They didn't talk about it. Which was more distressing than if they had. Sheik just waited for him outside to eat and dress, already ready to go and mask firmly in place. He looked up when Link joined him at his side and nodded his head in greeting. He had the Sheikah slate, map pulled up and looking down at it. Link made his way over and hovered near Sheik's side, looking over to see if he had formed a plan already. "Death Mountain isn't the easiest to navigate. I thought we could head here to Foothill Stables first, it'll be the best starting point for us."
Link nodded his head and grasped Sheik's elbow as he pulled the shrine up near there and moved them to the stables closest to Death Mountain. The map wasn't cleared up over here, there were still a few Towers remaining that Link had yet to get. Their first task was definitely going to be getting those and finding their way up the mountain without combusting into flames. If what Purah said was true, anyway, and rarely was she wrong.
Following behind Sheik the two of them climbed down the mountain the shrine was on and made their way over to where the stables were. They walked around the front and Sheik stopped suddenly, nearly causing him to run right into the Sheikah's back. He sidestepped him, looked to his face and then followed his gaze to what he was looking at. It was Kass, the Rito that Link sometimes met who played the accordion. The song he was playing now was one that Link always heard him play at stables.
Kass apparently caught them staring because he stopped playing and looked up, meeting Sheik's gaze with that same kind expression he always gave Link. "Ah, greetings travelers. My name is Kass. Were you wondering about the song I perform at the stables? There are many theories about its origin. But according to my teacher, it was a song performed by the ancient hero to call to his horse companion. If you ever feel like hearing it, feel free to drop by!" Sheik's hand twitched and clenched at his side. "I happen to know a song about the ancient hero. It was passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?"
"Sure." Link took a step closer to Sheik, smiling at Kass in the hopes Sheik's intense look doesn't terrify his Rito friend. Kass usually had good information about finding shrines, and they met in some very odd situations. He liked the Rito.
"Excellent! Without further ado..." He started his accordion again, the tune then different then what he was playing before but still as nice as it had been when Kass played. "The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land. Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand. A dark force of destruction, many times undone. Rises once again--Ganon, the Calamitous one. But hope survives in Hyrule, for all is not lost. Two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost. A Goddess--blood Princess and a fearless knight. They appear in each age to fight the good fight. Their battle with Ganon I've committed to song. To keep it through all time. no matter how long. Now begins the second verse, listen and you'll know. Of their battle with Ganon ten-thousand years ago." That story, it was just as Sheik had told him. When Ganon returned, so did the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Legend. He suddenly could feel the weight of the Master Sword against his back.
Kass continued his song now having both of their attention completely. "The kingdom of Hyrule was once a land of lasting peace. A culture of such strength and wit that suffering did cease. But Ganon lurked beneath the surface, strengthening its jaws. So the ancient people of Hyrule set out to help the cause. Their efforts bore fruit in an automated force, to help avert the Calamity by sealing its source. Four giant behemoths for which power never ceased. Each of these titans was called a 'Divine Beast'. And free-willed machines that haunted down their prey, these guardians were built to last so they could join the fray. To guide these beasts in battle, warriors were needed. So four Champions were pledged to see Ganon defeated. Divine Beasts, Guardians, Princess, and Knight. Their pan to route Ganon was looking airtight. And when Calamity Ganon reared its head, Hyrule rose against it. The optimism of Hyrule all the more incensed it. Ganon raged and in its assault, boiling with hate. It gnashed its teeth and thrashed about, but all was too late. The Guardians kept the heroes safe through every hour... The Divine Beasts unleashed attacks that weakened Ganon's power. The Hero with the sealing sword struck the final blow. And the holy power of the Princess sealed Ganon so. And that is the story of the brazen attack. On Calamity Ganon ten-thousand years back."
Kass's music drifted off and he lowered his instrument, smiling to the both of them. "Thank you for listening. If you ever wish to hear it again do come back." He returned to playing the same song that had distracted Sheik but when he looked up at his friend his face was just twisted in confusion.
"That contradicts my theory on the Sheikah Technology. How it was created in place of the Hero. It does strengthen my theory that the Sheikah created it under the order of the Royal Family but..." he gave a small hum and crossed his arms over his chest. "I suppose it's impossible to know anyway, not without having been there to see what was going on. If we believe that story or the hundreds of others we will probably hear." He shrugged his shoulders briefly and looked to Link. "Besides, the Ganon I met all those years ago, was a man." That was something he learned from the Hero of Time when he got the story yesterday, and it still didn't fail to surprise him. "It's said he was born to the Gerudo Tribe, people known for typically having girls and being an all female tribe."
