wished she could say the same for herself. More than that, she wished she could say the same for Link.
Her partner was leaning against the wall, only moments away from another fight. Because she'd been at the tail end of the procession, the more girls that ran through the doors, the closer she got to Link. But even as she grew closer, she was scared to realize she might not make it in time. Considering his injuries, and how exhausted he was, Sheik didn't know if he'd survive his next altercation. But Link was stubborn, and he forced himself back to his feet once the monster was close enough to do any real damage.
By then, almost everyone was out. Only a few remained, and Sheik was quick to shove them through the wooden doors.
Link looked gratefully at her, holding off the monster as Sheik started to close the doors.
"Go!" she shouted, voice hoarse. Once she was sure they were running, she added, with the last of her strength, "Hurry! Make sure to seal the exit behind you!" She raised her voice, till it was nearly unintelligible, knowing full well that these might be her last words to them. "And no matter what you do, keep running!"
With that, she slammed the doors shut, and with the last of her magic, froze it shut.
There was absolutely no energy left in her, and it was only by a miracle that she was still standing. Sheik felt a warmth from the Triforce of Wisdom, but she didn't have enough time to question it, or even thank it. The only thing she could do was keep standing, and keep fighting.
"How long?" Link managed, holding his side. Though they still didn't have a moment to themselves, Sheik was covering Link just long enough for her partner to get his bearings. He looked like he was in pretty bad shape, and Sheik wasn't sure how much longer he could stay with her. "H-How long do you think we have to stall before…?"
"A few minutes," Sheik said. A monster slammed a club against her side, and Sheik couldn't help but cry out. Though it wasn't nearly the size of the one that had hurt her earlier, it added to the damage already done to her ribs. Sheik wasn't surprised that when she coughed, she tasted blood. Still, when she took a look at Link, who had more red on him than she knew how to process, it was on his behalf that she asked, "How much red potion do you have?"
"About a bottle." He handed it to her, but Sheik shook her head. "Sheik. I'm the one who can heal—!"
"Just take it!"
"I'm not going to drink it when I can heal on my own!" Link staggered over to her, resting a bloody hand on her shoulder to help support himself. "If you keep going like this, you're going to die!"
"Better me than you!" Sheik didn't care about the stricken expression on Link's face, instead just adjusting her position to take out the next monster that threw itself her way. "I've lost everyone, Link! I'm not going to lose you, too!"
Her order had Link reeling, and she watched as panic blossomed across his face. "Sheik—you're not making sense," he said quickly. His face was almost white, and if not for how hyper-alert he still was from battle, she might have thought he'd gone into shock. "I don't—this isn't you, Sheik, this isn't you!" Realizing that his panic wasn't helping him get his message across, he tried to force the bottle into her hand again. "Just—take it, Sheik, you have to take it, you aren't yourself right now!"
"I'm not going to change my mind," Sheik snapped. "I'd rather die than see you die on my account. So drink the damn potion and get out of here already, before it's too late for either of us to make it out of here!"
Sheik felt herself running out of strength, and she knew she was reaching her physical limit. She could hardly feel her limbs anymore, and the world was growing darker and darker around her. She wasn't sure if she had enough strength to stand, much less continue fighting, but she stubbornly leaned against the wall to keep herself upright.
She'd need to stay awake for a bit longer if she was going to see her plan through till the end.
"Drink the potion, Link, and get out of here," she said. Already, she was all too aware that she was starting to fade. "It won't give me the energy to get out of here, anyways. I'm… I'm dead no matter what, now. It'd be a waste of potion."
There was outright panic on Link's face now, and Sheik realized she couldn't actually hear what he was saying. His lips were moving, but everything was dull, and faded. It almost sounded like she was underwater.
Sheik forced a smile, then removed her mask so she could breathe easier, bracing herself for the next monster. "Light the match, and then get out of here. They probably want revenge, so I… I could keep them occupied for a couple minutes. Plenty of time for you to get a headstart. Now go!"
But while she was distracted with talking—and goddesses, it seemed to take all the energy she had left—a monster approached her, and got one last hit in. Sheik crumpled to her knees, and the world became very dark, very quickly.
The last thing she was aware of was a match being struck, distant fire, and the feeling of arms around her.
"Impa?" Zelda asked, still dressed in hand-me-down training clothes. Though it was time for lessons, Zelda wanted to keep practicing magic with Impa. It was such a pretty day—why did she have to go inside? "Why do I have to know so much about all the other Zeldas?"
Impa gave a soft sigh. "Because, little one. You'll need to know all of this one day."
