[Sooga POV]
Sooga stalked down the halls, shoulders tense as he considered the Yiga clan's next move. Until Izuna arrived, there was nothing to be done about the soldiers suffering in the infirmary. Instead, he returned to his workroom to assess the reports from the disastrous battle. They would paint a better picture of what had occurred while he was gone. But before that...
He pulled a nearby footsoldier aside. "Bring me Akari. Now."
"Y-yes Master Sooga!"
They disappeared and Sooga entered his workroom, slamming the door behind him. He took a seat, leafing through the stack of papers waiting for his attention. The entire operation had been a disaster, completely lacking the finesse Master Kohga typically employed in his usual strategies. Rather than retreat once Master Kohga had been discovered, they had engaged both the Hylians and Gerudo on two fronts. What possessed them to try taking the city? They should have retreated immediately to regroup... Some accounts stated the orders had changed somewhere along the line; some squads retreated while others stayed to fight, leaving a giant hole in their defenses. But with Kohga retreating, who had given the order to fight?
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, not taking his eyes off the report.
"You wanted to see me, Master Sooga?" Akari stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her and bowing low.
He placed the papers in a neat stack atop the desk, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. "Remove your mask, soldier." Slowly, she pulled the painted wood from her face, revealing olive skin, full lips, and large dark brown eyes. "How did you fare in the mission against the Gerudo?" he asked, gesturing to the reports.
"I wasn't assigned to it..." she said slowly.
He nodded. "Ah yes, that's right. You were assigned to a different one, were you not? Remind me Akari, what was your mission?"
Her cheek twitched. "To protect the healer," she ground out, lips twisting in disgust.
"Explain to me then," he began, voice shaking in quiet rage, "why you disobeyed my orders and abandoned her to face a lynel alone."
She paled, but stood strong, never one to back down. "I determined there was too much risk to our own. Lynels are valuable and..." she trailed off, looking away.
"You decided that she was not?" Akari gave a curt nod. Sooga let out a deep breath through his nose. He'd have been proud of her composure in any other situation, but she had gone too far in her hatred for the Sheikah. She put Izuna at risk. "I see. And what about Mito?"
"He chose to go on his own," she muttered stiffly. "I'm not responsible for-"
Sooga slammed his hand on the desk, startling her, and she flinched. "Yes, you are! As the squad leader, you are responsible for the lives of your comrades."
"I know that! That's why I chose to retreat – why should we have to die for her?! Our duty is to the Yiga clan, not-!"
"You know nothing of duty," he growled darkly.
"She can't be trusted!"
Sooga stood, lips twisted into a snarl behind the mask. "You betrayed your mission and abandoned your comrade to die, yet you say she is untrustworthy," he said coldly. "You are hereby stripped of your rank and grounded to the hideout."
She flinched as if he'd struck her. "No! I worked so hard to get here – you can't do this!" Her hands shook at her sides.
"I can, and I must. If you're willing to ignore orders and leave clan members behind, you are unworthy to lead."
Tears welled in her eyes, though she did not allow them to fall. "But Master Sooga – you know this is my dream-!"
"I am aware of your aspirations, Akari. But you need to prove to me our people are safe with you, and that you can put the clan's needs above your own prejudices."
"I'll do anything – please!"
He eyed her carefully. "Very well. In that case, you will report to the infirmary and assist the healer when she arrives-"
Akari took a step back, gaping at him in disbelief. "She's coming here? But-"
He held up a hand, silencing her. "You are to obey all her instructions. She has and continues to save the lives of our people; you might learn something from her." When she didn't respond, he added, "Should you fail this task, you will never lead another mission again. Do I make myself clear?"
Akari's shot him a mutinous glare as she ground out, "... Yes, Master Sooga." As soon as the words left her lips, she whipped around, slamming the door behind her.
Sooga rubbed his temples. Akari was a talented warrior in possession of a keen mind, but if she wanted to become a good leader, she needed to be able to see the larger picture for herself. It pained Sooga that he couldn't trust her, but keeping an eye on Izuna wasn't the worst task he could have assigned her, not by a long shot. If anything, he'd been lenient. Hopefully, one day she would understand that. With any luck, her ire would abate within a day or two – plenty of time before Izuna arrived.