Sheik looked like he was going to continue on from Kass when he paused suddenly and turned his gaze to the Rito. He had that look on his face, where he fought with himself internally, and then finally settled on a decision. "Your song." Kass paused and lifted his gaze to Sheik. "It's called Epona's Song." The shock that ran through Kass would have been amusing if Sheik didn't seem so upset. Kass's jaw dropped and the instrument lowered down, his eyes wide as he stared at Sheik as though he'd grown wings of his own suddenly. Sheik himself still seemed torn but the firmness in his gaze told Link he was committed to correcting this. "And the horse the Hero called to his side with it was named Epona. The first Hero to do it rescued her from an abusive ranch owner that was under Ganon's control."
"Epona's song--" he repeated the words back, still startled. "How can you--?"
"If you're going to play it, you should play it right and in its entirety. Epona was important to him." Link couldn't tell if he was ignoring Kass or just unwilling to answer the question. However he did reach behind himself and retrieved his Lyre off of his back. "I'll play it once to completion and then you're on your own." He tested the strings with a few random notes and then started into the song that Link had become familiar with at the stables Kass frequented. He was right though, when he reached a certain point that Kass would loop back through to the beginning there was another verse. It wasn't much longer and he couldn't even say it changed much but it did feel like it completed the song rather than endlessly looped it. Then there was a break, where it would probably loop back around and restart but Sheik stopped playing and put his Lyre away.
He didn't wait for Kass's reply, just headed over to the cooking pot by the stable and left Link with the Rito. "Link." He looked to Kass and inclined his head. "Who is your friend?"
"Sheik. You can trust him, he knows a bit more about this than... an average scholar."
"I see. I'll take your word for it, since I can't say if he was wrong or not on the song. It certainly sounds right. He's a fantastic musician by the way, please tell him for me."
Link nodded and headed off to where he had lost his friend in conversation with a stable hand girl. Reaching the other's side he leaned against him, shoulder pressing to Sheik's and looked at what was in his hand. "What's that?"
"Apparently, Fireproof Elixir. It's supposed to make you flame resistant and keep you cool. She gave me the recipe for it too. Here." Sheik turned to Link and dumped five of them into his hand. "I also spotted the tower and locked it on the Sheikah Slate so we can find it."
"Did she happen to say how to get up to Goron City?" Link asked, looking from the map on the slate to Sheik's face.
He gave a nod. "There's a path we can follow that leads up right into Death Mountain. If we don't get lost, we should ideally reach Goron City." That was fairly straight forward, surely they would be fine then.
"Great, hopefully we can grab the tower on the way up then." They found the path the woman directed them to and started up the way. They passed a Goron on the path, who also warned them of the heat and pointed them to a sign at the entrance to the Mountain. "Death Mountain Marker number one. Climbing Path Trailhead."
"Do they mark it the entire way up? That'd be pretty convenient." Sheik hummed in agreement and they continued along the path. "Is there anything specific I should know about Goron's?"
"I didn't spend much time with them actually. I met the Hero inside of the Fire Temple, or well the entrance to it near Dodongo's Cavern. But from what I remember we should be worried about the heat, falling volcanic rocks and active volcano areas. The Goron themselves are immune to those things, and they eat rocks." That was so very weirdly specific but the eating rocks thing didn't actually surprise him. Though it being their only source of food did a bit.
"Interesting. Did you learn anything about their problem from the books?"
He shook his head. "I only get the basic information from there. Like I can tell you their Divine Beast is called Vah Rudania and their Champion who piloted it was called Daruk. The rest we'll have to learn when we get up there. Shouldn't be too hard from what I remember they're friendly and chatty people. They're actually probably one of the most welcoming races in Hyrule. And I say that even after finally meeting the Rito."
Link chuckled softly, remembering Teba and Sheik's conversation. "They weren't so bad. Though given how Revali talked to me maybe it is an inherited trait. Teba got friendlier in the end though." Which was true, he was very nice once he realized Link wasn't pulling his feathers in being able to help him. Sheik gave a hum that sounded very doubtful and Link laughed again, a bit louder this time. He leaned toward the other, bumped his shoulder into Sheik's and looked to him.