"But why? I'm not allowed at the castle anymore! And no one would want me as their queen, anyways." She almost looked surly for a moment, before adding, "Anyways, I'd rather be a Sheikah royal guard, just like you were!" Zelda pouted, big blue eyes asking for what she really wanted: to go back outside. "If I have to study something, why can't it be stuff for that?"
"Oh, Zelda…" Impa sighed, reaching forward and tousling the girl's curls. "It's far too dangerous to be a Sheikah royal guard. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt."
Zelda furrowed her brows. "But… But, I can do Sheikah magic!"
"Most Sheikah magic," Impa corrected. "You have a lot to learn, little one. Besides," she said, taking on her teaching tone once more. "What do you have against being a queen someday, hm?"
"I have other things I wanna do."
Impa looked at her, perplexed. "…And what would those things be?"
"I want to see the world," Zelda said. "And I wanna actually help people." Before Impa could cut her off with a lecture on the royal duties of princesses, Zelda continued, "And I don't mean just passing laws to help people. I—I wanna do things for them in person. Like the heroes from all the stories!"
"Zelda," Impa said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sweet one… It's a very noble aim, and I'm proud of you for wanting to help your people, but…"
"I don't care if it's not tradition, Impa!" Zelda wouldn't allow herself to be shut down this time. Instead, she kept speaking, will all the stubbornness she'd been holding back for so long out of respect for her aging guardian. "You won't tell me the story of the Hero of Time anymore, but I don't care. Sheik is still my favorite, and you can't change my mind. If I hafta be a princess, then I want to be one who actually does stuff. I don't just wanna get captured and make speeches!"
This time, Impa's voice was a bit sharper. "Zelda," she said, lips pressing into a thin line. "That is enough. You have a destiny. Your name is your birthright, and you can't just ignore it!"
"Maybe I don't want that birthright!" Zelda looked defiantly up at her guardian, squaring her shoulders. "And—And maybe I want a different destiny!"
Impa looked at her for a very long time, until finally her stern expression faded away. "Oh, Zelda," she sighed, pulling her into a hug. "I know you don't understand," she said, "But someday, you will. I just want you to be safe, sweet one."
Even as Impa said it, Zelda felt a strange assurance come over her. "I don't care if I'm safe, Impa," she said. "I just want to do the right thing."
"Sheik?"
Sheik couldn't open her eyes. Where she was, she hadn't the faintest clue, but her entire body ached, and she was dimly aware that she was being carried.
"Sheik—goddesses, please open your eyes." She felt Link lift her left hand, sliding up her sleeve and reaching for a pulse-point. After a moment, he adjusted his hold, until his hand clasped around her left hand, holding onto it for dear life. "I can't—I barely felt a heartbeat, Sheik, and I don't know if you can hear me or not, but if you can, please, please do something to show me you're still with me."
Though she had no control over it, Sheik felt something within her trying to make itself known. Before she could say a word—or even muster up the strength for it—she felt a sudden surge of heat coming from her left hand. She didn't know if it was Link's Triforce or her own—but she knew that whatever it was, it was good.
Link stilled, and Sheik could feel him gently press his lips to her knuckles.
"I'm not letting you die."
If Sheik was being honest with herself, she didn't know why she'd allowed herself to fall to such a low. She'd stolen once—once—when she was younger and no one in town had been willing to give her food. Her heart had been pounding the entire time, and she'd felt guilty long after she'd eaten the bread she stole.
And yet, now?
Now she had successfully completed her biggest heist yet. The Lanayru noble had nearly caught her—and she might have, if not for Sheik silencing the area around her hiding place. But she'd made it out in time, with enough jewels and pearls and rupees to last her for weeks.
She wasn't proud of herself, not exactly. She was proud that she'd been able to do it, and to some extent, she was proud that this rude, spiteful woman would be knocked down a peg after realizing someone had stolen from her. But she didn't feel proud of the actual theft.
Impa had taught her to be better than this.
But what choice did she have? She was fourteen and cold and hungry, and the world still wanted to find her. Most people had given up hope, but every now and then, she still heard soldiers talk about 'poor missing Princess Zelda.'
She couldn't go back to the Castle—she wouldn't. Not when her father had pawned her off to Impa and never bothered to visit. Not when she had siblings who were the darlings of Castle Town. Not when her step-mother was queen, rather than Sheik's mother—whoever that was.
As Sheik approached the first pawn-store of many she'd be visiting today (so as not to draw suspicion), she forced down the memories.
It didn't matter what Impa had raised her to be. Impa was dead. It didn't matter what her royal lineage wanted her to be, either. She was Sheik, now. Not Zelda. And now that she wasn't Zelda, it didn't matter what she wanted in life.