[Izuna POV]
According to Toki, the Yiga hideout had once been a Gerudo excavation site they appropriated for their use many years ago. The further he led her through the winding corridors, the more it resembled Kakariko – a strange, underground Kakariko, but Kakariko nonetheless. Doorways were outfitted with traditional wooden Sheikah architecture, the only difference being the inverted eye of truth. Numerous wooden talismans hung from the ceilings and red fabrics covered the walls, some of them painted with the inverted eye, others with familiar designs she'd seen back home. Red paper lanterns added extra illumination and a similar ambience to festival days. Overall, it was different, but cozy in its own way.
Curious whispers followed them through every room they entered as wide-eyed members of the Yiga clan hastened to don their masks. Even so, they weren't fast enough to hide dyed black hair with white roots or crimson eyes. Izuna pushed down the unsettling reminder that the Sheikah and Yiga were once one clan. Traversing deeper into the hideout, the familiar groans of the injured beckoned her further until they stopped at a door marked "Infirmary" in Sheikah script.
The sight that greeted her was grim. There was blood pooled in various areas and bandages were strewn everywhere. It looked more like a murder scene than an infirmary. Some of the injured wore masks, others did not, too absorbed in their suffering to notice an outsider had entered. Were they not in red, she could've mistaken them for her brethren in Kakariko. Wounded soldiers lay on cots, some on the floor. A few were stuck with so many arrows that they resembled macabre pincushions; while horrific, they wouldn't die immediately so long as she left them in. Others who bore gaping wounds were in more dire straits. With a mix of relief and trepidation, Izuna noted that Sooga was not present.
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, slipping into that clinical mindset she'd cultivated for just this type of situation. "Yiga, listen up!" The room fell silent; a few scrambled to put their masks in place, but all stared at her in rapt attention. "I need you to-"
"Why is there a Sheikah here?!"
"You idiot, that's the healer-"
"No way!"
"Who?"
Izuna scowled as those well enough to speak yelled over one another, their collective volume rising until she could hardly hear herself think. "Quiet!" she bellowed. Conversation ceased abruptly. "Listen closely: if you don't shut up, your comrades will die. Do you understand me? I'm here to help, but there are too many people in here. Walking wounded need to wait in the corridor. I'll tend to you after stabilizing those in critical condition."
No one made a move.
"You heard her!" Toki placed his hand on the hilt of his wind cleaver. "Get out or I'll give you a reason to stay." They scrambled to their feet, a few footsoldiers slipping in the blood on the floor.
The number of remaining injured was still rather high, but not as unmanageable as before. Pulling off her shawl, Izuna hung it on the wall and washed her hands in the basin on the other side of the room, slipping into familiar patterns despite the unfamiliar territory. She set to work identifying the patients with the most critical need.
As she was examining a blademaster with multiple deep lacerations, the door slammed open. "Toki! What are you doing?" a female voice barked. "I leave for five minutes, and everyone is outside – what's going on in here?!"
"I asked them to wait out there," Izuna said absently, not looking up from her work. "They're not dying, so they don't need to crowd those who require immediate treatment." She cast a glance at the masked intruder. "If you're not suffering from a life-threatening injury, please join the others outside."
The intruder tensed, slowly turning their head toward her. "You. The filthy little-"
"O-kay, Akari! I think that's enough, don't you?" Toki interrupted, steering her toward the door. Izuna furrowed her brow. Akari. That was the one from back then in Faron... "Let's do what the good doctor says-"
"Shut up!" she snapped. "I'm supposed to help out in here-"
Toki crossed his arms. "Since when?"
"Since Master Sooga said so!"
Izuna's ears perked up at the mention of the general. He was alright, at least well enough to be giving orders that would make her job difficult. "Do you have any experience treating injuries? Can you-"
"If you think you can order me around, you've got another thing coming."
"Didn't you just say you're here to help?" Toki grumbled. "Make up your mind."