Again he found himself glad to not have to be doing this alone but more so than that he was glad it was Sheik with him. Having him by his side was like a constant sold rock that he knew he could lean on. As he watched Sheik, his red eyes focused forward on the path and body alert for enemies, his mind drifted back to earlier that morning. They still hadn't talked, Link hadn't explained his feelings. He swallowed roughly and let out a breath. "Sheik--"
The other grabbed his arm and ducked to the side, pulling Link nearly right on top of him. He stumbled into a crouch behind a rock, bracing himself on Sheik's shoulder and looked up at what had alarmed him. Walking through the mountain pass was a guardian, one with all it's legs too and lit up red. It had already sensed them but Sheik's quick thinking had thrown it off their trail. He silently cursed their luck and looked around. "We could try going around it..."
"Venturing off the path of Death Mountain is dangerous. One wrong step and you can end up in a Lava Pit. Literally. Besides, we can't avoid them forever, we need to find a way to defeat them." That was true, he had seen Central Hyrule and the path to the castle. Hundreds of them around. Still, he wasn't eager to test his luck now.
"So, what do we do?"
"You have the Master Sword. The Deku Tree said in the face of those infected by Ganon's influence its power will be doubled." That was right and after training with the Hero of Time he felt a bit more confident in his abilities. "So, I'll draw it's attention and climb up higher and you sneak up and just start hitting it." He doesn't quite like the sound of that but he's willing to at least give it the benefit of the doubt and assume Sheik will be fine. He certainly hopes so. It worked the other times they did this and if the laser was focused on him he'd never get close enough.
"Just--don't deflect it like you did with Windblight. I thought you broke your arm doing that." He gets a hum and a nod before Sheik's standing and jumping onto the cliff beside them. He swings himself up to the very top, several feet off of the ground and throws one of his Dirk's at the guardian. It's attention draws instantly and the sound of the laser targeting is loud in his ears.
Reaching back, Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath and headed down the path toward the Guardian. With Sheik it's target he swung easily underneath it and slashed at the side, taking out one of it's legs with a few hits as the laser let loose into the air. Trying not to distract himself he focused on the Guardian and not his friend, the moment he got distracted was the moment he put the both of them in danger.
Sheik let another Dirk fly and it hit the Guardian in the eye, momentarily stunning it. Link got a good few more hits in with it like that and the Guardian once it freed itself from the stun focused itself again. However, with Link being so close and whacking at it, it's single eye narrowed in on him. The bright red laser of the Guardian focused on his chest and started to charge up. Quickly he turned and ran backwards, aiming for a rock or something to take cover behind.
Two more Dirks flew through the air, hitting the Guardian in various and random points on it's head. Sheik managed to direct its attention over as he jumped from the high ledge above them, twisting in the air pulling his Lyre out. He struck a few cords, let the magic fly through the air following his fingers. As they landed on the Guardian it seemed to catch it off guard, causing it's laser to fire randomly multiple times. One landed right beside Link, shaking the ground and knocking him off his feet, another hit the mountain and he watched as the final one struck Sheik in the chest.
Gathering the Master Sword he rushed forward and struck the sword at the Guardian, finally taking it out though his gaze was firmly locked on Sheik. The laser had tossed him a good distance and he took off running, stopping where his friend had crouched on the ground gripping at his chest. "Sheik! Are you alright?"
"I think so." He moved to stand and winced in pain, taking a few deep breaths. His hand had fisted around his suit, clutching the fabric tightly. "We might need a different plan next time." Definitely. They weren't using Sheik as a homing device next time.
"The Lyre did a lot of damage, I think it might be a better idea if we fight it together." He grasped the others forearm and helped him up to his feet, trying to get a look at where he was struck. "Here, I have those potions you made me. You definitely should take one." Or three. He reached into his pack and pulled one of the red vials out, passing it to Sheik who took it. On the bright side they knew they could defeat them, though the matter of how they do that consistently is still up for debate. They definitely needed a better system. He could work on it. "I'm not fond of you using yourself as bait. I don't like you getting hurt."
"But I don't want you to get hurt either." The words were thrown back at him and he had figured that was the case. Sheik was putting himself in the direct line of danger to protect Link and that wasn't how this was going to continue. He wanted to protect the other as much as he was being protected.
"Then I guess we just have to protect each other." Link finally replied, smiling up at Sheik. He didn't look pleased by that but relented at least, giving a nod of his head and loosening his grip on his suit. There was a growing dark spot where he was struck and Link grew more worried for Sheik. At least the potion should take care of the worst of it, they had to keep going, they barely made it a quarter up the trail. "Can you keep going, Sheik?"
"Of course. I've taken worse." That wasn't actually reassuring, just more alarming, but he won't question it now.
