The Triforce Wars (5/15)

[spice_mix]

Chapter Four
A Taste of Honey

Three weeks came and went. In all that time, not one person in the castle had worked out how to send Link back to his true time - but, quite frankly, Link was starting to not want to go.

He had regained Sheik's friendship - had even become closer to him than they ever had been in Hyrule, where some invisible, intangible barrier held them apart. Now, no such barrier existed - even the healer commented on how close the two had grown since Sheik's rescue. Where Sheik was, Link was sure to be nearby, separating only for when Sheik's duties forced it to be so.

Now, though, they were together, getting their things ready to leave for Kakariko. Eldir and Zelda had both given their protectors leave, and indeed, the castle was practically emptying of Sheikah. There'd be a veritable river of Sheikah making its way between the two towns - Link, fair-skinned and blue-eyed, would stick out like a sore thumb.

Or, he mentally revised as they stepped out, perhaps not. There were many Sheikah there, and many had Hylian guests - not any huge number, but enough to reassure him somewhat.

Sheik gave him a sideways glance then smiled faintly beneath the mask he still wore. "We'll be there soon," he reassured, and they stepped out in to the road.

The walk wasn't too long, but it was slow-paced and a chilly day, and Link was shivering by the time they approached the cliff that hid Kakariko from view. But it was rather peculiar - as they approached, people ahead of them began... disappearing, vanishing in to thin air. Not with the flash of the Deku nut - they were simply there, and then they weren't.

Brow creased, he turned to Sheik, who shrugged. "It's an illusion," he murmured to him, "To hide the way in to the village. There are others who would dearly love to know."

The Sheikah girl, Zelda's guard, grinned suddenly. "Now you see me," she told the boys, darted forward, and vanished. "Now you don't!" Her disembodied voice was still audible, leaving Link glancing around, startled.

"Ah, don't tease him," Sheik warned her gently, "Just because he's practically blind -"

"Hey!"

"Well, you are, to a Sheikah," he pointed out, "We see things that you don't. Therefore, that makes you practically blind. Come on." And he stepped forward and vanished as well.

Link stopped short. He had known that was going to happen, hadn't he? So why had he suddenly felt like a rock - no, a boulder - had settled in the pit of his stomach?

He tried to draw in a steadying breath, and it came out shuddering. Too many times, he'd seen him disappear - every time he tried to get close, every time he tried to make an overture of friendship - vividly, he could see him disappearing in the Temple of Time.

"Link?" came Sheik's concerned voice, and Link almost flinched. "What's the matter?"

Gulping down another shuddering breath, Link reached out blindly, taking a step forward. And then, quite suddenly, there was a hand in his, Sheik in front of him, watching in concern.

"...Sorry," he said, swallowing roughly. "I - that was weird."

Sheik made a noise of assent, although he didn't let go of Link's hand immediately. "Mm... I suppose it would be disconcerting to someone inexperienced with it..." He gave his hand a little tug, nodding to where he could see Sheikah lining up in front of a gap in the cliff face.

That was odd. He hadn't seen that before.

"It needs blood magic to open it," Sheik murmured as they joined the queue. "A patch of stone near it - you need Sheikah blood, or the blood of a member of the Royal Family."

So he wouldn't be able to go on his own, then... Link's hand, still around Sheik's, squeezed a little. "Thanks for inviting me."

The end of the line was fast approaching. People were being let in a dozen at a time, it seemed - Zelda's protector was the twelfth, turning to give them a jaunty wave. "See you up there," she grinned, then glanced down at their hands - Sheik let go of Link's hand almost self-consciously. "Play nice!"

And then she, too, disappeared through the gap.

Link glanced down at his feet, shifting them awkwardly. "So," he started, then shrugged a little. "We go to your old house, get changed, then go to the temple?" he recounted, and his stomach abruptly grumbled. Well, Sheik had told him to avoid lunch... "When do we get to eat?"

Sheik snorted faintly. "After we go to the temple. We have to drink a tea there - you may become nauseous if you have a full stomach. And I would prefer you weren't ill in my ancestors' house of rest."

"Hey, I didn't complain when you were ill on my lap," Link retorted, vividly recalling those first few days after Sheik's rescue. "But okay."

Smiling weakly at the reminder, Sheik snapped to attention as the attendant nodded to them. "Our turn," he murmured to Link, then led him through the gap.