They started arguing and Izuna quickly tuned them out. Some of these soldiers were hanging by a thread as it was; she couldn't afford to be distracted. Too involved in their row, Akari and Toki paid little attention to Izuna, which suited her just fine as she moved from patient to patient. She'd have to remember to thank Sooga for the "help." At least Toki was keeping Akari occupied, leaving Izuna to save lives uninhibited. She pulled the energy to her hands until they glowed blue, placing them over a blademaster. She wouldn't have enough energy to heal everyone completely, but if she was careful, she could stabilize them. Those she'd treated would make it through the night, that much was certain. It wasn't until she moved onto the pin cushions that the two Yiga remembered she was there. Gripping one of the arrows in the footsoldier's body, Izuna pulled straight up, hushing their pained moan, and examined it. Hylian-make. What were Hylians doing in the desert? Given the number of wounded, they couldn't have been simple travelers...
"What are you doing?" Akari demanded, marching toward her. "He'll bleed out-"
Izuna rolled her eyes and placed a hand over the wound, encouraging it to knit together. Now she wanted to help. "We can't leave them in, can we?"
"Don't sass me, dog."
Izuna's jaw twitched, but she said nothing, pulling the next arrow out and giving it the same treatment while Akari continued to disparage her.
"Come on Akari – you know she saved my life-"
"Only for you to get infected and almost die again! Where was this magic when you were dying, huh?" she spat, pointing at Izuna's glowing hands.
"With a bedside manner like yours, I'm surprised he didn't," Izuna muttered. "You seem to be forgetting that it was my medicine that saved him. It's not my fault you all don't have a healer of your own."
Akari grabbed her by the front of her shirt, jerking Izuna close to her mask, and Toki made a sound of protest. "Akari stop!"
"Listen here you little bitch," she snarled. "You'd better hope we don't lose a single soldier or it's your neck on the block. Got it?" Izuna's heart hammered against her ribs, and she gulped, nodding quickly. She hadn't forgotten the way the other woman wanted to gut her back in Faron. Akari released her with a disgusted scoff. "Get back to work." Toki pulled the footsoldier to a faraway corner and the two hissed in low voices with Toki occasionally gesticulating toward her, but they were too quiet to hear over the groans of the wounded and the blood rushing through her ears.
With watery eyes and shaking hands, Izuna removed the remaining arrows. Had she made a mistake in coming here? She stood to move to the next patient, but blood rushed to her head and her vision swam. Izuna leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths and letting them out through her mouth. She couldn't afford to falter...
[Sooga POV]
Master Kohga waltzed into Sooga's workroom and leaned against his desk, picking up a paper and holding it between his thumb and forefinger in distaste. "Ugh," Kohga groaned, "Of course you're doing work."
Sooga stood at once, bowing to the shorter man. "Master Kohga, what brings you-"
"Haven't you heard?"
Sooga's brows knit together. "Heard what?"
"Word in the hideout is there's a Sheikah healer working miracles in the infirmary."
"That's impossible." Toki didn't have the strength to transport her and there was no way she could've covered that much distance on foot in so short a time, much less during the day when the sun was a hazard.
"Apparently not." Kohga shrugged. "She arrived a few hours ago, actually." The older man stretched and yawned. "Anyway, that's all I wanted to tell you. My bed is calling my name."
A few hours ago? Why hadn't he been informed the second she arrived? Sooga bade him a hasty goodnight and rushed to the infirmary. He had to see for himself. Soldiers with neatly bandaged wounds, evidence of her presence, moved out of his way, making room for him to pass and bowing as they did so. His mouth went dry. She was there, just beyond that door, and he wasted no time in hurrying into the infirmary. He stilled at the sceen greeting him inside. Nearly every surface was covered in blood – the walls, the floor, and of course, the figure lying in a large puddle in the center of the room. Short white hair covered the face, but even soaked in blood, the clothes were undeniably Sheikah.
"What should we do?" Toki hissed, looking between Izuna and Akari, who was leaning against the wall with crossed arms.