They continued up the path, at a much slower place, and had to take out the occasional Fire Chuchu and Keese. They seemed to be doing incredibly well until they had to climb up a path toward a pool of lava outside the tower Sheik had marked on the slate. They both took a Fire Elixir and Link spotted the horrifying revelation of what was pacing around outside the tower. Another Guardian, a walking one at that, was in the distance right where they wanted to be.
"Sheik, can we go around it this time?"
"I don't see why not, we just need to make it to the tower. Then you can paraglide over it."
"We can paraglide over it." Sheik gave him another unamused look and Link explained. "I know the combined weight will make us fall faster but with the ability I got from Revali I can launch us up higher in the air and sail farther. It's better than you getting hurt again trying to out run it. Besides, you're having a hard time walking right now let's not push it too much."
For once he actually won this argument as Sheik relented with a nod, apparently still hating the idea but willing to admit it was the best one that didn't involve taking on a second Guardian in less than thirty minutes. They worked their way around the far side of the mountain, looking at the ledge where the platform sprouted from the ground at. Sheik swung himself down and landed at the base, grunting in pain from the strain that put on his body. Link landed beside him and checked that he was alright before grasping the tower and starting their climb up. Luckily they could climb on the back where the Guardian wouldn't be able to see them.
Sheik took the slate from his waist and sat it in the terminal, watching it twist around and lock in place. It updated the map and Sheik took the slate back showing Link the map. "Ah, now we can see the trail that leads right to Goron City. That should make avoiding the harder enemies easier. We'll at least not be wandering around blindly anymore." That was definitely reassuring. Link would love to avoid the Guardians. At least till he had better armor and Sheik didn't play target.
"Should we rest here and check your wounds? I'd feel better if we at least cleaned and bandaged it."
"In this heat? We're basically working on a timer. Until we can make more of the Fireproof Elixir we should keep going." Sheik slid the slate into the holder at his waist and pointed out North West. They walked up to the ledge of the tower and Sheik made a motion toward the distance with his arm. "We need to go that way, there seems to be a mine camp halfway and then another walk to Goron City."
"Okay, got it. Come here." Link held his hand out to Sheik and when the other was close enough he wrapped his right arm firmly around his waist. "Grip by neck, I should be able to hang onto the paraglider with one hand."
"This sounds like a terrible idea."
"It won't be. Just don't let go." He pressed his body against the others and Sheik reached his arms out, looping them around Link's neck and resting his head on his shoulder. "Okay, if it helps don't look down. The first time I looked down I almost fell from the fear." He's sure Sheik mutters "real reassuring" against his shoulder but it's muffled enough he can't quite be sure. He tightens his hold on the others waist, hoping to reassure him and then tapped into the power Revali gave him. He felt the wind gather around them, spinning in a circle and then suddenly shot them up into the air.
Sheik's arms tightened around his neck near painfully and he shook the paraglider out in a smooth motion. It was certainly harder to hang on with the added weight of Sheik's body but thankfully they didn't need to go far, just to the ledge across the way where the Guardian wouldn't be able to see them. This high up as they were, they'd definitely be out of it's sight too. Link guided the paraglider with the wind, drifting across the path away from the tower. He felt Sheik turn his head, tucking his face down more against his neck to look at where they were drifting.
"No go left. If you land over there we'll have to climb down into its path. The farther you get down the trail it walks the less we'll have to run." That was a good point and Link used a bit of force to tilt the paraglider to the left and sail down the trail. "If you get tired let me know, I'll try to drop myself somewhere." He was definitely not doing that but Sheik doesn't need to know.
They floated to a level that he figured they were safe at and started to look for somewhere to just land. It was getting harder to hang onto Sheik but if he was honest there was actually a level of enjoyment at getting to hold him so close like this. "Hey Sheik?" He gets a small hum from the other and Link tilts his head down to look at the Sheikah's face. The movement forced Sheik to pick his head up and look back at Link, putting their faces quite close together.
He took advantage of the situation to press his lips to Sheik's mask covered ones, the feeling quite odd and nothing like back at the house, but it did sate his desire to do it. Sheik made a sound in the back of his throat and pulled back, watching Link with an unreadable expression in his gaze. Shifting a bit he reached over Link's shoulder with his hand, grasped the corner of his mask and yanked it down around his neck. Leaning back he quickly and lightly placed his lips back over Link's and returned the kiss. He pulled back a second later leaving Link quite wanting.
"Put us down." Probably a good idea, he could feel his arm shaking from the strain. They drifted down onto the path a good distance from the Guardian, just a bit of a walk to what Sheik had said was a miners camp of some sort. The moment they were on solid ground Sheik stepped away and fixed his mask back up in place, checking his weapons and Lyre as what seemed like a habit. Satisfied everything was in order he started to walk along the path once more leaving Link to trail along behind him.