She was just a petty thief trying to make ends meet. It didn't matter who or what she wanted to be.
When Sheik awoke, she was only aware of the cold.
Strong wind blew in front of her, and she felt something warm and solid behind her. She was being carried, she thought, though she couldn't be sure.
"Sheik?" she heard. And was that Link's voice? In the wind, it was hard to tell, but… Whoever it belonged to, she trusted implicitly. She settled against him, trying in vain to find protection from the wind. "Oh, goddesses, you're alive. Are you—right, you won't respond. You're conscious, though?"
Sheik did nothing to answer his question. She merely tucked closer to him, breath hitching when it aggravated her injuries.
"Stay still," Link urged. "Stay still, you—you've gotta be okay. We're on our way back to the mansion. We'll get help once we're there, I promise. I—I couldn't heal you. I'm so sorry, Sheik. This is—I shouldn't have… This is my fault. This is all my fault." His voice sounded thick for a moment, and Sheik realized he might be crying. "I'm gonna fix it—fix you, I swear. I—I can carry you the rest of the way, get you somewhere safe. Whatever Sheikah magic you have, it's—I think it's trying to keep you alive. Just keep doing whatever you're doing, okay, Sheik? Sheik? Can you still hear me?"
Sheik let out a long, slow breath, dimly aware that she was fading again. Link wasn't making sense, talking about Sheikah magic 'trying to keep her alive.' Didn't he know that it required energy to use Sheikah magic? She couldn't use it if she was unconscious. And, besides that, what did he mean, it was his fault? Sheik had had every intention of dying back there. If Link was getting her to safety, then it was because of him that she was still alive. But something told her not to mention it—not that her voice worked, anyways. That same something told her to keep her left hand concealed, too, and Sheik did her best to comply. She didn't remember why her left hand was so important, but she heeded the advice, and slowly moved her hand till it was crossed over her chest and hidden by her right arm.
The movement seemed to sap the rest of her energy, and Sheik felt herself slipping away. Ignoring Link's pleas for her to stay awake, Sheik had little choice in the matter, and soon found his voice fading away once more.
She was eighteen, and she couldn't remember the last time she had said a word aloud. After nearly getting caught one too many times, Sheik had stayed away from cities for the most part, only venturing into them when she was running low on supplies. Even then, though, she stayed silent, taking what she needed and paying without a word.
Once, she'd entertained the idea of reintegrating with society and making a life for herself. She'd thought of giving up her Sheikah ensemble—her last tie to Impa—and settling down somewhere.
But she was a wanted woman, now. She'd spent years as a thief, and if she was ever recognized by someone she'd stolen from, then she would doubtlessly be caught. It was much more difficult to move after settling than staying on the run, and as tiresome as nomadic life could be, she was sure life in prison would be much worse.
Besides…
Deep in her heart, she knew she would never be content in one place.
But Sheik had the sky above her, and the ground beneath her feet. She had her Sheikah ensemble, and a world out there to explore. Even if she could only do it alone, she was still grateful for the opportunity. How many Zeldas before her had been confined to a castle? How many had been locked away and never seen the light of day till a hero rescued them? How many had dedicated their lives to passing laws but never gave a damn about the individual lives of their citizens? How many lifetimes had she spent inside a gilded cage?
No, Sheik decided. The life she'd chosen wasn't easy—but she knew it was better to be alone if it meant she wasn't trapped.
She was Sheik, and she was free.
When she next woke, she was warm.
That, above everything else, was what came to mind first. After being so cold for so long—because, Goddesses above, it had been cold in the compound—Sheik had almost forgotten what being warm was like.
But after she realized she was warm, the pain soon followed. She barely had the energy to sit up, but when she finally did, her body exploded into pain. She could barely get a center on what hurt the most; everything fed off of each other and added to her head-to-toe ache.
Sheik squeezed her eyes shut, barely remembering to check if her eyes were red, or blue. Unsurprisingly, they had turned blue, and she forced herself to reapply a glamour. She hoped against hope that no one had seen her with blue eyes, but there wasn't much she could do if they had.
More than anything though, Sheik just wanted to pass out again. Even if she'd been forced through reliving unwanted memories and dreams, she hadn't been so acutely aware of pain while she was out. Not to mention there was a chance she'd dream of Impa again…
"Do you need help lying back down?"
Sheik jerked her head in the direction of the voice—only adding to her pain—but found that it was only Link. Though she attempted to open her mouth and speak to him, the only noise that came out was a hoarse croak.
