[Sooga POV]

"Master Sooga!" A footsoldier – Mito by the sound of it – scrambled toward him, hastily taking a knee. All eyes in the training yard turned to them but after a sharp glance from Sooga, quickly returned to their activities.

"What is it?"

"We can't locate the healer!" he exclaimed in a hushed, albeit panicked, tone.

Sooga tensed. "Where did you lose track of her?"

"After she ventured into Central Hyrule. I... we know she passed through the Outpost and the Hylians weren't hospitable to her but..." His blood ran cold and Mito continued, heedless of his dread, "We've had no sightings of her in six days."

Six days... In that timeframe, they might find a body instead of a living breathing healer. The fabric of his gloves strained as he balled his hands into fists. "Keep looking. She must be found."

"Right!" Forming a hand sign, Mito bowed and disappeared.

[Izuna POV]

Wandering off the path past the Outskirt Stable, Izuna slumped under the weight of her pack, every step a battle. There hadn't been enough time nor a safe enough place to rest after all-but running away from the Outpost. The soldiers there hadn't pursued her, thank the gods, but a couple civilian men living there tried following, jeering and brandishing crude farm equipment. The soldiers, of course, did nothing. Her tribe had made so many sacrifices for these people, yet they had the audacity to treat them with suspicion and distrust. And violence, she reminded herself, recalling her attacker in Deya village. Izuna shuddered at what might have happened had the group of men gotten their hands on her. Unable to go on any longer, she could only pray that she'd run far enough.

Dropping her things in a secluded grove, Izuna laid upon the grass, falling asleep almost instantly. Her dreams were only flashes - red eyes, a mischievous smile, a teasing wink. And always, the white glow of the gift. The dream, one she had often, was all too short. The snap of a twig awoke Izuna in the middle of the night some hours later, and the dream slipped away yet again, like it always did. Her eyes flashed open, struggling to acclimate to the darkness. Had Koro found her? Movement to her left dispelled that notion immediately. Among the trees, the lumbering creature she couldn't identify was much too large to be him.

She shoved her supplies into her pack as quietly as she could and took cover among some bushes until she had a clear shot. Izuna drew her bow and waited. Eventually, the creature wandered into her campsite and she scowled. A stalmoblin. It made a show of sniffing where she'd been sleeping moments before. Did an undead bone monster have a sense of smell? Better not stick around and find out; unless her arrow penetrated its skull with enough force, it wouldn't die, and there was no way she could kill it in close combat.

There was a rustle behind her and Izuna froze, turning slowly, eyes drawn to the teal glow emanating from a bush. Orangey-yellow eyes peered at her between the leaves and her mouth popped open in surprise. Wordlessly, she put her bow down and pulled a green rupee from her pocket, holding it out to the glowing creature. Cotera mentioned to her once that blupees liked rupees almost as much as great fairies did. The small creature approached, and little paws wrapped around the money, taking it from her hands and putting it in its belly pouch before hopping closer to her side, stepping onto her lap, and stretching up to sniff her face. Her heart melted on the spot, and she stroked its fur, careful to avoid the sensitive fronds on its head.

The moblin gave another grunt, reminding her of its very present and real danger. "I need to get out of here," she whispered to the blupee, setting it aside and grabbing her bow. To her dismay, it darted off, leaving her alone with the moblin. Izuna crept away from the campsite, keeping low until she reached the tree line. It was too late in the night to try finding another spot for camp, especially if there were other stalmonsters lurking nearby. She rubbed her eyes, barely containing a frustrated groan. So much for a good night's rest-

The blupee watched Izuna, mere paces away at the foot of the mountain. It turned and scampered away, only to stop and turn back. Waiting.

"You want me to follow you, huh?" The blupee's stare was unwavering until she had crossed half the distance, then turned and ran further ahead, up the mountain. The trail was narrow and often treacherous due to the steep drop that was only a misstep away, but it was devoid of monsters.

Reaching the top at last, Izuna set her pack down, panting from the exertion. The blupee nuzzled her leg and scampered away. Her lips parted. Before her stood a cherry tree overlooking a shallow spring, pink petals floating down to rest atop the water, the picture of tranquility. Izuna followed the blupee once more and shrugged off her pack, sinking into the grass at the water's edge, running her fingers through the cool liquid.