"Sheik?"
"Hm...?"
"Are we going to talk about that?"
He pauses briefly and then continues walking, glancing over his shoulder at Link before turning forward again. "Do you want to right this particular second?" That seemed like a deflection, and avoidance, because apart from walking and the random small enemies they didn't really have anything else they needed to do.
So he points that out. "I don't see why not." He heaved a sigh and quickened his pace, nearly having to jog to catch up to the other. Reaching out he caught his elbow and tugged to get Sheik to turn and look at him. Which definitely didn't amuse Sheik considering the look he got from the Warrior. "Sheik, listen, please. I just--" the ground started to shake and he stumbled backwards, snapping his head to the side as Sheik's body turned and took a few steps closer to him.
The boulder he had paid very little attention to moments ago suddenly stood up and shook itself free of the debris from the ground. Sheik's body pressed into his and Link let his arm go but didn't grab a weapon. Did he even have a sledgehammer? "What in Goddesses name is that?" Sheik muttered, grabbing his Lyre from his back.
"Magma Talus! We have to hit the stone on the top of it!"
"You can't climb on it how--" he shoved Link away from him and rolled to the side, missing the arm the Talus shot at them. "Link! The Master Sword! It has a beam if you charge it like you're going to throw it!" Link climbed to his feet and looked over at Sheik, his fingers moving along the Lyre and shooting the beams of light off of the instrument. It soared over the top and nicked the black stone that stuck out of the Talus.
Like that? He could do that. He just--looking around he ran toward a few rocks on the cavern and started to climb his way up on top of them. Putting himself a bit higher and farther away he had easier sight of the stone on the Talus' back. Swinging the Master Sword out he pulled his arm back and focused on the energy of the blade. It gave a faint glow and when he swung it at the air it shot a beam across the battlefield and struck the Talus on the rock. It tumbled forward into the ground and Sheik played a few more notes, hitting the stone in quick succession.
They weren't hard enemies but they were far easier to fight if Link could climb on them or use bomb arrows. Bomb arrows currently were far from an option with the intense heat but they were his second weapon of choice on Talus's. With the hits from the both of them they took the Magma Talus out and it crashed into the ground, turning into a bunch of gems that scattered across the field.
Link climbed back down and picked them all up, slipping them into the bag with the others. "Well, of all the battles that one wasn't so bad."
"It dropped quite a bit of gems, those will probably be useful." He turned to look up the cliff they had to climb. "The miners camp is on the other side of that. Once we make our way up we'll be most of the way to Goron City." That was good news. He gave a nod of his head and continued over to the cliff, climbing his way up it with Sheik right behind him.
"Should we see if we can gather any information?"
Sheik nodded and stepped closer to Link, slipping his hand into the bag and pulling out a few things. "I'm going to make some more Fire Elixir's, you should take another one before it runs out."
He took Sheik's advice and then started wandering around. He met someone who offered to sell him some fireproof armor if he caught them some Fire Lizards. Twenty of them which wasn't that bad, if he could get close enough to actually catch them that is. Link was far from as sneaky as Sheik was, although he did have that Sheikah Stealth Armor that he bought from Kakariko. The clothes were a bit different than Sheik's, who had changed the ones he bought from Claree with bits of pieces of his old uniform. Link's was more plain with mixes of a shadow blue with a gray like blue. Sheik's was a dark navy blue accented with a lighter more normal blue. He also had triangles around the wrappings on his knees that Link was sure represented the triforce. The red on his suit was also much more defined, brighter, like he really wanted people to notice it. His mask was white too, which matched his cowl and head wrap.
He found a secluded rock and hid behind it, changing his clothes out for the Sheikah Stealth Armor. He sat his belongings down to limit sound but kept the Master Sword on him. Ready he started to sneak around the entire camp and collected the Fire Lizards needed for the person. It didn't take long thanks to the armor, in under five minutes he had found enough and was already returning to the stranger with them trapped in a bag. He passed them over, took the bulky chest armor and pants in exchange. They were quite heavy, how he was supposed to move in this was actually beyond him. Collecting his belongings he left behind he found Sheik tucked away at the cooking pot scooping the Elixir into the vials that he had.
"I traded someone Fire Lizards for Fireproof armor. I think that's a success."
"Well, it's certainly better than drinking hundreds of--" he trailed off and Link blinked at Sheik, watching his gaze slowly roam over Link's body before snapping back up to his eyes. "That's not the armor you traded for right? I didn't even know you owned that."