"Who cares? Just stuff her somewhere-"
"What happened in here?!" Sooga boomed, striding to Izuna's side and kneeling to roll her onto her back. Blood had soaked into her hair and clothes, staining the dark blue linen a rusty purple. Her shawl hung elsewhere, sparing the cream fabric from the stain. Her face was pale and wan. Her chest rose and fell with soft breaths, allowing something in him to loosen ever so slightly. She was alive.
"M-master Sooga! I swear - it's not what it looks like!" Toki spluttered.
"Explain. Now," he growled.
"I don't know what happened – one second she was fine and the next she was..." he gestured to the floor where Izuna lay in a crumpled heap.
"We didn't do anything to her, Master Sooga. Clearly, she has a weak constitution," Akari sniffed, looking to the side. Her mask hid her features, but he could visualize her disdain clearly.
He glowered at her, voice low and dangerous when he said, "What's clear to me is that you are incapable of following orders, soldier." Akari stiffened. "You allowed whatever this is," he pointedly looked at the bloodied infirmary, "to happen on your watch. Not a good start." Sooga gathered the Sheikah in his arms, ignoring the blood staining his own clothes and the dripping sound as it splashed onto the floor.
"It's not my fault-" Akari began, but Izuna stirred in his arms, and Sooga turned away from the footsoldier.
"Mm..." Slate grey eyes cracked open blearily. "Sooga... s'that you?" she mumbled softly, putting a bloodied hand to her head, only to pull it away, disgusted.
"What happened Izuna? Are you hurt?" he asked quietly. She shook her head, staring down at her soiled clothes in confusion. Had she hit her head? The blood made it difficult to tell.
Toki reached for her. "We can take care of her, Master Sooga, you don't need to-"
"No. Clean this up." He didn't wait for them to respond, instead turning on his heel and exiting the infirmary, uncaring of the bloody footsteps left in his wake. They could clean that too as punishment.
"You're not hurt, are you?" she asked, looking up at him with furrowed brows. The paper lanterns in the corridor cast a warm glow over her skin and she might have looked beautiful were she not covered in drying blood.
"I am unharmed."
Her shoulders relaxed fractionally. "Good. I was-" she cut herself off, ducking her head.
His lips twitched. "You were what?"
"Doesn't matter," she mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry, by the way... for what happened at Tera's fountain. I didn't mean to cross a line."
He furrowed his brow, trying to recall what they'd spoken of... Ah. She wanted to know what he looked like. "You didn't. I'm flattered by your curiosity." A deep red spread from her neck to her face, his lips quirked, though she couldn't see it behind the mask. He readjusted his grip. "How did you arrive so quickly?"
"Sand seals-" she yawned, leaning her head against his chest. "There was a molduga and we couldn't afford to stop. Tera also said there was a battle, so I knew we needed to hurry."
"How did she-?"
"Great fairy magic," Izuna said, waving a dismissive hand. "Better not to talk about her – it makes her unbearable later."
He snorted. "Very well then."
Izuna craned her neck to look around. "Where are you taking me?"
"My quarters."
Her eyes narrowed, despite the deepening red hue of her cheeks. "…Why?"
"The guards are changing watch about now and I thought you'd want to bathe in privacy."
"Will I have that privacy?" she demanded, staring hard at him.
"Of course. You have my word."
"Alright," she said at last, turning her flinty gaze away from him, and Sooga didn't know whether to be offended or impressed by the obvious rejection. He hadn't even offered himself, yet she managed to dismiss him soundly. Sooga suppressed a scoff; who was he kidding? She was already running from a man. He dared not hope he had a chance with her.
When they reached his quarters, Sooga set Izuna on her feet and cleared his throat, gesturing toward a door to the right. "The washroom is through there; you will not be disturbed."
Nodding, she shuffled in and locked the door behind her with an audible 'click.' Sooga looked down at his uniform, grimacing at the coagulated blood staining the fabric. He untied his blades, laying them atop the desk and grabbed fresh clothes. Stepping into the small bathroom, he began the arduous task of removing his armor and belts. First went the arm wraps and spikes, then the belts at his waist and over his back. Next were his leg wraps and shoes before he finally peeled off the soiled uniform, dropping it onto the floor in a heap. None of the blood had soaked through, thanks to the special engineering of the fabric, and he pulled on some fresh clothes and his mask. A small mirror on the wall revealed that the black dye was already fading from his hair; he'd have to redo it before he led another mission. A task for another time.