There was a pained caw near the cherry tree, snapping Izuna from her appreciation of the scenery. Hidden in the tall grass at the base of the tree lay a pure white bird. Blood stained the pure white feathers and one of its wings was bent at an unnatural angle. She kneeled beside the poor creature, placing a blue-glowing finger against its little chest. Its heart fluttered weakly. It would be dead by sunrise. As if reading her thoughts, the bird's ruby eyes peered up at her and it cawed mournfully. Her Sheikah arts wouldn't be enough to save its life; it was too weak. Putting it out of its misery would be a mercy but the thought of killing it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Izuna stroked its head gently. "You want to live, don't you?" The bird chirped and a soft smile tugged at her lips. "Your wish is my privilege, little one." Her finger glowed white as she pushed some of her life essence into the small creature. It didn't take much before the bird fluttered its wings, hopping to its feet. Something moved in the corner of her eye; Izuna craned her neck to get a better look and her breath hitched as familiar ruby eyes stared down at her with reproach. Tears dripped down her cheeks as she fought the drowsiness overtaking her.

A cool breeze roused Izuna from her slumber. When she opened her eyes, however, the spring was not as she left it. An ethereal teal glow akin to that of the blupee enveloped the area, reflecting off the water and surrounding mist. She sat up, eyes widening at the numerous blupees snuggled around her; she scanned the area in search of those eyes, but she was alone. She had to have hallucinated. Azumi was dead and never coming back.

As if sensing her distress, the blupees stirred, cuddling close to her side, others squishing onto her lap until she couldn't move without jostling them. She sniffled, petting their fur. One nuzzled her pocket, and she giggled, wiping her eyes. "You smell my offering, don't you? I'm afraid I have to save that for Kaysa though. I can't give it all to you-" The words died in her throat as Izuna something moved in her periphery. A large creature bearing an incredible resemblance to the blupees in her lap watched her from the water.

"Rarely do I encounter one my blupees trust," A voice echoed through her mind, as near and clear as her own thoughts.

"W-was that you?" she asked the horse-like blupee, and the creature dipped its head. Izuna glanced down at the blupees in her lap. "Can you guys talk too?" she whispered, though they only stared at her in mild curiosity, some still trying to get closer to her rupees. Her cheeks heated at her foolishness.

"You bear the favor of the great fairies, blessed one."

Izuna nodded. "Yes... they have passed down their blessings on my family for generations."

"You know the cost of the gift you squander."

"I'm not squandering anything."

"Yet you alter the fate of a lowly creature."

She furrowed her brow. The bird? "I couldn't let it die..."

"It is the natural order of things." The creature disappeared, reappearing beside her. Izuna tensed. Too close. "One day, you will run out of life to give."

"It's my choice," she whispered.

"A poor repayment of the sacrifices made on your behalf. Do not rush to your end, blessed one."

"What sacrifices?"

"Every day you live is a gift from your beloved kin. Do not waste it."

"What do you mean?"

But the creature did not answer.

Izuna awoke to birdsong at sunrise. Despite having slept on the ground, there were no signs of the usual aches and pains. In fact, that was the best sleep she'd ever had out in the wilds. "Was I dreaming? Or...?" She rubbed her eyes, frowning at the moisture that had gathered there. She sat up, blinking around the clearing. A white bird – the white bird she'd healed – chirped a merry tune amid a patch of blue and white flowers. Her mouth popped open, and she peered around the spring again. As far as she was aware, silent princesses only grew in holy places... Had they been there the night before?

Regardless of how the blooms got there, Izuna thanked the gods for her good fortune and reached toward them and the bird flew away. Warmth bloomed in her chest. "Fly free, my friend," she murmured, and plucked the flowers from the soil. Adding the petals to poultices increased potency which helped fight off infection. The leaves held little flavor but were full of nutrients. When food was scarce, they could mean the difference between life and death. Finally, she extracted the seeds, setting them on a leaf while she dug small holes in which to plant them anew. When the last seed had been buried, she whispered a prayer that they would grow, and rose to her feet.