He looked down at himself, the Sheikah Armor and then Sheik. "I bought it in Kakariko the first time I was there. It lowers the sound of your movements and lets you sneak around. But I run too much for it to be of use with enemies."
This didn't seem to surprise Sheik but he kept looking Link over. "I was right, the original design of that looks ridiculous."
A startled laugh fell from Link's lips and he struck a pose in the suit. "I think I look great.
"As an actual Sheikah allow me to tell you that no one should be wearing that. The Hylian outfit you had on before looks better." He stands up and turns to Link, several bottles of Fireproof Elixir in his arms. "But I can alter that later so you look less like you just stretched a piece of elastic over your body. The chest plate from my old suit can take more damage, you take a laser hit in that and it might as well be hitting your skin. The leather bracers on the front and shoulders really do nothing. Calling it the stealth suit is quite fitting, it might reduce your noise a lot but it drops your defense. There's a lack of balance."
Link blinked at the explanation and looked down at himself once more. He was right, his Hylian Tunic had several forms of padding across his chest and back, when he was thrown in that he could get back up fairly easily. "But," Link looks back to Sheik who was closer now. "I like what you did with your hair for it." His hand reached up and poked at the sticks slid into his bun. "Mm, they're not sharp enough to use as weapons but they look nice. We should do something with your hair in the Hylian outfit."
Sheik apparently had a favorite outfit of his and he honestly had no idea what to do with that information. It did make him want to change his clothes back.
"Oh, what armor did you get?"
Getting the Fireproof armor on was not easy. It was made from rocks, for sure, and felt like it. It was heavy and clanky and when he finally managed to get the entire thing on he nearly fell over walking around the corner to show Sheik. The laugh it dragged from him though was well worth the trouble. He'd never actually seen Sheik full on laugh, to the point it shook his body, and he was doing that now. He wrapped an arm around his waist, laughed light and carefree and even had tears gathering in his eyes. He breathed deep, letting out a breath of air to get better control of himself and looked to Link.
"That is ridiculous. Can you even move?"
"Yes." He said confidently and then stumbled as he walked forward. "Possibly."
"There must be a better way, actually how about I go catch plenty of lizards while you change and we'll just chug Fireproof Elixirs?"
"Yeah, yeah, you do that." He braced himself on the wall, heard Sheik laugh again and then the Shiekah was gone, vanishing into the shadows seemingly. Link changed his clothes behind the rock, tugging on the Hylian Tunic and trousers but keeping the hood in the pack. He left his hair in the bun just to keep it off of his neck but stored away the rest of the Sheikah Armor supplies. Downing another Fireproof Elixir he stood back up and pulled everything back onto his body.
When he went back out to find Sheik he appeared next to Link with a bag of Fireproof Lizards in his hand. Link took it, slipped it into the pack and they continued on the path toward Goron City. They seemed to get a break finally as the walk there wasn't nearly as bad as the trail had been. They crossed the gates to Goron City and let out a breath of air. "Alright, find a shrine, then we're going back to Hateno and sleeping there. We can start a new day here tomorrow." That sounded like a great idea, Link wasn't arguing with that plan. Even though he's sure they have an inn he doubts it's cold. Like sleeping in a bed of lava.
They used the Sheikah Slate to locate the shrine, apparently Sheik had pinned it when they were at the tower which was highly appreciated from Link. They found it easily and Link activated the terminal before vanishing down inside. He did the task as quickly as he could and collected another spirit orb before returning to the surface. Sheik was sitting with his back against the terminal, playing a song quietly on the Lyre. When Link appeared on the transporter the song stopped and he looked up at Link.
"Did you get what you needed?" He nodded his head and Sheik stood, tucking the Lyre back behind him. "Great. Let's return to Hateno for now and sleep, we'll come back tomorrow to see what can be done about Vah Rudania." He moved close to Link and took his arm in his own, letting Link maneuver the Sheikah Slate to open the shrine in Hateno and carry them over to it. The sun was setting at this point as they made their way across the bridge toward their house. Sheik unlocked the door, pushed it open and stepped inside. They lit the lanterns on the ceiling and Sheik vanished into the bathroom.
He didn't take a bath, Link realized now that Sheik didn't wash his hair often but got annoyed if it went on for more than a week without it. Sometimes he'd make an exception to this, like if he got Chuchu jelly in it, but he tried not to wash his hair often just his body. He came back out in the same shirt he'd taken from Link before and a pair of trousers, running a brush through his hair. Link took his turn, did shower to get rid of the sweat and changed into an extra pair of clothes. He came back out, cooked them something to eat and sat down at the table.
