An Ancient Bond.

Zora's Domain.

   They broke apart and he ran toward the side while Sheik took for the trees again. He reached for another arrow and took aim, letting it fly through the air and hit its mark. The moment the Hinox was down again clutching its eye he ran forward sword at the ready. He got a good few hits in before rolling away once more, dodging out of the way as the Hinox reached for him. He heard Sheik move above him and three more daggers flew through the air, hitting it in various places in the head. The Hinox, though, was getting clever at this point and covering its eye, they'd have to just hack it down at this point or get sneaky. Link just needed the last hit though.

   With an idea he grinned to himself and shouldered his bow, pulling his sword out once more. With Sheik hitting from long range he was the Hinox's primary focus, he could use that to his advantage. Sheik moved from tree to tree like a pro, bouncing between them even as the Hinox ripped another from the ground. As the other threw Dirk's from the tree lines Link ducked beneathe monster and swung his sword hitting it in the legs. It didn't take long after that, a few good hits in and the Hinox crumbled above him, vanishing into smoke and dropping everything it had.

   Link grinned and sheathed his sword, hands placed on his hips and he looked up at Sheik. "I think I win."

   "Hmm." He jumped down and landed beside Link, reaching his hand out and pulling some guts from Link's hair. He did his best to suppress a shiver. "You used me as bait."

   "You were already acting as bait, I just took advantage of it. And I still won, I got the most hits in and wasn't used as a boomerang."

   "Fair enough." He shrugged his shoulders and reached down, picking up his Dirk's and wiping them on the grass. He slid them into the holders at his thighs and moved away. Link took a moment to collect everything scattered around and store them away in his pack and the arrows in his quiver. "Guess I owe you a song, and I'll still catch dinner if you make the fire."

   Link nodded and grinned up at Sheik. "Guess here's as good a place to make camp as any. I saw a few shrines around too, we could hit them before resting for the night. I'll go do them while you catch dinner?" Link had briefly explained the Shrines to Sheik when he explained the slates use. He'd offered to take Sheik in at some point but the other showed a lack of interest in such a thing. He'd said it was Link's destiny to do them, he had no purpose in entering the trials. Link wasn't going to press it. Maybe sometime he could get the other to try going in with him.

   There were two Shrines in the wetlands. The Daka Tuss Shrine that felt very much like fishing and the Sheh Rata Shrine which took him longer to figure out than he liked. With the two spirit orbs in his belt and more places to warp too he headed back to where he had left Sheik at. Considering how long he was gone for Sheik had already gotten a fire going and the food was laid out. He sat just before the fire plucking at the Lyre in his hands. Sheik looked up when Link entered the area and turned back down to the fire.

   "I made stew. Figured you'd want more than fish after running around so much. Did you get the orbs?"

   "Of course. Sorry it took me so long, some of them are frustrating. Not hard, just frustrating." Sheik nodded and Link plopped down across from him. He shifted around till he got comfortable on the small rocks digging into him and then pulled the bowl of food into his lap, taking a bite. It was good, definitely better than anything he's ever managed to cook. They ate in silence, or rather Link ate and Sheik played with the string of the Lyre, and for once it didn't feel uncomfortable to Link. He finished off his food and sat the bowl aside, sprawling out across the ground with his hands tucked behind his head.

   As the silence dragged on the random note from the Lyre shifted and suddenly a calm and soothing song played out across the night. Link found the tune relaxing and very fitting of Sheik. He must have played it a hundred times over to have it memorized so well. Link let his eyes fall shut and immersed himself in the music, a smile spreading across his face.