Living With Myself

Chapter 23

Epona still came when Link called her, and it seemed like such a strange thing to Sheik. He wasn't a part of this world, but this horse had still managed to get to know Link again. He pulled his mask tighter around his face to distract himself from the fact that he was starting to be jealous of a horse.

"Dumb horse making me stay home," muttered Dark next to him, glaring at Epona.

"She would treat you better if you hadn't been so mean to her," said Link, petting Epona. "And I would make you stay here anyway. There are too many people who know me in Kakariko."

"I could wear the cloak!" cried Dark.

"No. Sorry Dark, but we can't risk it. I'll bring you something from the town."

"I hate you." whined Dark, falling back into a pool of shadows and slipping back into the house.

"It is so strange to see him walk around, acting like a childish, evil version of yourself," mused Sheik. "I'm surprised at the familiarity between you."

"A childish, evil version of me?" said Link, with a smile on his lips as he saddled Epona. "I guess you're right. But I've had stranger things happen to me. I met Oni on the moon. I should tell you all about that later. Now, we should focus on dealing with this. We've wasted enough time as it is."

Sheik noticed how Link's voice turned deeper, more serious than when he had spoken to his shadow. He started to sound like he did during the few times they had spoken back in the war. Even his back seemed straighter, his shoulders firmer.

"I should have thought of it," said Link, climbing on Epona. He held out a hand to Sheik so he would climb on her too, and Sheik took it. "You must have family that should have missed you. You couldn't simply be erased from this timeline without anyone noticing."

"Impa and I...we kept our relationship very private. Most people didn't even know she had a son while she was working at the castle," said Sheik, settling himself behind Link.

"Still...," said Link, but then said no more, and slipped back into his usual silence, the same way that Dark slipped into the shadows, as if merging into his element.

Sheik held on to him harder as Epona picked up speed. He found that Link had taken to wearing chainmail under his tunic, which Sheik wished he had been able to provide during the war.

Link's words came back to Sheik. "What did you think I was doing there? I was getting stabbed." He could almost hear the amused tone, as if Sheik was being silly for forgetting that he had been sending Link out to battle.

Link slowed down as they emerged from the woods and took the main road. Sheik noticed why a few minutes later, when they were stopped by a patrol unit. Four guards on horseback surrounded them, and Sheik found his heart racing. Everything was back to normal and this was peacetime, but the guards were bound to ask why a Hylian and a Sheikah were travelling together. And if they asked him to remove his mask, they would have many more questions to ask.

"Don't say anything, I'll deal with them," said Link, looking around his clothes for something.

"What do we have here? Why are you two together? I've never heard of Sheikahs hitching rides," said one of them as the one who looked like their commander approached them.

Link lifted his hands. "I have a royal pass," he said, and pulled out a piece of parchment.

The commander read it. Sheik sneaked a glance at it but couldn't read anything beyond princess Zelda's royal signature and seal.

"A messenger of the royal family? Why aren't you in uniform?" asked the commander, looking pointedly at Sheik, who wished he had tucked all his hair under his mask. He felt stupid for not getting it cut at Link's house back when he had the chance.