"The plan the same as normal?"
"Mhm, find the Goron Leader, they call their head Boss, and ask about Vah Rudania. They shouldn't give us a hard time, the Goron are kind people. Honestly, the only real difficulty I can think of is that heat and the threat of lava. You'll probably be paragliding over a lot of it." Meaning he either would be leaving Sheik behind or using Revali's Gale a lot.
He gave a small hum and tapped the side of his face. "Well, I'm still taking you with me so we'll figure it out. How'd you get around the Fire Temple to teach the Hero of Time the song?"
"Sheer will of strength. I could literally feel my blood boiling me alive." That sounded incredibly uncomfortable. "For the most part though I scaled the walls and jumped. I can jump fairly far." Far wasn't dening it, Sheik practically catapulted himself when he jumped. It was probably why he never tried to carry much on himself, he knows it'll weigh him down. With what he has on him he can correctly measure his weight verses his strength and how far he can jump. Changing that even the slightest bit would off balance him and probably end tragically.
"Hmm, we saw that it was mostly stone though, you'll probably be able to jump over the lava."
"Probably." He admitted, pushing his empty plate aside. "Sometimes though if I can't judge it right I won't risk it."
"And when that happens just rely on me." He smiles, confidently he hopes. Sheik huffs out an amused and Link thought fond, laugh. "We work as a team, Sheik, and we can do it. You've helped me through two Divine Beasts, this time I'm not leaving you behind and you're not a burden."
"Didn't think I was." He shrugged and looked to Link's eyes. "I was just devising the best war plan and that would be it. You'd be quicker on your own."
He could counter argue that but if it did take him long to get back to Sheik and paraglide him over that might consume more time than he thought. But, in the end, the two of them taking on the Divine Beast would be all around quicker. Sheik thought fast on his feet and was a strong fighter. At the end he would rather take longer to do a task than fight alone and risk dying. "Speed doesn't matter if it results in a loss in the end." Is what he settles on and the look he gets is definitely one of fondness.
"Fair point. At this rate a loss doesn't just affect us but Princess Zelda and all of Hyrule. You did say she said she was at the end of her limit..." he trailed off when the house darkened and a red glow filled the windows. It painted the walls the same color as Sheik's eyes, a haunting color that blended in with them. Sheik stood and Link followed, making their way to the window by the door and looking up at the sky.
"Blood moon. Have you seen one? I think they happen once a month." Glancing to Sheik he caught the other nodding his head.
"Few times, the first time you were asleep. You can sleep through some pretty incredible things." He didn't know if that was an insult or a compliment. "It happened a few days after I woke up here. I assume you know what it means?"
Link took a step back and motioned to the window. "Princess Zelda told me the first time it happened, it's when Ganon's power escapes her grip too much and he's at his strongest. He uses the blood moon to return the defeated monsters of the world to right where they were. So those enemies we just faught, the Guardian, they'll be right back where they were."
"That's irritating." Link snorted and covered his mouth, snickering. "At the very least it happened now before we returned to Goron City."
"Yeah! We'll have more time to take on Vah Rudania." He spins and looks back to Sheik, a smile on his face. "Now, let me take care of your burn from the Guardian."
They ended up upstairs and Link directed Sheik to sit on the edge of the bed. He put together a salve from the ingredients they collected from the Korok Forest and other stray ingredients he had. Link mixed it together in a grinder, grabbed a roll of bandages and turned to Sheik on the bed. He moved over in front of him and knelt down, placing the paste on the floor beside him. "Alright, take your shirt off, Sheik."
Sheik gave a sigh and averted his gaze, hands gripping the end of the shirt he had on. "I'm telling you this is pointless, I drank the potion."
"Humor me."
Sheik relented and tugged his shirt off over his head, setting it aside on the bed. There was a circular eight inch burn mark in the center of Sheik's chest that had crusted over with dried blood and started to scab. He was right in the fact that the potion had taken care of the worst of it, but Link could still do something to help it along the way and prevent infection. He was sure the potion numbed the pain too and when that wore off it'd start to hurt again.
He picked the salve up, got a good bit on his fingers and then reached up to begin smearing it over the burn on Sheik's chest. Sheik flinched at the touch and sucked a pain breath in between his teeth and forced his body to still. Link finished quickly and then pulled his hand back, wiping the extra on a cloth and picking up the bandages. He stood to his feet and placed himself between Sheik's legs to get close enough to wrap the bandage around his back and over his chest. He was careful as he did it, not wanting to hurt Sheik more than he had to.