Link blinked, trying to force his eyes to adjust - it was a little chamber, the sudden darkness startling to his sun-adjusted eyes, lit only by a single torch. Another Sheikah stood there, handing them a torch of their own to light.

"Straight up the stairs, extinguish the torch with the sand and leave it in the container," he told them - as Sheik led him to the stairs he had barely noticed, Link began to feel anticipation growing.

Kakariko in Sheik's own time - he knew the village like the back of his hand, but this, he was starting to think, would be a new experience.

Honestly, he had no idea.

Ahead, a speck of daylight was beginning to grow. Link glanced across at Sheik, momentarily caught by the way his features were illuminated by the flame of the torch, then grinned. "Last one up is a cucco!"

And he sped ahead, only to stumble over the stairs in the dark. Not to be deterred, he immediately got up again, racing ahead.

First! Settling at the small chamber at the top of the stairs, he grinned down at Sheik, still lit by the torch. "Slowpoke," he teased, wandering over to the doorway to peer through.

...Now, that was interesting. Oh, the shape of the town was still the same, the cliff walls didn't leave a lot of room for change, but not one recognisable building stood in this time. Even the windmill had yet to be built, instead replaced with scattered houses and one large central building, steps from the windmill's old entrance leading up to it.

The houses, too, were radically different. Smaller, more numerous, compact wooden buildings decorated in painted patterns and hanging cloths and herbs drying in windows. Most were elevated, up on stumps, and nearly all had intriguing cooking smells wafting out the windows.

Where, in the village of the future, the single tree leading up to the village proper had stood, there was now a tent - supported with wood, a plethora of brightly coloured fabrics draped over it - reds and purples and blues and golds, mixed in with earthier browns and neutral whites.

"That is where we'll be going after we go to the temple," Sheik said with a nod, having finally caught up. "What do you think?"

Link found himself smiling - despite the reputation he had heard of the Sheikah, it seemed positively friendly. "I like it. How come all the houses look like that?"

"We used to be nomads," Sheik explained, tugging on Link's wrist to get him moving. "This was along our old trade route - we used to go between the desert, the village, and the Snowpeak mountains, north. Eventually, around a century or so ago, we settled here, and the caravans were converted to houses." He smiled faintly. "Even if we haven't gone anywhere in a few generations, even newer houses are built like that. Here we are."

Link glanced up at it automatically. It was higher up, closer to the path that led up Death Mountain (gate now firmly closed), facing the rest of the village - from the front steps, he could look out over the entire vista.

And then he was promptly distracted as Sheik caught his wrist and practically dragged him inside - Link spun around, smiling automatically when he caught sight of the two older Sheikah in the room.

Sheik was already talking, rapid-fire and in a language Link didn't understand - no, wait, there was his name. Shifting awkwardly, he waited until Sheik stopped. "And Link, these are my parents - Miruna and Kalen."

"It's nice to meet you," Link said politely, holding a hand out - Miruna took it, shaking it firmly (Link couldn't help but be forcibly reminded of Impa - she even had white hair).

"And you," she nodded, her speech more heavily accented than Sheik's, "I trust my son has been a good host?"

Link nodded quickly. "He has - thank you," he said with a slightly awkward smile. Really, he never had met the parents very often, and he was finding it difficult to know how to respond.

Much to his immense relief, Sheik seemed to be picking up on it. Again piping up in what Link assumed was the Sheikah language, Miruna nodded, then glanced back at Kalen.

Gaze switching between the three, Link was almost relieved when Miruna switched back to Hylian - "We will see you boys later," she told them, and she and Kalen made their leave.

Sheik sighed a little as the door closed, then moved to flop on one of the beds built in against the wall. "Your clothes should be here soon," he murmured, then pushed himself up again. "Here - I'll show you around."

The impromptu tour wasn't long, given that most everything was in one room. Only once did he remark, when Sheik mentioned the bed he had flopped on was the one he had shared with his brother - "You have a brother?" Link asked in faint astonishment. Somehow, he hadn't expected it, half expecting Sheik to have sprung fully-formed in to the world. Parents - and a brother - seemed bizarre to him.

Sheik gave him an odd look, then nodded. "Mm - Kula. You'll meet him at the feast tonight," he told him, then settled back on the bed, leaning against the wall, gesturing for Link to do the same. "He's at the king's brother's castle, working as a dancer."