Sheik tried to look at him, but he was blurry and unfocused from so far away, and she squinted at him to make him appear clearer. The only thing she could see for sure was that Link was visibly exhausted, with a posture to match. But nevertheless, he soon approached the bed she was lying on. Despite seeing his slumped position from so far away, she still didn't expect him to look so bad once he came closer.
"You scared me half to death," he said, and Sheik, with one look at his face, believed him. His eyes were red-rimmed and his cheeks still had tear-stains; even without them though, he looked haggard. She didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but from the looks of it, it might have been days, and he looked like he hadn't eaten anything all the while—or bathed, for that matter. "Promise me you'll never do that again, Sheik. You could have died."
Sheik attempted to speak again. It hurt her throat to even try, but she couldn't just ignore him when he was trying to talk to her. Link didn't deserve to be ignored, for one—and, perhaps more to the point, Sheik didn't want to hear any lectures no matter how upset he sounded. So she took a breath of air, hating how rough and dry her voice was when she finally managed a syllable. "Can't."
She had never seen Link look so hurt before—or so worried. "You can't?" he asked, and despite his attempt at stoicism, his eyes betrayed him. "Or… or you won't?"
Sheik raised one hand to massage her throat, ignoring the shooting pain that went up her elbow. "Can't," she repeated. "…Both, maybe." Though she had attempted not to sound too harsh, Link looked down, unable to meet her gaze any longer. In the silence that followed, Sheik tried—however slowly—to remember the details of those last moments before she'd passed out. Much of it was hazy, though, so she forced herself to ask, "Did it …burn?"
Link nodded his head, though wouldn't look back up at her. "Storm put up a fight, and some of the Hylians might have gotten out, if they were clever. But… yes."
Sheik nodded slowly, processing the information as best as she could. Remembering the point of the mission, though, she soon asked, "…Girls?"
"They're… they're fine," he said. "Same with Shad and Ashei. Everyone made it safely back."
Link seemed to be calming, now, which Sheik greatly appreciated. However, as she remembered the last moments before she'd blacked out, she couldn't help but furrow her brows in confusion. "…Potion," she said, rubbing her sore throat before she could continue. Though she saw a flash of hurt in Link's eyes, she pressed on nonetheless. Before she could relax, before she could do anything, she had to ask if he'd actually honored her attempt at a sacrifice. "Did you drink it?"
Link was quiet for a while. Sheik didn't think she could identify every emotion flitting across his face, but she knew there was anger there. Anger, upset, worry, fear… and, more than anything, hurt.
"You didn't leave me much of a choice," he finally said, and he didn't sound happy about it. But at least he didn't sound as upset as he had when she first awoke. "You couldn't drink it if you were passed out, and… if I was going to carry you, I couldn't… I couldn't be too injured to move."
Sheik felt herself relax. "Good," she sighed, content. "Glad you did." Now that she'd spoken a bit, her throat didn't protest so sharply at every syllable, and she finally allowed her hand to drop back onto the bed. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the soft pillows propped behind her, already exhausted again. "Everything worked out, then," she said. "…When do we leave for Kakariko?"
"I don't think you're in any position to get back on the move."
Sheik's lips pulled into a frown. "I walked from the warehouse back to Marr with a stab wound, Link," she said. "Riding a horse will be nothing. So long as I have some red potion, I can heal on the way."
"Sheik…" Link bit his lip, finally sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I… I don't think you realize just how seriously you were hurt."
Sheik tried to shrug, but no matter how she ignored the stabbing pain in her shoulders, her movement was hindered. "I'm still alive," she said. "That's more than I expected."
Link's eyes, if anything, turned more hurt—and yet, there was …guilt mixed in. "It shouldn't be," he said. "You should never have gotten so hurt in the first place. I should have been the one to stay behind."
"No." Sheik took a deep breath, then finally gestured for him to lean closer. Though Link hesitated at first, he finally leaned closer, till finally Sheik could take hold of his hand. "It was my choice to stay behind, Link. I fully expected to die. I made peace with that. So long as you and all the girls made it out okay, I was happy with my choice."
"But I can revive," Link said. "That's what you don't get, Sheik. I—if I die, it's probably not permanent. But, if you die… There's no coming back."
"You don't know everything about your Triforce, Link," she said, letting out a long sigh. "It… I don't know why, but—I… I get a bad feeling if I ever think about leaving you to fend for yourself. I can't even consider it." At the growing panic in Link's eyes, Sheik tried to clarify. "I know you want me to trust your power, Link, but… I…"
Link gave her hand a squeeze. There was something strange in his voice when he asked, slow and uncertain, "Why can't you trust it?"