Izuna inhaled deeply, savoring the brisk pine air, and turned to grab her pack. She paused. It was covered in leaves and twigs. Odd... Chalking it up to mischievous blupees, Izuna shouldered her pack and descended the mountain. From her vantage, the mountain where Kaysa's fountain was hidden was well- within sight, and further beyond her destination, a blizzard assaulted the frontier, though her path was clear as far as she could tell. Toward the North, a never-ending storm ravaged the Thundra Plateau, striking the land with occasional flashes of lightning.

By evening, Izuna crossed the Jeddo bridge, pausing at the circle stones. To make camp or-? But a groan interrupted her musing and she stiffened, searching for the source of the sound. "Who's there?" she called out nervously. More Hylians? Or was someone hurt? There was a sharp intake of breath, and she followed the sound to the lone circular stone to her right. A Yiga footsoldier slumped behind it in a small pool of blood.

"H-healer?" they rasped. "Where did you-?"

"Shh, save your strength." Izuna kneeled beside them and pressed blue-glowing hands to their midsection, assessing the damage and healing the lacerations. Her stomach grumbled, announcing its displeasure that she had neglected to eat anything since she'd awoken. The footsoldier said nothing during the rest of the healing but when it was done, after she rinsed her bloodied hands in the river, Izuna returned only to find that they had disappeared.

She blinked. "You're... welcome I guess?" Strange. With a shrug, Izuna sat down to eat something while she deliberated whether to travel further or not.

[Sooga POV]

Sooga ground his teeth, standing behind Master Kohga in silent support while Astor explained the future to come. Again. There were only so many ways to describe the scenarios in which the prophesied calamity would rain destruction down on their enemies. Even Kohga's enthusiasm for their victory had dwindled to the point where he hardly paid attention when the prophet started on his monologues. In fact, the leader of the Yiga clan was sitting incredibly still, holding his head in his palm. Still enough that Sooga would bet a month's earnings that he was asleep. Years of discipline and training were all that stood between him and an audible sigh of relief when Astor finally got to his point.

"I will remind you that Calamity Ganon requires our full concentration. Our plan must be executed without flaw." Sooga barely contained a scoff when the prophet stood and circled the table. Easy for him to say, considering all he did was hole himself up with the harbinger guardian while he and his warriors did the legwork. "It is for that reason that I must ask," golden eyes slid to him, "what mission is so important that you deployed numerous squads at once? We should be preparing for the Calamity not... whatever pet project you've dreamed up."

"Huh?" Kohga sat up abruptly with a snuffle. Sooga's lips quirked. "Eh, don't ask me. I'm sure Sooga has them on something really important-"

The door burst open, cutting off their leader's words. "Master Sooga, we found her! Master Kogha-!" the footsoldier gasped, throwing themselves onto their knees. The coppery tang of blood wafted around the room. "Master Kohga! Forgive me for the intrusion-"

Astor's dull eyes took on a gleam of intrigue. "Her, you say?"

"Go to my workroom and wait for me there," Sooga ordered, ignoring the prophet.

"Yes sir!" They bowed to Sooga then to Kohga, leaving as quickly as they'd come.

"Wasting resources looking for a woman, Sooga? Surely a man of your caliber is capable of securing a bedmate without resorting to such means," came Astor's silky murmur. "And here I thought you were more honorable than that..."

He rolled his eyes, ignoring the petty jab. Ever since he refused to usurp Kohga, Astor had dropped the façade of respect altogether. Kohga straightened, craning his neck to look at his second in command. "A woman? You mean-"

Sooga nodded sharply. "It has been ten days since we lost track of her."

"Go deal with that. I'll finish up in here," Kohga ordered. He rubbed his chin and glanced at Astor. "Unless we're done?"

"Need I remind you that you are bound in fealty to Calamity Ganon? Distractions from our goal-"

"Don't worry so much, Prophecy-man," Kohga joked, though there was an underlying tension in his voice. "We'll take care of our people; you just focus on the plan-" The door shut behind Sooga, cutting off the rest of Kohga's words, and he hurried to meet with the footsoldier. Izuna had been found at last.