A faint smile tugged at the mask. "I created music, he moved to it," he murmured, then abruptly knelt and reached up in to an alcove above the bed.

When he withdrew his hands, an achingly familiar golden lyre was it it.

Link's breath caught. Was that it? The very same one he had played, all those years ago and in the future? "I remember that," he murmured, reaching out to touch it.

The metal was cool, smooth, polished. Almost new - mostly dent-free, every string in place. The one he had seen Sheik play earlier had been old, beginning to tarnish, wrapped in bandages. It was obviously lovingly cared for, but the one he had been playing then was old.

Perhaps, four hundred years old.

Some inevitable proof that the young man sitting next to him was the one who had haunted his dreams for eight years - glancing up from it, he found himself very close indeed to Sheik. Sheik blinked a little, but didn't move away - even if he was close enough that Link's breath sent strands of hair fluttering.

He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped - another knock at the door had interrupted the moment. Sheik frowned, then dropped the lyre back on the bed and moved to answer the door, returning a moment later with his arms full of a bundle of cloth.

"Well, it's nearly time," he murmured, then lifted his head to meet Link's gaze. "Ready?"

Mouth suddenly dry, Link nodded. He was ready for whatever the night would bring.



The Shadow Temple was another surprise.

No graveyard stood before it, no warp platform elevated above the Royal Family's tomb. Instead, a somber stretch of grass rose to a wide entrance, almost blood-red in the setting sun, pillars set at either end, easy and accessible for anyone to visit.

No, Link mentally corrected himself, the warp platform was still there, but integrated in with the stonework leading up to it. He glanced down automatically as they passed it, apprehension written loud and clear over his face. He had not enjoyed this temple - and now he was to go in there willingly?

He was sticking close to Sheik, in that case.

They didn't have far to go. The first chamber, scarce of its usual torches but instead lit with others around the walls, was big enough to fit the village, everyone gathered around a central platform. On it, hundreds of candles burnt, flickering light sending jarring shadows over the gathered crowd. Feeling prickles run down his spine (and not just because of the itchy, heavy cloak he was wearing over the lighter, brighter clothes beneath), Link reached up to scratch the back of his head awkwardly, so close to Sheik that they were practically touching.

Without warning, he found a heavy metal cup being pushed in to his hands. "Take a mouthful, but don't swallow it," Sheik murmured from beside him - Link nodded and did so, then handed the cup to Sheik.

It was just water, wasn't it? Link frowned thoughtfully, not detecting any taste, but shrugging and doing as Sheik told him anyway. Perhaps there was a faint bitterness to it...

There was a long silence. Link was fast becoming restless, getting annoyed at the liquid in his mouth. Hadn't Sheik called it a tea before? It certainly didn't taste like it - the bitterness was more evident now, a chalky undertone to it.

A voice rang out, and Link jumped - standing amongst the candles was a woman in somber robes, chanting in the same Sheikah language he had heard earlier. All eyes seemed to be on her - Sheik, beside him, was certainly paying attention.

Link did so as well, realising that the horrible-tasting tea was becoming stronger and stronger, pangs of nausea hitting him every few seconds. No wonder Sheik had told him not to eat lunch - he would have been ill by now. Beads of sweat were starting to run down his face - he was either about to gag or about to pass out, feeling waves of dizziness moving over him, clutching hard at Sheik's hand to keep him upright.

And suddenly the moment was gone. His mouth was empty, the nausea and dizziness had disappeared, and he glanced over at Sheik in time to see him pull a face beneath the mask.

"It's starting," the Sheikah murmured, his voice sound hollow and very far away.

Link nodded, and the ceremony began in earnest.



Afterwards, Link honestly couldn't have recalled what had happened. He had dim impressions only - chanting, a procession down a spiral-shaped room, dropping a handful of something very much like ashes in a fire that burnt purple. He felt stretched, disconnected with the world, the shadows jumping out of him but everything else fuzzy.

And all through it moved attendants, simple robes of dark grey emblazoned with the Eye, mouths and noses uncovered but a strip of black cloth covering their eyes.

As Link stumbled away from the temple, still feeling rather numb, he turned his head to face Sheik. "The - the ones in the grey robes," he mumbled, tongue not working as well as he would have liked. "They - why did they - have their eyes covered?"

