disclaimer in first chapter. we're nearing the end :)
.The Sages' Sheik.
He startled at the sounds of climbing up the side of the statue. A muffled unlady like curse made him lean out of the stone hand, to watch the princess move slowly up the toeholds and crevices to the outstretched arm.
"What do you want?" he demanded, sprawling against curled stone fingers. Zelda hitched up her dress and stood shakily on the elbow.
"Impa told me you've been up here all night." She balanced her way down the stone limb, eyes determinedly glued on his hiding spot. She faltered as he returned the look.
"You've been crying?" She gazed over his damp face and the red-rimmed eyes. "Over one of Ganondorf's monsters?"
"She wasn't Ganondorf's monster, no more than I am." He looked away, scrubbing at his cheeks.
"You're on our side, you don't belong to him-"
"No, I belong to you, to the Sages now. Traded from one owner to another without notice." From the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda flinch and sit awkwardly at the wrist. He sat up and faced the princess, his childhood friend.
"My friend died. No matter the war, can't I mourn?" He asked.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the chamber, silencing Zelda even as her mouth opened to protest. A deep voice called out.
"Magelet?" He pushed Zelda into his hiding spot, a hand holding her mouth shut. He crushed a deku nut between his fingers and stepped from the void to stand in front of the Gerudo.
Cheeks still damp and eyes raw from the tears, Sheik stared at the Gerudo, who carefully looked him over before speaking.
"Do you cry for your dragon?" The Gerudo asked quietly. His head jerked in a nod and fresh tears filled his eyes. He was clutched at one shoulder, gruff affection under the chill armour and gloves.
"You're so cold. Have you been to the far north?" He asked, feeling warmth return as he pulled away from Ganondorf.
"Yes, after visiting the Zoras. They have declared themselves neutral," the Gerudo smiled. "There will be no battles fought there." Sheik nodded, a smile also tracing his mouth. "Enjoy yourself, my Sheikah, the battles have quieted today." He nodded and under his caretaker and his owner's eyes, left the sanctuary.
*****
Sheik walked through the frozen surfaces of Zora's Domain. Everywhere he looked, ice and snow and frozen bodies met his eyes. He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He scaled the steps to the Royal Chambers, finding Ruto and her father in great blocks of ice. He rested a hand against the block holding Ruto caged, recalling the chill hands of the Gerudo earlier that day.
"The Zoras were neutral, you told me so." His fist thunked painfully on the ice. He nearly fell at the rush of impulsive magic, hearing the tinkling of breaking ice.
"Why are you crying Rubes and why is it freezing in here?" Ruto's petulant voice made him smile and swipe at his eyes, surprised by the dampness.
"I'm so sorry Ruto." He apologized, the first link of his leash breaking free.
*****
Sheik saw Link swim to the island, arms lagging and tunic in shreds. He winced at Link's slow, careful movements onto the island's shore. He moved out of hiding, scuffing his boots on the grass so to not startle the Hero.
"Morpha, for something so small, is quite deadly." Sheik helped him to his feet, smiling as Link grinned back tiredly.
"Princess Ruto told me you said hi," Link chuckled then grabbed at his ribs in pain.
"Sit back. I'll check your ribs, just hold still." Sheik helped with a firm hand on Link's shoulder. As he checked the bones, tracing the clothed torso for breaks and shifts, Link spoke of the Water Temple. The Hero dozed off as he adjusted the last bandage.
"What am I suppose to do with you now?" Sheik questioned idly, fingers playing with Link's gold-shot hair.
*****
Sheik watched the fire dance in the wind coming off the lake. The water rippled in his sight, no moon reflecting off its tiny waves. A murmur and a warm body stretched out at his side; Link resting, bandaged and bruised in the fire's glow.
"Where am I?" was whispered, the voice raw from water and exhaustion.
"Lake Hylia," Sheik replied, helping the Hero sit up without pulling on his injuries. He couldn't help but smile as Link stared at him, puzzled eyes taking in the desert robe and uniform along with his uncovered face.
"You're younger than I thought," Link said after a minute of staring. Sheik shrugged and looked to the fire.
"War makes wise men out of toddlers, Hero." His caretaker had said such a thing before. He would not like this situation, grudging enough with the visits to Link during his slumber and unaware of his aide to the Hero of Time. A pet slinking through the gate and returning when the master called, Sheik kept his angered eyes on the fire. Ruto, captured in ice reminded him that Ganondorf no longer held his leash.
"You sound wise, but a toddler?" Link's eyes trailed over Sheik's body, molded into the tight Sheikah uniform, causing him to flush red at the cheeks. Link smiled and chuckled softly. "You look as you did in the Fire Temple, although I did not see the blush," he remarked more gently as Sheik toyed with a deku nut in one hand.
Hylia Lake was quiet at night, the fire crackling in their silence. Far off, an owl's call filled the night. A lull in the storm of war, this night would be called.
"Why did you stay?" Link asked, one eyebrow lifted in curiousity. "You always leave so quickly, before I can talk to you."
"I didn't wish to be caught helping you before." Sheik did not mention how Ganondorf's men would treat his betrayal. Breathing would be a near impossibility after that.
"And now?" Link's question woke him from his bloody imaginings.
"I chose my side, I can't go back."
It struck him then. He couldn't go back home. Only the enemy and his stronghold awaited him there, his caretaker the monster Zelda had always claimed him to be.
He didn't realize he was shaking until warm arms held him still, or that he was crying until his voice broke on a sob against a blue clothed shoulder.
