An Ancient Bond.

Well Deserved Rest

   After leaving the scorching hot volcano for somewhere far cooler in temperature, Link slept with an ease that could have been considered bliss. Hateno was far better in temperature than Death Mountain had been and washing himself in cold water had taken the burning edge off of his skin. When he woke the next morning to find himself alone in the bed he worried for a moment until he heard movement downstairs. He must have slept later than normal. Propping himself up he looked down and blinked at the bandages covering his arms. Not only had he slept late but Sheik had also taken care of his burns while he was sleeping. His body was barely even sore thanks to whatever cream the other had used.

"You're awake." His head lifted back up and he spotted Sheik making his way over carrying a tray of food. "It's about midday, here you should eat this." The tray was placed on his lap and Sheik moved back, sitting down at the small desk near the end of the bed. He had said it was midday, right? Link couldn't have slept that long. And yet, as he turned and looked out the window, he had to admit Sheik was right. The sky did show midday. "I wouldn't worry about it." He looked back to find Sheik watching him. "The Master Sword relies partly on your strength, right? On top of all that work you did yesterday and the heat. You were probably just very tired."

"You helped me though and you were still up before me." Turning back to the food he took a small bite listening to Sheik hum.

"I didn't get pelted by falling boulders from the sky and wield a sword that draws from me." No, he was just inside the volcano that erupted. Link finished off another bite of food and looked back to Sheik. He was going over those papers he had been writing out before, the ones with the songs that took him places. His hair had been done in a loose braid today, far more wide than the perfectly tiny and tight one he did for fighting. He was still in his sleep shirt and trousers which meant he hadn't gone out anywhere.

Link sat the empty tray of food aside and leaned forward on the bed trying to get a look at the other's face. "Sheik, did you learn anything from the temple?"

He pauses in whatever it is he's doing and looks over. "I did. Most of the temple is falling apart, a lot of places are inaccessible. Common shifting in Death Mountain over the years caused that along with the continual eruptions from the volcano. However, I could still hear Daruina." That was interesting and Link blinked at Sheik waiting for him to continue. "He told me which Sage's were left, including myself." Sheik turned and grabbed a piece of paper, setting it on his lap as he faced Link again. "Princess Zelda acted as the Seventh Sage but we're not counting her for obvious reasons. So, out of the six of us that there was, four of us remain."

"Only four?" That wasn't much, no wonder the Master Sword relied on his strength so much. Given what Sheik said the Sage's praying was what gave it its power. If there was only half the Sage's remaining then logically the swords power would be halved and it would make up the difference by relying on Link.

Sheik nodded and leaned against his desk. "Daruina himself, Saria the Forest Sage, Nabooru the Gerudo Sage of Spirit, and myself." A sigh falls from his lips. "Not that you can even count me right now considering I'm not helping them. But I am technically the Sage of Shadow." Leaning up he turned back to the desk and sat the paper on it again. "Rauru the Sage of Light was reincarnated... into an owl of all things. I can't even explain how that happened. With all the changes to the Temple of Time it must have happened around then. He built the original Temple of Time, you know." That didn't mean much to him but he nodded to let Sheik keep talking. "Ruto died, apparently. He explained to me when but--I don't remember it happening."

He seemed a bit distressed by this, rubbing at his forehead and frowning at the paper. Link scooted a bit to the end of the bed to get closer to Sheik. "Should you?" Living for that long, like the Deku Tree, seemed tiring. Maybe forgetting was the mind's way of protecting itself a bit.