"They don't have eyes," Sheik murmured back, his own voice a little steadier, and Link froze in horror. The moment Sheik realised that the Hylian wasn't following him, he paused, turning back to take his hand again. "It's okay. They're Temple attendants. It has to be like that because of the illusions."

Link nodded fuzzily, the nausea returning, still unwilling to move.

Sighing, Sheik wrapped an arm around his waist. "Gets better," he murmured, and started leading him back to the tent in the front of the village.

The tent was a million miles away from the somber Shadow Temple. Shedding the itchy outer robes as they entered, he found himself in a wide, circular room, little curtained chambers surrounding a wider central one. In the middle, a raised platform was set, covered in brightly coloured rugs, and surrounding it was more empty space.

Rich cushions and pillows and blankets were piled up around the empty space, lanterns dangling from above and sending a cheery red and gold glow over everything. It was to these cushions that Sheik led him, letting Link flop against him gratefully.

Before long, the tent had been filled. Now, another cup was being handed around - delicate and gold, patterns etched in to the side. Sheik drank first, swallowed, and sighed in satisfaction, then handed it to Link with the instruction, "Take just a mouthful and swallow it straight away."

Link did so - this tea could not have been more different, rich and sweet and fragrant. As he let it fill his mouth, he felt the heaviness from earlier lifting; as he swallowed he could feel the world returning to normal, colours richer, Sheik's warmth at his side more evident.

Turning to smile lazily at him, he could feel the tension draining away. Indeed, he found himself almost distracted by Sheik's outfit - the red brought out his eyes, the purples made his hair seem even more golden, the blues matched the colours Link himself wore. Gold jewellery glinted around his arms and wrists, embroidery decorating the scarves wound around his face and around his hips. Almost hesitantly, Link reached out to touch one of the beads hanging from the little braids that framed his face.

But now, something else was beginning.

The assembled Sheikah (and guests) were beginning to stand - Link did too, turning to the middle of the room. Now, the raised platform wasn't empty - a young woman stood there, face uncovered, hair loose around her shoulders, wearing only a simple white sleeveless robe that stretched over her swollen belly. She gazed out at the assembled crowd, and she began to speak.

Link didn't understand the words, but he still found himself swept up in them. From somewhere unseen, he could hear the start of music, a ringing of bells, something percussive, instruments and voice blending together. Exotic instruments and the voice of the young woman blending in to something that Link could not tear himself away from - he had never heard anything like it.

Or perhaps it was his imagination?

And then the instruments stopped, but for a drumbeat that sounded like the beat of his heart. Something was building, a crescendo approaching, something monumental and final.

And then everything started again at once.

A bell rang out, music pouring out from every direction, the girl's voice fading beneath it. Music and movement, some deeper undercurrent compelling him to move - no choreography existed, no plans had been made, it was nothing like the orchestras he had heard in the palace, but Link closed his eyes and lost himself to the music.

And he wasn't the only one. A hand brushed his wrist and his eyes fluttered open, finding Sheik there with wonder and openness in his expression, a hand held out in invitation. They could move together, Link realised with an almost fierce joy, entwined in a dance - the blazing light of the lanterns made Sheik look like a living flame, with golden hair and golden skin, red clothing and red, red eyes that were fixed on his own. Not once did they touch, but the movements of their bodies couldn't be anything but joined.

And then all there was was the drum beat, and Sheik stepped close, dragged his scarf down, and kissed him until he couldn't breathe.

Between the music, the incense hanging in the air, and Sheik's proximity, Link wasn't entirely sure when the two of them stumbled in to one of the little chambers. Like outside, it was practically lined with cushions and blankets on top of what felt suspiciously like a mattress, a wooden table at the back holding a delicately wrought lamp and a small, mysterious box.

Suddenly losing his footing, he hit the cushions with Sheik almost on top of him - their foreheads bumped together, Link paused in surprise, then laughed outright, the strange tension broken. He could feel Sheik laughing as well, reaching up to adjust his scarf again before sitting up.

And suddenly, Link realised what was about to happen.

"I don't want to push you in to anything," Sheik told him hesitantly, but Link immediately shook his head, reaching for his hands.

