Impa and Sakaratte sat watching Aikoka taking his bi-daily lesson from the director of stealth operations for Hyrule: one of the last remaining Sheikahs, Sheik. This mysterious man could walk on a gravel pathway in the sunlight wearing a cucco costume and you still wouldn't notice him. Sheik had a history with the Royal Family as well- he had taught Link many things during his quest for the Sages to lock the infamous Ganon in the Temple of Time.

                Since the attack, Aikoka had shown a strange interest in stealth attacks. He had brought up the issue with Impa, who had taken time to watch the two, and arrange the lessons for him. Sakaratte would cringe as Sheik demonstrated the technique on her Aikoka. Impa watched, looking emotionless, but impressed on how quickly he was learning.  Impa was glad Link didn't come to watch these lessons, for some of the techniques required Aikoka to put his hands in places that Link would rather not see him putting his hands on, despite the fact that Aikoka and Sakaratte remained clueless of the queens alternate personalities.

                The lesson finished with Aikoka successfully flipping Sheik over his shoulder and slamming a knee onto the Sheikahs chest, Aikoka pinned his trainer’s arms to his side.

                “Ah," Sheik wheezed, "I see you've made some progress. But not enough. I'm afraid you have a way to go."

                Aikoka looked at the trainer somewhat annoyed. He had, afterall, been trained in this as a boy, but those memories had long been blocked out. He remembered the basic stances and things like the “abandonment of weapons” tricks that his former caretaker had used.

                Sheik quickly reversed the move on the boy as he was thinking. He lay on the ground, staring up at his trainer. "What the hell was that for?" he asked.

                "I was just demonstrating how these moves can be easily reversed . . . especially when someone isn't paying attention to what they’re doing."

                "I see. . . well . . . umm . . . I was thinking . . . about . . . stuff!"

                "Stuff, hmm, this stuff would be what," Sheik inquired.

                "Well . . . I . . . uh . . . nothing important."

                "Exactly," Sheik retorted sharply. "Nothing is important enough to draw your attention away from your training. You need to concentrate."

                "Fine," Aikoka replied. "I'll practice the whole concentrating thing when I get home."

                "Fine with me, as long as you're not 'concentrating' on Sakaratte, I doubt that the Queen would appreciate it."

                "I'm not concerned with the queen. It's her faithful servant, Queen of the Damned over there that I'm afraid of-"

                "I heard that!" Impa screemed, forming a fireball in her right hand.

                "See what I mean!? What kind of person makes fireballs, she's the devils wife . . . or

daughter . . . or somethin- EEEEK!!!!" Fire whizzed over his head as Aikoka hid behind Sheik.

                "What are you doing hiding behind me? She'll think I'm protecting you or something. Then I’ll be the one with the fireballs aimed at my head," Sheik ran, just flat started running. Aikoka watched his slim body dissapear over the horizon. Aikoka’s staring was suddenly interrupted by a sharp, burning pain on the back of his head. He smelt burning hair and flesh.

Shit, now my head’s on fire, he thought, as he ran toward the river that ran through the Hyrulian country side. His head sizzled as the flames were extinguished by the cool rush of running water. He felt hands on his back, they pushed, and he fell straight into the river. Good thing this isn't very fast, he thought as he slowly drifted downstream toward the castle. He hopped out at the nearest bank and tried to dry off. It was no use, he was drenched, his shirt and pants sticking to his wet skin as he walked toward teh stable to recover his horse, who would not be happy either.

                Sakaratte wiped him dry with the towel she had retrieved from a drawer. His shirt had long since been disposed of and was currently hanging on the banister of the balcony, his pants hanged. She had stood on the balcony as he stood off to the side of the door drying off his lower body and slipping into a new pair of pants. Impa had chased him down to the river and enjoyed pushing him as a final attack.

                "Well, now we know why we don't talk about Impa so carelessly," Sakaratte said playfully. "You can only talk about her like that when she is, at least, out of hearing, sight, and smelling range. That woman could tell if you were talking about her by smell somehow. Trust me, she did it once to me. It was quite odd, actually."

                "I'm sure, can I please put the shirt on now?" he asked. She had been drying him off for the last five minutes. "I think I'm dry."

                "Oh . . . sorry, I . . . umm . . ."

                "Don't worry, I was just a little cold."

                "Ah, I just like the feel of your skin," she told him.

                "And I, yours," he replied, stroking her cheek and leaning closer to whisper an I love you in her ear.

                Sakaratte looked at him with awe, more than shock, filled her. She had felt those very words for a very long time, and now that they were said, by him, and not by her, she was overwhelme. She mouthed the words, she couldn't get herself to breathe, let alone talk. She drew him in to a long, passionate kiss, then moved her kisses to his neck. He moaned and pushed her head away from his neck.

                "What is it?" she asked.

                "I don't know if I like where this is going right now. I just think . . . I don't know . . . that I- that we . . . shouldn't be moving this far. At least, not as far as I think we would've gone if I wouldn't have stopped us."

                "Well . . . I suppose you’reright. This time. Can I stay here tonight again? I really enjoyed it the last time."

                "Of course," he answered. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

                Sakaratte smiled, and kissed him one more time. She released and ran through the door to tell Saria.

"Our operative  failed miserably," the man said, staring out of the window. "The boy killed him. I knew we should've killed the boy when we had the chance, but now we need him, damn Inspired."

                "Yes, you should've, but that mistake can not be corrected," the other responded. "Consequences come as they may, but I am not the one to act them out. I was just the one they sent to finish the job, well, as I can now see, two jobs. They seem to be together constantly so killing them both shouldn't be to difficult. My observations have been brief, but the boy seem awefully clumsy sometimes. He managed to let the old woman push him into the river after he had managed to put out the fire on his head that she had started with a very impressive fireball."

                "Will she be an obstacle?" the the other asked.

                "No, I should be able to handle her if the need arises. The trick seems to be a mere concentration of energy. Not unlike many of our techniques. The womanl seems to be of an unknown race, she looks like a Hylian, but upon closer inspection I found that to be quite wrong. I think she might be of the ancient Sheikahs. It would explain the fireballs."

                "Yes, I suppose it would," the other commented. "The founders of our little group here were Sheikahs, and they incorporated many of their techniques into our style. Many of us are descendants of the Sheikah race as well- most of the leaders are pureblood Sheikahs, and the Inspired are descendants of the founders. That's why we want Aikoka. He is a full-blood Sheikah, and a future Inspired.A descendant of one of our ancient founders.  We need his power. The girl can be killed, but we need him."

                His voice had risen in pride and confidence throughout this speech.

                "Very well, the girl will be disposed of. But I have to give my opinion, even though I'm not the one making the decision. Will he really trust you enough to lend you his power? Especially if you kill his lover?"