Returning to the bedroom, he sat at his desk and pulled out a whetstone to service his blades. Soft humming filled the silence, reminding him of his guest. Her voice wasn't trained by any means, but she hit the notes well enough for it to be pleasant. Sooga let his mind empty, enjoying the old, wistful Sheikah tune, swords forgotten, until the music stopped, and the door creaked open. His brows knitted together as she stuck her head through the opening.
"Um... Sooga?" Her voice was timid. "I..." Her rosy cheeks darkened, and she bit her lip. "I don't have any clothes..."
He swallowed. "Right uh... Where's your pack? The infirmary?" He'd been so concerned about her welfare that he'd forgotten to grab her things.
"I think so..." She had leaned out the door further, revealing her neck and shoulder. Damp hair the color of moonlight was plastered to her milky skin, and he tracked the droplets sliding down her neck to her clavicle...
Sooga took a deep breath, pulling his gaze from her, and moved to his chest of drawers. Rummaging through it, he found an old linen shirt that no longer fit him. "You can wear this for now." He tossed it to her, and she shut the door once again.
Izuna stepped out not a minute later and his breath caught in his throat. Perhaps it was the unguarded expression on her face, or the blush slowly spreading lower to her chest, but she was captivating. He could only imagine how she would feel pressed against him. The sounds she would make as he worshipped her body. Her beautiful face twisted in pleasure... He swallowed. This was getting out of hand. He needed to leave before he did something they'd both regret.
"You can stay here for the night," he murmured in a husky voice. "I'll be back with your things in the morning."
"But this is your room... are you sure?" Izuna shuffled her feet, pointedly looking at the blades on the desk – anywhere but him.
He knew better to assume that was an invitation to stay, even as much as he wished it was. "I have other business to attend to. No one will disturb you."
She looked at him then, gratitude evident in her exhausted features. "Thank you..."
He nodded curtly and swiftly exited his room. Initially, he intended to go to his work room and finish reading the last of the day's reports, but he'd never be able to focus - not with the image of her in his shirt burned into his mind and the knowledge that she was resting in his bed.
He locked his workroom and leaned his head against the door. He considered warming someone else's bed that night, but he couldn't get Izuna's face from his mind and it wasn't his way to think of someone while bedding another. Instead, Sooga made his way to the desk and forced himself to pick up where he left off with the paperwork. Sleep eluded him for a long time that night.
There was a knock at the door and Sooga groaned, pushing himself into an upright position, back protesting from sleeping hunched over his desk. Several papers were wrinkled from being laid on, but he paid no mind to them, hurriedly rubbing his eyes and putting his mask in place. The door opened not a second later, revealing Astor.
The Hylian smirked. "Late night?"
Sooga leaned back, feigning nonchalance even as his head throbbed. "What do you want?" Astor hadn't sought him out since his initial suggestion to usurp Kohga's position, a wise move on his part, considering the general's hands might just slip and wind up around his throat should he suggest such a thing again.
"It has come to my attention that we have a guest..."
He scowled behind his mask. "And?"
"And that she is of the Sheikah Tribe," he said disdainfully. "What possessed you to allow one of their kind here?"
"She has skills that will benefit my people." More than the so-called seer standing around like he owned the place.
"I confess I haven't made her acquaintance, but I've heard talk of her... assets. It leads me to wonder about the nature of these skills," he trailed off, raising a brow.
"What are you talking about?" Was he implying...?
The seer shrugged. "Just that she has a delectable body, is all. In and out of her clothes."
Sooga clenched his fists. "Show some respect."
"My-my, have I hit a nerve?" His smirk widened.
"Watch your tongue. She is my guest, and you will treat her as such."
Astor scoffed and turned his back on the general. "Your guest, you say? In that case, I'd worry less about me and more about what your soldiers are saying, if I were you. I'm only repeating what I've heard, after all," he said, sauntering out of Sooga's workroom.