"I've wanted to for eight years," he croaked, glancing down at their hands then up again. Taking a steadying breath, he gestured to the scarf (now back in place again) and murmured, "May I?"

Sheik took a breath, and nodded, and Link slowly snagged the fabric between his fingers and dragged it down again.

He was beautiful, Link decided fuzzily. He had seen Sheik's face before, little glimpses in the healer's rooms back in the castle, but this - with both of them awake and aware and wanting this - this was something else entirely.

Sheik smiled again, and Link could see now that it was a faintly crooked one, a little lopsided. "Not many people are supposed to see a Sheikah unmasked," he said suddenly, and Link found himself fascinated by the way his lips moved in speech. "It's supposed to be immediate family and the ones you serve, and..."

He ducked his head. "My mother and father have seen my face, and my grandmother, and my other grandparents when they were alive. And my brother has seen it. Eldir and Zelda and their father saw it when I was sworn to the Royal Family." The lopsided smile appeared again, and he continued quietly - "The only other one who is permitted to see it is a Sheikah's lover. And... well... do you want to?"

"Yes," Link said immediately, not even having to think about it, voice cracking and not quite caring. "I've wanted to almost since I first saw you - and I came here and you acted like you hated me and -"

And then Sheik was kissing him again, and that was quite nice too.

Gently, he found himself being nudged back against the cushions, a warm body immediately settling at his side. Sheik's fingers were in his hair, loosening the tie and letting it out of the ponytail - it sprang out, still creased where he tied it back.

"Your hair is longer than I thought," Sheik murmured, then promptly distracted himself with more kisses. Link grinned faintly against his lips and ran a hand through Sheik's hair, too - it was short and untamed, but for his bangs, and Link couldn't keep his fingers away from it.

Through the curtained walls, he could see snatches of movement, hear sounds that made heat pool in his belly. It seemed that these secluded little spots were made for this sort of... activity - Link swallowed hard, then reached up to drag Sheik's scarf away.

But then Sheik paused a little, hands resting on Link's shoulders. Leaning in close, he murmured, "Have you... done this before?"

And wasn't that the million rupee question?

Link ducked his head, still not breaking contact between the two of them. "I'm a fast learner," he said softly, and Sheik sighed, dropping his head to Link's shoulder.

"Link," he murmured, and the Hylian almost started to protest then and there. "Wait, listen to me. The tea is a slight intoxicant, and I don't want us to do this like that -"

"But I want to," Link almost whispered, and Sheik silenced him with a kiss.

"After dinner," he murmured, "Once it's worn off. I promise. We can go back to my old place and..." He ducked his head. "You know. It's just... this should be special for you."

Link hesitated again, then nodded slowly. "Okay," he murmured, and a smile started to spread across his face. "Can we kiss some more, though?"

Sheik laughed faintly, and promptly did just that.



Link was feeling really quite warm.

He and Sheik had emerged from their cocoon a little while earlier once the feast had been announced - the space earlier reserved for dancing was now replaced with low tables and cushions to sit on, sumptuous foods set out for them to dine on.

And he and Sheik weren't the only ones being affectionate - all through the tent, he could see couples of all description - men and women, men with other men, women with other women, Sheikah with Sheikah and Sheikah with Hylian. There was even the odd trio scattered around, too - Link found himself watching in fascination, utterly inexperienced to the diversity and openness he saw now.

He rather liked the chance to be himself. All too frequently, he had heard the nasty remarks about people like him - now, it seemed, the Sheikah didn't care.

He was interrupted from his contemplation, though, when Sheik sat up suddenly. With a wild cry of, "Kula!", he launched himself up and in to the arms of another Sheikah - Link twisted around, curious to meet Sheik's brother, then abruptly stared in fascination.

His hair was different (longer and smoother, more braids, more beads, loops and decorations filling it), his clothes were somehow even more colourful, but the two were identical down to the last facial feature. (Or, at least, the still visible ones - without the privacy of the chamber, both were still masked.) Getting to his feet as well, Link wandered over to where the two Sheikah were chattering away happily in the Sheikah language, Sheik breaking away when he saw him approach.

"Link, this is my brother Kula," he introduced, wrapping an arm around Link's waist. "And Kula, this is Link."

Link smiled a little, holding a hand out to shake Kula's. "Sheik didn't tell me you were twins," he remarked, "It's nice to meet you."

