The Legend of Zelda: Blood and Spirit

Chapter 15: Seeing Through the Shadows

Chapter 15: Seeing Through the Shadows

"Wrong again," Sheik frowned and crossed her arms as she watched Link unsuccessfully attempt the advanced Sheikah fighting technique that she had just showed him. Seeing as how traveling to the Sealed Temple and their encounter with Veress there had taken up the entire morning, the Sheikah leader and the hero had decided to devote the rest of the afternoon to training, though Fi had initially been opposed to the idea, claiming that her master needed no further instruction in combat. But all the same, both Link and Sheik had insisted on it and so the trio had taken to the portion of the field that bordered Faron Woods and decided to set up camp there, since the close proximity to the forest would offer both concealment and protection from the Interlopers.

"Your form is off," Sheik said with as much patience as she could manage, stepping forward to emulate the correct positioning for the footing and stance of the offensive blade-dueling move. "I've already told you this several times now: these techniques aren't about brute force or sheer power; they're about swiftness and precision. Now try it again and get it right this time. We're burning good daylight."

Link sighed in exasperation, placing his shield aside to rub his sore sword arm. "We've been at this all day," he said tiredly. "Can't we take a break for a while?" Though he had initially been enthusiastic about learning the fighting styles of the Sheikahs, Sheik's firm and unrelenting teaching style had started to ware down on him. With her, there was no margin for error and she had made sure that he knew that very early on through her blunt scoldings and complete lack of encouragement.

Sheik scowled at him, stepping up close to him and gazed up into his face with a piercing look in her scarlet eyes. "You think Veress and the Interlopers are going to let you 'take a break' when you're in the heat of battle against them and they've got you on the ropes and you wanna quit just because you're tired or need to catch your breath?" she asked with challenging seriousness. "If that's the case, you're already dead."

The hero set his jaw, gripping the handle of his sword tighter in determination. He wasn't going to appear weak to her or to anyone else. "Let's keep going then," he said with a small smirk of resolve. Sheik returned it with a nod as she held up her staff to show him another technique.

"Is any of this really necessary?" Fi interrupted with a frown as she sat on a rock several feet away and watched the two of them.

"Of course it is," Sheik snapped back, glaring at the sword spirit. Without further elaboration, she turned back to Link once more and took up a fighting stance. "Now," she said to him. "Practice everything I've taught you so far on me and don't hold back."

The hero nodded and made the first move, a quick slashing motion that the Sheikah had taught him early on in their training. Sheik easily evaded it with a low roll and twisted out of the path of his blade once more as he tried again. Remembering her advice, Link made sure to keep both eyes on his sparring partner, who teased him with a sly grin as she moved with deftness and confidence.

"You know, you won't be able to win if you can't even hit your opponent!" Sheik said as she gracefully leaped backwards out of the path of his sword. The hero growled in frustration as he ignored every skillful that she had taught him and made getting a hit in his top priority. He made a loose, broad swing aimed for her armored midsection, but he was too slow for her fast moves. Before his blade even made it close to her, the Sheikah leader had slipped out of the way and dodged it, moving behind him and before Link could even see it coming, Sheik smashed her staff into his open back with so much force that it knocked him to the ground.

The Sheikah leader stood over the hero with a wide smirk as he sat up to look back at her with a cross glare. "Please, don't gloat," he said, frustrated with both her and his own inability to conquer the difficult moves of the Sheikahs. Using a sword had always come easy to him, even before he had taken up the Goddess's Sword, but for some reason, he just couldn't get the hang of the elusive, flexible, fast-moving techniques that Sheik had shown him and that challenge only made him want to master them even more. "I'm not in the mood and this isn't as easy as you make it look."