[Izuna POV]

Izuna crouched beside one of the curious circular stones, running her hands over the mottled surface and marveling at the low hum it gave as the wind passed through it. She'd only finished her dinner when a breeze picked up, blowing through the stones in just the right way that they sang. They had to have been fashioned by hand; their shape couldn't have occurred naturally. Who had left them there? Hyrule held so many mysteries – but how much of the land's history was lost to time or suppression?

An explosion of smoke and tags disrupted her enjoyment of the pleasant hum, and her brows rose to her hairline. "Sooga? How did you-? Are you injured?" She closed the distance between them, fingertips barely brushing his arm before he recovered.

"Are you well?" he demanded, unable to mask his urgency.

"What?" Surely the right hand of the inverted eye had better things to do than check up on her. How had he found her in the first place? Sooga circled her, looking her up and down. "Wh-what are you doing?"

He crossed his arms. "I had to be sure you were unharmed."

"Why would you assume I got hurt?"

"You've been missing for ten days."

"Missing? You're spying on me now?"

"There are many dangers on the roads of Hyrule," he replied, nonplussed. "Not least of which the Hylians."

"Not least of which is you," she corrected. "Don't follow me anymore."

He ignored her. "Where have you been?"

The nerve of this man. She was beholden to no one, least of all the Yiga clan. "That's not your concern."

He crossed his arms. "Your safety is important to the Yiga."

"Is that so? And Master Kohga ordered you, specifically, to keep an eye on me?"

"Yes."

"That's what I th- wait what? That's ridiculous! You're lying-"

"I am not a liar, Izuna."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, but didn't it occur to you that I wouldn't want a stalker? I want to be left alone."

"Given that you ran away from home, I'm not surprised. But I'm afraid that's not an option."

She stilled, peering up at him cautiously. "What makes you think I ran away? I told you, I'm on a pilgrimage-"

"Because my scouts tell me you did; your actions caused quite a stir in Kakariko. A foolish decision, considering the trouble you've already found-"

Izuna balled her fists and glared into the mask. "And that's your problem, how? You don't get to tell me what my options are - I'm not one of your warriors." She turned on her heel, throwing her pack over her shoulders. Never mind making camp, there was plenty of light to cover more ground.

Heavy footfalls followed her. "Wait-"

"Leave me in peace-" she whipped around, smacking her nose against his chest and stumbled back, "Ouch!" She clamped her hand over her face, eyes watering at the throb. Was he made of stone?!

"Why do you object to our protection? We've ensured a safe journey for you-"

"Safe from what – the monsters of Calamity Ganon?" she scoffed. "You cannot be serious."

"I am. My soldiers have cleared your path of danger ever since we parted ways."

Now that he mentioned it, Izuna hadn't needed to sneak past monster camps or pick them off from afar. The road had been relatively peaceful, and besides the Hylians, the only incident had been that stalmoblin. But she was under no illusions regarding their so-called protection. "Look, I appreciate your efforts and all, but the fact remains that there wouldn't be so much danger out here if you weren't trying to revive that monster."

"Watch your tongue," he growled, gripping her upper arm firmly, though not enough to hurt. "You speak of things you don't understand."

Izuna's heart leapt into her throat, eyes darting to the swords at his hips. How easy it was to forget the Yiga was dangerous. She couldn't afford to be careless. Izuna took a deep breath to steady her nerves, catching a whiff of spice - cloves. The scent, coupled with the heat emanating from his body warmed her, sending her heart into a frenzy of fear and something else she didn't want to examine. "Even so, it doesn't excuse you from having me followed."

"You are valuable-"

"Stop it." She cringed at the tremor in her voice. "I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."

He inclined his head. "No, you do not, but-"

"No buts," she interrupted. "The least you can do is leave me alone when my assistance isn't needed."

"The least we could do is keep you alive while you traipse about the countryside-"

"Nobody asked you to!" she yelled, struggling against his hold but he held fast. "I don't need your help!"

He jerked her forward, close enough that she could've ripped off the mask, had self-preservation not prevailed over the urge. "Must you act like a petulant child?"

"We're done here." Izuna spat, anger eroding her fear. "Let me go!"

"No. Calm yourself Izuna-" She gripped his elbow and her hand glowed blue. "By the gods!" he bellowed, throwing her to the ground and clutching his now-limp arm. "What have you done?!"