.end chapter eleven.
.The Sages' Sheik.
He startled at the sounds of climbing up the side of the statue. A muffled unlady like curse made him lean out of the stone hand, to watch the princess move slowly up the toeholds and crevices to the outstretched arm.
"What do you want?" he demanded, sprawling against curled stone fingers. Zelda hitched up her dress and stood shakily on the elbow.
"Impa told me you've been up here all night." She balanced her way down the stone limb, eyes determinedly glued on his hiding spot. She faltered as he returned the look.
"You've been crying?" She gazed over his damp face and the red-rimmed eyes. "Over one of Ganondorf's monsters?"
"She wasn't Ganondorf's monster, no more than I am." He looked away, scrubbing at his cheeks.
"You're on our side, you don't belong to him-"
"No, I belong to you, to the Sages now. Traded from one owner to another without notice." From the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda flinch and sit awkwardly at the wrist. He sat up and faced the princess, his childhood friend.
"My friend died. No matter the war, can't I mourn?" He asked.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the chamber, silencing Zelda even as her mouth opened to protest. A deep voice called out.
"Magelet?" He pushed Zelda into his hiding spot, a hand holding her mouth shut. He crushed a deku nut between his fingers and stepped from the void to stand in front of the Gerudo.
Cheeks still damp and eyes raw from the tears, Sheik stared at the Gerudo, who carefully looked him over before speaking.
"Do you cry for your dragon?" The Gerudo asked quietly. His head jerked in a nod and fresh tears filled his eyes. He was clutched at one shoulder, gruff affection under the chill armour and gloves.
"You're so cold. Have you been to the far north?" He asked, feeling warmth return as he pulled away from Ganondorf.
"Yes, after visiting the Zoras. They have declared themselves neutral," the Gerudo smiled. "There will be no battles fought there." Sheik nodded, a smile also tracing his mouth. "Enjoy yourself, my Sheikah, the battles have quieted today." He nodded and under his caretaker and his owner's eyes, left the sanctuary.
*****
Sheik walked through the frozen surfaces of Zora's Domain. Everywhere he looked, ice and snow and frozen bodies met his eyes. He shivered and pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He scaled the steps to the Royal Chambers, finding Ruto and her father in great blocks of ice. He rested a hand against the block holding Ruto caged, recalling the chill hands of the Gerudo earlier that day.
"The Zoras were neutral, you told me so." His fist thunked painfully on the ice. He nearly fell at the rush of impulsive magic, hearing the tinkling of breaking ice.
"Why are you crying Rubes and why is it freezing in here?" Ruto's petulant voice made him smile and swipe at his eyes, surprised by the dampness.
"I'm so sorry Ruto." He apologized, the first link of his leash breaking free.
*****
Sheik saw Link swim to the island, arms lagging and tunic in shreds. He winced at Link's slow, careful movements onto the island's shore. He moved out of hiding, scuffing his boots on the grass so to not startle the Hero.
"Morpha, for something so small, is quite deadly." Sheik helped him to his feet, smiling as Link grinned back tiredly.
"Princess Ruto told me you said hi," Link chuckled then grabbed at his ribs in pain.
"Sit back. I'll check your ribs, just hold still." Sheik helped with a firm hand on Link's shoulder. As he checked the bones, tracing the clothed torso for breaks and shifts, Link spoke of the Water Temple. The Hero dozed off as he adjusted the last bandage.
"What am I suppose to do with you now?" Sheik questioned idly, fingers playing with Link's gold-shot hair.
*****
Sheik watched the fire dance in the wind coming off the lake. The water rippled in his sight, no moon reflecting off its tiny waves. A murmur and a warm body stretched out at his side; Link resting, bandaged and bruised in the fire's glow.
"Where am I?" was whispered, the voice raw from water and exhaustion.
"Lake Hylia," Sheik replied, helping the Hero sit up without pulling on his injuries. He couldn't help but smile as Link stared at him, puzzled eyes taking in the desert robe and uniform along with his uncovered face.
"You're younger than I thought," Link said after a minute of staring. Sheik shrugged and looked to the fire.
"War makes wise men out of toddlers, Hero." His caretaker had said such a thing before. He would not like this situation, grudging enough with the visits to Link during his slumber and unaware of his aide to the Hero of Time. A pet slinking through the gate and returning when the master called, Sheik kept his angered eyes on the fire. Ruto, captured in ice reminded him that Ganondorf no longer held his leash.
"You sound wise, but a toddler?" Link's eyes trailed over Sheik's body, molded into the tight Sheikah uniform, causing him to flush red at the cheeks. Link smiled and chuckled softly. "You look as you did in the Fire Temple, although I did not see the blush," he remarked more gently as Sheik toyed with a deku nut in one hand.
Hylia Lake was quiet at night, the fire crackling in their silence. Far off, an owl's call filled the night. A lull in the storm of war, this night would be called.
"Why did you stay?" Link asked, one eyebrow lifted in curiousity. "You always leave so quickly, before I can talk to you."
"I didn't wish to be caught helping you before." Sheik did not mention how Ganondorf's men would treat his betrayal. Breathing would be a near impossibility after that.
"And now?" Link's question woke him from his bloody imaginings.
"I chose my side, I can't go back."
It struck him then. He couldn't go back home. Only the enemy and his stronghold awaited him there, his caretaker the monster Zelda had always claimed him to be.
He didn't realize he was shaking until warm arms held him still, or that he was crying until his voice broke on a sob against a blue clothed shoulder.
.end chapter eleven.