Kula shook it readily enough, giving it an extra squeeze as he withdrew. "'Sheik'? You haven't even told him your name, Alifha?" he teased, raising an eyebrow in his twin's direction.

"It means 'brother', and I'll tell you later," Sheik murmured hastily to Link, who hadn't even realised that he had had a name other than 'Sheik', then turned back to Kula, a teasing smile on his face. "You can hardly talk, Alifha, sometimes you don't even say hello before you've charmed them out of their pants."

From the grin on Kula's face, the corners of his heavily-lined eyes crinkling, he wasn't exactly seeing it as an insult.

They returned to the table, Kula and the pretty Sheikah girl with him in tow. If Link was perfectly honest, he was feeling a little restless, now - most of the conversation around him was in Sheikah, Sheik was distracted by his brother, and he had long since passed the point of being full. And with Sheik's after-dinner promise still in mind... well, no one could really blame him for wanting to leave, could they?

Thankfully, finally, Sheik said his goodbyes and nudged Link to his feet. Link followed him out with indecent haste, dragging Sheik close for a kiss that sent them both reeling as soon as they were out of the tent.

"Eager, are you?" Sheik asked breathlessly, a grin crossing his face. "Well, I suppose you should have your reward."

Link could have kissed him. So he did.

It wasn't a long walk back to Sheik's house, but it seemed like an eternity to Link. No sooner than Sheik had closed the door behind him and joined him on the bed had he pulled the Sheikah on to his lap, hands slipping up the back of his shirt to stroke the warm skin there. "Hmm," Sheik remarked thoughtfully, "Rather eager."

"You made me wait all night," Link almost pouted, then brushed another soft kiss across his lips. "And I'm definitely not intoxicated now."

"No, you're not," Sheik remarked, then sat back, looking serious. "Kula is right - I should have told you my true name. Sheikah in my position all use the same name, but..."

Link nodded slowly. "We can start over," he said with a faint smile, then held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Link."

Sheik took his hand, but didn't shake it, instead wrapping both of his around it. "Good to meet you, Link. I'm Sahil."

Sahil? Link turned it over in his mind, then nodded. "That's a nice name. Do you want me to use that from now on?"

"Just when we're alone," Sheik confirmed, and Link nodded. "In front of any others, I am Sheik only."

"Okay, Sahil," Link murmured - then shift him off his lap and tugged him down against the blankets. "And... thanks."

This time, when he kissed him, there was nowhere else to go but onwards.



Dressed in only a sheet and with a warm, sleepy body curled at his side, Link sat on the front steps outside Sheik's house and watched the sun rise.

Sheik was half-asleep beside him, warm and pliant, head on his shoulder. And Link was almost there, himself - indeed, he would probably be there if he hadn't been woken by Sheik moving around to go and watch the sunrise himself.

Turning to him, he brushed a strand of golden hair away and dropped a kiss on Sheik's temple - the Sheikah stirred, then tilted his head up for a proper one. "Let's go back to bed," he murmured, then abruptly lifted his head - approaching the little house was Kula. "Morning."

Kula glanced between the two, then gave them a tired smile. "I came to say goodbye," he said neutrally, "We've got an early start."

Sheik nodded, beckoning him over (given that he and Link were wrapped in the same sheet, he could hardly get up) and pulling him down for a hug. "Safe travels," he murmured, then added something in Sheikah that made Kula laugh and clip him over the head.

"Brat," he said fondly, then glanced at Link. "May I have a word?"

Link nodded, and Sheik glanced up at the open door then around at their surroundings. "See you inside," he murmured, then slipped away from the protection of the sheet and back indoors.

And suddenly, Kula didn't look quite so friendly any more.

Stepping close, Link caught a whiff of strong alcohol on his breath and reeled back a little, even as Kula pressed both hands against the wall around Link's head to stop him from moving. "You fucked my brother, didn't you?" he asked shakily - Link frowned, then nodded almost tentatively.

"Y-yeah, but he started it, and -"

"Shut up," Kula told him, voice brittle, laughing shakily, then leaned in close. "Listen to me. His body might be yours, he might have given you his heart, but in his blood and in his soul - he's my brother and he's still mine. Got it?"

And he spun around and stormed away.

Staring at Kula's retreating back, Link wasn't sure he got it at all.


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