"Because I…" She bit her lip. "I… I just…"
At her hesitation, Link's face fell. He gave her a while to finish speaking, but when it became clear that she had nothing to say, he slowly, and without looking her in the eye, asked, "Is it because you don't trust me?"
"I didn't say that." Link probably didn't believe her, but Sheik didn't know what else to say. Not wanting to betray her feelings—her worries, her doubts, her fear of losing the only constant in her life after years of being alone—she quickly backpedaled. "It's—I just… You've barely explained anything about your Triforce, Link. How am I supposed to trust something I know nothing about?"
Link gave her a long look, as if searching for something. Whatever he was looking for, he didn't find, and finally he sighed. He let go of her hand, then, gently setting it back on her lap. While she was still confused about the sudden break of contact, he stood up, turning away from her and taking a deep breath. "I trust you," he finally said. "I had thought… that after this long, you'd—that you'd trust me. But I… I guess I shouldn't have expected you to trust me about… this. I… I can't really blame you. I… I should never have put you in danger."
Sheik sat up, attempting to follow him, but to no avail. Her legs wouldn't move more than a few inches, no matter how she strained. "Link," she said, hating the guilty tone to his voice. "It's—whatever you're talking about, it's not your fault. I was the one that stayed behind, Link. You saved my life."
"What good does that do you if I was the one who put it in danger in the first place?" Link finally turned towards her, and Sheik was surprised to find fresh tears in his eyes. "I thought—you… You don't tell me anything, so I thought… I thought maybe it would be okay if I didn't, either, but I…"
"Link…" Sheik furrowed her brows. "I don't know what you're trying to say."
Link wiped his eyes, ignoring her confusion. "I didn't think that it would matter," he said, and Sheik could hear the frustration rising in his voice, "I didn't think it would—I didn't think it'd be this strong. I didn't realize that you could have gotten hurt."
Sheik was more confused than ever. "Link," she said. "Whatever you're trying to apologize for, it's okay."
"It isn't." Link shook his head. "But I—I can't tell you. Not here. Not when someone might overhear. It's—I… I know it's selfish, but it has to wait until we're on the road. I understand if you don't want to travel with me after this, but… I… I'm so sorry."
Sheik narrowed her eyes. Though she still couldn't figure out what he was going on about, she knew that he wouldn't be apologizing so ardently if he didn't have a reason. Though Link was humble, he wasn't a masochist, or a martyr. "Then tell me when we head out for Kakariko," Sheik said, suspicious now. "If you aren't going to tell me now, then stop talking about it until you are."
"Right—I… sorry," he said quickly. "I should let you rest and—and let Shad tend to you. We can leave in a few days if that's what you want."
Sheik only felt more suspicious at Link's automatic agreement. It was rare that he agreed with her without even a second's hesitation—especially about something he'd previously been against. Something wasn't right, that much was obvious, and Sheik felt her defenses rising because of it. "But you will tell me," she said. "Once we're on the road to Kakariko. Don't back out of it now that you've promised."
As Link got a good look at Sheik's expression, he lowered his head, no longer able to look her in the eye. Link hesitated on his words, and was only able to manage a soft tone when he managed to speak. "…I… I will, Sheik," he said. "I'm—I'm sorry. I… I'll follow through. I'll make things right. I promise."
As he ran a hand through his hair and looked at her with such a distressed expression, Sheik felt a sudden surge of protectiveness. Even though he wasn't in any immediate danger, she felt similar to how she'd felt when she first met him, and when he was injured at Oxon.
Sheik furrowed her brows.
For some reason, it felt out of place.
Link seemed to realize something amiss as well. He looked down sharply at his left hand, then looked away, turning on his heel. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm—I didn't mean… Just… —Goodnight."
As he walked out the door and closed it softly behind himself, Sheik found herself staring after him. Whatever had just happened—and goddesses only knew what that was—had been strange. But, for some reason, she had the feeling that it was important.
She didn't have the energy to dwell on it, though; not with her injuries the way they were. Though she still hadn't had red potion, it was energy and rest she needed more than anything, and she wouldn't be getting that out of a bottle. Now that Link wasn't present to keep her awake, Sheik found herself drifting off once more.
She prayed to Nayru that this time her dreams would just be dreams—no memories.
((…Let's see where this goes, shall we?
As always, thank you all so much for your support! I'm glad so many of you like this fic, and I hope you continue to enjoy it as it pans out more and more. If you like this story, and even if you didn't, please review! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, and any questions you have (though I'll refrain from giving spoilers.) As always, I hope you all have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading!))