Heart pounding, Izuna scrambled to her feet, throwing off her pack and sprinting away. She stumbled in the damp grass. Adrenaline pumped through her body, pushing her faster and faster. If he caught her, she was done for. Risking a glance behind, Izuna screamed when his hand reached for her only a hairsbreadth away.

Sooga caught her around the middle, throwing them both off-balance and sending them tumbling into a shallow pond. To her misfortune, Sooga landed atop her with a grunt, knocking the air from her lungs and crushing her beneath his bulk. Water seeped into her clothes, chilling her in the brisk autumn air while she struggled for breath.

Recovering, he loomed above her, grabbing her throat with his good hand. "What. Did. You. Do to me?!" he snarled.

Izuna trembled, breaths coming in short gasps, but her defiance did not waver. "I crippled you, Master Sooga," she choked out. "You'll never lift a sword in that hand again."

"Infernal woman!" His chest rose and fell rapidly, grip tightening. "Why?!" She wrapped her hand around his wrist in warning. He wrenched it away faster than a viper, and she rubbed her throat, gulping mouthfuls of air. "I should kill you," he ground out, but he made no move to grab her again.

"You brought this on yourself!" she rasped. "I have done nothing but help your people at great risk to myself – I will not have you bully me!" She shoved against his chest; the blow did little as he was too large and heavy. His arm hung limply at his side. "You're taking away the little freedom and privacy I've snatched for myself - and for what?!"

"To keep you safe-"

She shook her head. "Don't pretend this has anything to do with me. You covet my gift, nothing more! And you'll use any means to secure it for your own." That's what the Hylians did, what the elders were trying to do; why should she expect any different from the top general of the Yiga clan? It didn't matter who it was – they only saw her as a commodity to be exploited.

"Can you blame me for seeking the benefit of my people?"

"Of course not," she grumbled. "But you seem to be laboring under the impression I'm obliged to do anything for you." She pushed gently against his chest, right above his heart. "I could just as easily stop your heart or crush your lungs if I wanted to."

His good hand wrapped around hers, utterly dwarfing it. "You want my blood on your hands?"

"No, not yours..."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, removing it from his chest. "You want your freedom, but I cannot, in good conscience, leave you to fend for yourself. Not when the monsters grow more numerous in Calamity Ganon's waxing power."

With a sigh, she looked down, focusing on a glowing sneaky snail instead of his gravelly tone or his warmth. "I'm not helpless."

"Indeed, you are not." He rubbed his arm absently.

"I just want to travel in peace," she mumbled.

"And you will, as you have before. Their purpose is only to clear your path. You will not see them."

He'd had her followed ever since Faron, and she hadn't noticed a thing... "Can you-" her cheeks flamed, "can you please get off me?"

He tensed, as if just noticing their position, and moved quickly, clearing his throat, muttering an embarrassed, "Apologies."

"Right then," she mumbled, rising from the puddle, shivering again. "Um... I'm sorry about your arm... I panicked."

"I noticed," was his short response.

Izuna flinched. "I can fix it..." It was Sooga's turn to flinch when she placed her hands over his arm. The blue glow brought a sense of calm as she undid the damage she'd inflicted.

Incrementally, his posture relaxed. "I didn't mean to frighten you," he murmured when she was done at last.

"It's not just you. I'm not allowed..." She sighed. "I don't have a lot of freedom back home, and I hardly get a say in anything pertaining to my own life. The elders even assigned me a guard." She let his arm go. "All done."

"Won't he be looking for you?" he asked, testing his range of motion. She tried not to follow the movement of his bicep.

"If he's still alive."

"Did you...?" Sooga gestured to her hands.

Her eyes widened. "Gods no! He caught up to me in Deya Village but we got separated when the monsters attacked. I... I haven't seen him since." It was a miracle that Koro hadn't picked up her trail yet. Unless... what if he had gotten hurt back at Deya? Izuna grimaced. The breeze picked up, chilling her damp skin. While the Sheikah garb repelled water for the most part, it did nothing once moisture got in. "I need to change," she murmured softly. "Can you go keep a lookout or something?" He nodded, retrieving her pack from where she'd dropped it before giving her some privacy.