His stomach dropped. There were eyes everywhere in the hideout; it was plausible someone could've seen him take her to his room then leave. What if someone had taken advantage of her in her vulnerable state? He had great faith in his soldiers, but there were always bad bananas in every bunch. As he stood, intent on going to her, there was another knock. "Enter," he grumbled.
"Master Sooga," Akari said, striding into the room, confident as ever. "I have a status report on the wounded."
"Go on."
"Everyone made it through the night and seem to be recovering well."
"Good." As if he could doubt Izuna's healing prowess. She was a walking miracle. Kohga would be relieved. Akari shifted her weight from side-to-side, drawing his eye. "Was there something else?"
"It's..." she hesitated, removing her mask. Troubled brown eyes peered up at him. "A couple younger recruits are missing. Nobu and Shin."
Such an occurrence wasn't surprising after a great battle, but the reports had indicated only seasoned soldiers had gone on the mission to Gerudo town as Kohga had intended to dispatch the princess covertly. What could've happened to recruits who were meant to stay put? "Where were they last seen?"
"In the Gerudo Highlands."
Sooga rubbed his neck, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried in vain to alleviate his steadily growing migraine. Some Yiga occasionally ventured into the highlands as a test of courage or strength, but the timing was suspect. The soldiers who remained behind would have been tasked with guarding the hideout and manning the gates until those deployed returned... "Have Seiji organize a search party."
"Yes, Master Sooga. Shall I join them?"
"I think not."
She squared her shoulders and clenched her fists. "May I ask why?"
"You have not completed your current assignment."
Her brows scrunched together in confusion. "But the healer arrived-"
Sooga rolled his eyes. "Your orders were to assist her," he snapped. "And yet, when I walked into the infirmary last night, she was unconscious, and your suggestion was, in your exact words, to 'stuff her somewhere.'" He had pushed his emotions aside the night before, but with her standing there in all her audacity, coupled with the throbbing in his head, it all came rushing back in a flood of outrage.
Akari threw her hands up, abandoning any semblance of calm. "I don't know what happened to her, okay? One minute she was fine and the next, she had fallen on the floor. That was when you walked in! What did you expect me to do?"
"I expected you to help her, if not out of gratitude, then out of loyalty to our clan. She has saved countless lives – including your brother's-"
"I get it, okay?! But you know why I can't trust-" she cut herself off, lips twisted into a grimace. "Look, I can see she's done some good here. But that doesn't make up for what happened, nor thousands of years of feuding."
"You would have me punish an individual who has provided an invaluable service for the actions of an entire people? Do you hear yourself?" he asked, voicing his incredulity. He had his share of grievances against the Hylians and Sheikah, but that didn't mean Izuna ought to pay for it just because she was the only Sheikah within reach.
Akari slumped. "Of course not. But the one who-" she swallowed thickly, "-killed Hanasewas following her. She's in league with-"
"His name is Koro," he said, recalling what Izuna had told him of her guard. "They're not in league; she's running away from him." To think, he was the one who'd caused Akari so much pain, in addition to being a reason for Izuna's flight from Kakariko.
Her mouth popped open. "What?"
The pressure in his head was building behind his eyes and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a dark room and sleep for a day. "I will not break her confidence on the matter, but I assure you: she is not our enemy. What it comes down to, is whether you trust my judgement." He was asking a lot from her, that much he knew. Losing Hanase had gutted Akari, sending her into a spiral of pain and rage. Even now, she held onto the anger to keep herself going, but he couldn't allow her own self-destructive behavior to jeopardize the clan's interests, nor Izuna's safety.
She clutched her mask tightly. "I always will, Master Sooga."
"In that case, I need you to do your duty, no matter what it is. Do you understand?" He only needed her to put aside her prejudice against a single Sheikah for the good of the clan. It wasn't like he was asking her to move into Kakariko and live among them.
"I understand," she murmured. "I'll get that team together and return to the infirmary."
"No," he said tiredly. "You were up all night; assemble the team then rest."
"Thank you Master Sooga." She bowed and put her mask in place, turning on her heel and leaving the room. Sooga removed his own mask and rubbed his temples, letting out a pained groan, before replacing it. He needed to check on Izuna.