Scars of a Caged Bird | Zelink Medieval

Chapter XI

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     Watching the sunset at Death Mountain on the Death Mountain Trail was an amazing experience. My only wish was that Zelda was there with me by my side. The sky was painted with colors of brilliant hues – a soft, delicate pink, a fading light blue, a darker cerulean blue, morphing into a deep purple. It was beautiful. "Link," I heard Sheik call.

I turned to face Sheik. "Yeah?"

"Are you ready for your next lesson?" he questioned, motioning to the Ocarina I was fiddling with in my hands idly. He held his lyre as though he was cradling a baby; I had learned from my time spent with Sheik that his lyre was one of his most prized possessions, after Zelda. It had been gifted to him by his mother before she passed away, and a harp had been left in the possession of Kirstin and Reneer Adema for the baby girl the queen was expecting. Sheik said that it was as though the queen knew she was going to die. Whenever Sheik spoke about his parents, which wasn't often, I would wonder about my own parents.

I was sure that they were more caring and understanding than Ganondorf. They couldn't be worse than Ganondorf, right? I held my Ocarina in one hand and ran the other through my unruly blonde hair. "Sure," I nodded, preparing to learn another song. Most of these were songs that the Hero of Time himself learned on his own journey. Now it was my turn.

Puffs of smoke poured itself out of Death Mountain Crater, the center of Death Mountain. It billowed to the lit sky in a ring formation, and I watched in awe.

Sheik began playing a melodic tune on his lyre.

I copied it on my Ocarina, playing the interesting song. Sheik harmonized on his lyre, and we played the song as the sun went down. I wasn't sure what this song would be used for. Zelda's Lullaby could be played to any race of Hyrule, and they would respond kindly. The Song of Healing could be played, and those around me would be healed of bad memories or injuries. Sheik's Song had the ability to either summon Sheik or allow me to communicate with him telepathically.

Sheik watched me carefully, a grin spreading across his face. "You remind me of your dad," he stated a bit gruffly.

"Really?" I questioned; the Ocarina dropped to my side, and I turned to Sheik, interested.

He nodded, gazing out at the now dark sky. It was now twilight, and I suddenly felt mournful and sorrowful. "You feel it too, don't you?" he questioned. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "The twilight is a lovely time, and it brings both sorrow and joy – memories – good ones of good times and hard ones from hard times. But, shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. That's what I've learned, being an honorary Sheikah." He turned away from me. "This world is a hard one – and a cruel one. My mother was taken away from me and Zelda at very early ages, and my father, grief-stricken, turned to wine and alcohol in large dosage. My older brother turned to a life of isolation and separation, shunning me and Zelda because we both reminded him of our deceased mother. Zelda had to deal with the otherwise pent-up contempt, anger, and bitterness of our father and brother.

"Both hurting terribly, they would lash out at her often for no reason at all. Zelda would receive their blows with dignity, always acting like the Princess she was from a very young age. Always living in fear of our abusive father and brother, she never got a childhood. We both had to 'grow up,' in a sense, trying to bear the burdens our father and brother placed upon us. I was basically Arvid's 'understudy,' learning everything I could about how to rule a kingdom. Secretly amidst the pain and hurt I had been dealing with and without the knowledge of my father, I learned the ways of a Sheikah, becoming an honorary Sheikah warrior.