After she'd changed into dry clothes, Izuna started back on her path, intent on leaving Sooga behind. He poofed to her side moments later, falling in step at her side. "Do you truly have nothing better to do?"

"Until we come to an agreement, this is my priority."

She scowled, increasing her pace, but he matched it easily with his long strides. Izuna glanced up at him, and her cheeks warmed when he returned her gaze. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Why do the Yiga wear masks?" None of the Sheikah bothered themselves with thinking of their wayward brethren, except when it came to battle. How much had their tribes drifted apart in the years they'd been separated?

"Why do you ask?"

"If you plan on sticking around for a while, we may as well talk about something," she muttered, kicking a rock off the path.

"If that is what you wish," he said lightly. "But you must answer my questions as well."

"Deal." Knowledge was power, after all, especially pertaining to the mysterious and elusive Yiga clan. She had more to gain than he did. "So, why the masks? One of the soldiers I met – Mito I think – said you guys only take them off when you're at home."

He nodded. "It's taboo to remove them outside the hideout. They give the illusion of a faceless enemy and offer protection for my people among the populace."

"Is such secrecy necessary, though?"

"Of course," he said, glancing down at her. "Knowledge of our affiliation would make us vulnerable. We can't risk being recognized."

"Vulnerable to what? You're the Yiga clan..." It wasn't as if the royal family knew them by name, not like her family.

He hesitated. "There are those among our number who wish to settle down and raise the next generation of Yiga. They cannot do that if their identities are known."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, but don't you have a village? Your equivalent of Kakariko?"

"No," he muttered shortly.

"Oh." She clutched her shawl, lowering her gaze to the ground.

Sooga cleared his throat. "Now for my question: when we last spoke, you said your healing technique was passed through your family. Can you teach others to use it?"

"I could, but I won't."

"Is it not your duty to your people to pass your knowledge down to the next generation?"

Izuna rolled her eyes, staring skyward. "I will when I have children of my own." If she had children; after all, the world was teetering on the brink of calamity. "But I'm not ready for that yet. Haven't met the right person, you know?" She would rather die alone than chain herself to someone she didn't love.

By the time they reached the Hyrule Ridge, the night sky had darkened with clouds; thunder sounded in the distance, promising rain. She needed to make camp fast. Wandering off the path, Izuna sought for shelter among a cluster of trees. Hopefully they would shield her from the worst of the coming rain.

"How long do you plan on following me?"

"Just until you make camp. My soldiers are resting; they'd searched for you tirelessly while you were missing. How did you evade them?"

Izuna frowned. "It's not like I was hiding. I didn't even know they were stalking me." Koro had tracked her down easily; perhaps the Yiga weren't as skilled?

"Interesting. I thought, perhaps, you had transported yourself to your destination. I'm surprised you haven't; it would save you a great deal of time and discomfort."

"I don't mind roughing it in the wilds," Izuna replied, as she found a decent spot to make camp. She fluffed out her bedroll on the softest patch of ground below the cover of the trees. "I've never been able master that technique anyway, no matter how hard I tried... Something about it eludes me."

"You must have had a pitiful teacher."

Impa, pitiful? Unlikely. "More like I'm a pitiful student." She grinned. "You can't be good at everything. At any rate, I like going out into the world and seeing all there is to see. And if I didn't walk everywhere, I wouldn't run into your people wounded on the side of the road, now would I?"

"I suppose not." He rubbed his chin, regarding her. "Perhaps your ineptitude has worked out for the best."

"Ineptitude!" She burst into laughter. "Wow, and I'm sure you're so great at everything you do?"

"Of course not. I leave those personal exaltations to Master Kohga."

The leader of the Yiga was boastful? "Speaking of him, what's he like? - I mean, as a person." Master Kohga was a mystery even to the most elite Sheikah warriors. It was like no one had ever seen him – that, or he left no survivors. He had to be fearsome, judging by the prowess of his general.

"Master Kohga is... indescribable."

"...That's all you can say?"

"He is the type of person you have to meet to fathom."

"If you say so," she muttered skeptically. He would have to remain unfathomable to her, since meeting him was unlikely. How unfortunate.