Finishing quickly Link secured the bandaged in the front and tucked it in so it was out of the way. "There, how does it feel?" He lifted his gaze to look down at Sheik and met his eyes.
"I'm okay, really. Thank you though, for everything."
Link sighed softly and reached both his hands up, taking hold of Sheik's face. "Just because you're used to pain doesn't mean that you need to be in it. It's alright to get help sometimes, you know. You would have done the same for me."
The smile he gets is one he wants to commit to memory, forever have it shined on him and only for the two of them. It's soft, the kind of smile that just makes someone feel warm when it's directed at them. His breath catches in his throat, gaze fixated on the eyes boring into his own. Link feels Sheik's hands settle against his hips. "You're right, I would, that and anything else I possibly could for you." The hands on his hips squeezed gently and Link feared that he was going to pull away again and the moment would once again be lost for another slim chance.
Gently with the hands that held Sheik's face tugged him closer instead. Link leaned down to him, their gazes still holding each other captive. "Sheik, you like me, don't you?" He can feel the stutter in Sheik's pulse with his hands resting over the vein on his neck. There's a shift in his breathing, a sudden intake of breath, but he doesn't look away. He takes his chance while it's still there and continues, his voice kept low as a promise just for them to hear. "I like you."
Sheik blinks and Link feels his hands twitch against his hips, the pace of his pulse increasing. His eyes widen the slightest bit and turns his gaze away, his head twisting more into Link's hand as he refuses to let him go. "I figured, at some point. You were being fairly obvious. But I had wondered..." he trailed off and Link put pressure on his face with his right hand to get Sheik to look back up at him. Their eyes met again and Link waited patiently for him to finish his thoughts. "I'm the only person you spend prolonged amounts of time with. I wondered if that affected your feelings."
It was a fair thought. Link had amnesia, he couldn't remember if he had a partner a hundred years ago, if he had been married, where he came from. The only person he could say he knew was Sheik. Yet, he didn't think what Sheik assumed was true. He didn't think that affected his feelings at all. He knew the people of Kakariko, he was friends with Paya he thought, and he'd honestly say what he felt with Sheik was different than when he was around Paya or the others.
He just needed to convey that to Sheik. Letting Sheik's face go he reached his right hand down and took Sheik's wrist, pulling his hand from his waist. Raising both their connected hands up he pressed Sheik's palm over his heart and held it there against his chest. "I realized I liked you when you told me you believed in me, and I understood then that I'd liked you for a while before that." Sheik's breath caught and Link continued. "My heart races when you're around, when I hold you close and when I watch you. I like having you here with me and I'm worried a lot that you're just going to be gone one day." He doesn't want Sheik to leave him but it's a genuine fear considering Sheik wasn't of this time, nor a normal person. He was a Sage of the Sacred Realm. Would that role call him back one day? The thought terrified him.
"I know what I feel, and I know that it has to be you." Link smiles softly, wraps his fingers around Sheik's hand, holding him close to his heart. "I like you, Sheik."
Honestly he hadn't thought this through, he didn't know what to do next or say and he couldn't even predict Sheik's reaction. He had just felt the moment and took it while he could, hoping to convey across everything that he felt so that at the very least he had said it. So that Sheik had heard him and if there was a chance, for anything to be reciprocated, he could have it. He was so sure that Sheik liked him back he dived in head first but that didn't mean he had to return Link's confession.
He could feel himself grow nervous the longer he stood there with Sheik watching him, those red eyes full of such an intensity he dared not look away. He's not sure what Sheik's thinking, what conclusion he's reached. Sheik's the most eloquent person with words when it comes to anything other than himself but when it comes to his own feelings and personal issues he goes quiet on Link. It's worrying, in this moment, the lack of communication and the pure silence. It takes all the courage he has to keep standing there.
Then Sheik moves. He leans himself up and presses his lips to Link's forehead, startling him and sending his heart skyrocketing. It's different then the kisses they shared before, the meaning behind it was something else entirely. Which proved him right along with what Sheik muttered against his skin. "I like you too."
His body moved before he even finished processing those words, hands grasping at Sheik's face and tilting his head upward. Their lips met again, a kiss that finally conveyed everything they felt for each other instead of wildly confusing emotions. Nudging him back a bit Link moved his body from standing between Sheik to sliding up onto his lap, his legs straddling Sheik's waist. It was easier this way and Link found he rather liked being in Sheik's lap.
"Sheik." Link mumbled his words against the others lips, feeling a quiet hum against his own. "I really want to touch you."
A huff of amused laughter and Sheik drags him up closer to him on the bed. "Then do it."