Oh, below Death Mountain...

As if in a visible manifestation of his mental processes, Arco's body sags a little as his head sinks, his eyes positioning themselves on some uninteresting tuft of grass somewhere. Time passes, he blinks, his eyes fix on something else--that tree over there, the clearing up there, Grenada's feet.

Eventually he drags his gaze up to Grenada with a look of sympathy that says, "Even though you may always be an exile, you don't forever have to be... whatever made you an exile." More obviously, it advises, "Pay them a visit sometime."

The Sheikah does provide some audible conversation, though.

"Me?" he says. "My home... well, I grew up and spent most of my life in Death Mountain. Mining and things. Talking to Gorons. Making items."

If there was something for him to wait for, one might describe the following pause as, "He waited."

"But my parents have always been big people in Blind's Gang. So I suppose I'll be spending more time in the Ruto Mountains once I've finally enlisted."

He looks thoughtful. "I suppose that I could do that anytime now. It's just... just been such a long time already..."

He was scared, Arco had just told him to forget what made him an exile. That was dangerous, he obviously doesn't know. He sighs, loud, and shakes his head, "I can't, I might..." an awkward pause follows. "I'm different, stronger, yet... scared. What happens if I don't stop, I have to keep that in mind at all times, play it. Otherwise, I might lose myself, the real me, to the part that I must deny power." He drops to his knee, and closes his eyes. Taking some breaths, "I am not what made me an exile, but the mayor doesn't understand that. If my presence becomes known, I shall be left in the dungeons as pigeon food. His son..." He stops, deciding he has gone far enough into his own problems for comfort, turns his attention to Arco's response.

'In Death Mountain with Gorons,' Grenada had only a faint idea as to who or what Gorons was. He gives of a half-puzzled look, trying to look knowledgeable. His voice though, however hard he tries comes off slow and unsure "Ah, yes... Gorons..." 'Mining, of course, that's why he was so comfortable in that cave. He grew up doing it... that must mean Gorons was a friend, what a funny name... Gorons.' He lets out a slight chuckle, though soon it is suppressed. As he heard Blind's gang, he grew a little more confident, "I'm in Blind's Gang, and I saw you in there before... It'll be good knowing two Gangers. Beware though, Dran is quite hard of hearing."

Grateful for something to break him out of a thought cycle that could eventually prove to never end, Arco refocuses his attention on the Gang member. Watching and listening, he tries to see the picture that Grenada seems to be drawing only vague outlines of.

Inwardly, the Sheikah shakes his head, this time unsuccessful at the discerning game.

I don't know if I understand, this time... The "real me"?

Arco starts to squat down and feels beneath his backside for a clean or foundation-like spot to sit on. Feeling more comfortable at eye level, he continues throwing quiet arcs of wonderment around his mind.

This village, with a mayor and this son...

"Your village... what sort of people live there?" asks Arco, his hands finally finding a relatively dry bit of moss. He smoothes out his pants and sits down with a slight bit of sigh.

As he settles, he manages to catch the uncertainty in the Deku Scrub's eyes--that is, as the other repeats the word, "Gorons."

"Gorons," explains Arco, but not doing a particularly good job of it. "You know... Gorons. Like, like m--" the Bard stopps with a bit of a heh, er, eheh. He laughs nervously and tries to start again. "I..."

"I think Blind allows Gorons." Somehow that statement didn't seem right, but Arco continues on, albeit in unsure waters. Though just about all vocal speaking would be unsure waters for him.

"Oh, Dran. Yes... he is getting to his time of age, I suppose. It stands to reason. But he is wiser than most--he makes sure that only truly qualified individuals are known as part of Blind's Gang. And something like that."

Grenada seems slightly excited that he gets to discuss his village, as he starts quickly reciting facts.

"There aren't many people, between twenty and thirty last time I was there. There's the mayor, and below him are his chaplain's who have power in both the government and the military. The names though, escape me, but there are three of them. My friend Deke, short for Decarious, he works manual labor, and he acts real tough all the time. He's the biggest Deku there, 4' 2", 115."

He pauses.

"Almost everyone's part-time military, everyone except the important people."

The last part of the line comes off cold, unremorseful, angry. He spits on the ground, as if there were a reaon.

"There's a lot of lazy older people, because we don't have the most enticing village in the area. But there's many nice shopkeepers and helpful people."

Grenada realizes that Arco isn't the greatest wordsmith, as he's having trouble explaining his friend Gorons. I think Blind allows Gorons, doesn't make much sense.

"Do you mean you think Blind would allow Gorons?"

Hearing Arco speak of Dran, he nods. What would happen if Dran were to die? He shuns the thought though, convincing himself that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

If you could see into the fifth and six dimensions, you'd see Arco and his mind darkening and swelling, so much like a sponge greedily soaking up information.

But with our three or four dimensions, you might see it in his eyes. A swelling, or an oscillation, in the gray flatness hints to the eagerness of a child with a butterfly net, hastily--almost manaically--swinging it above his head, catching every word and nuance that Grenada released into the air, and tucking them into the screw-top jars of the mind. And every jar chaperoned by one or more thoughts...


The names, forgotten? This must have been a long time ago, then...
Biggest Deku there? Then they are all Deku Scrubs in his village...?
A mayor, and military, and odd governing system...

Arco seems to stop and look up from the madcap file and thought sorting when Grenada spews.

"Important" people. Arco folds this phrase away for future examination. And as the river of ideas and trains of thought begins to slow, Arco hooks his mind's butterfly net back on the rack and re-readies his mind and, with some difficulty, his mouth. The Sheikah opens his mouth as his eyes absorb some of the dawn's first light.

"I think... if you ever go back, I should like to go with you. At least..." Arco pauses. "They are all Deku Scrubs there?"

He drifts back into thought-chewing, and mentally changes the subject. After surmounting some of the more troubling questions and answers, he speaks again.

"Well, I do think Blind allows Gorons. I think he used to, at least." A period of waiting. "I like being around Gorons," chimed the flat voice. "Good people," he adds hopefully.

Grenada can't help but watch as Arco's eyes fly wildly, as if chasing down the words he was saying, drawing them into his brain for analysis. Stored to be used later, kept organized for quick reference. He couldn't help but wonder what Arco was thinking about his village, though since he seemed interested, it couldn't be too bad.

"Yeah sure, though you might be a little harder to sneak in. I'll find a way... Oh, and yeah, pretty much all Deku. On the outskirts were a few others. I think there were some Hylians, and other various humanoid races."

He stops, trying to think of a way to make that more clear, but he comes up with nothing. Turning to the Shiekah's last request, he is confused. Gorons -- good people?

"But... I thought, Gorons was a friend of yours. But then you said good people, and now I'm completely confused. Is that another name for the Sheikah?"

Grenada smiles, hoping he didn't offend Arco. But then the smiles fades, as he realizes that maybe that wasn't the brightest question to ask. Duh, his parents are in Blind's Gang, and they're Sheikah...

"Sneak in?" says Arco. He bows his head slightly as he considers this. An all-Deku village was also a surprise to him.

I guess Iwould have to sneak in, as well. But where would we sneak to?

While clear enough that his mind his churning, all the Sheikah says is, "Oh." A bit of an awkward silence ensues. He listens and tries to read the mercenary's face for the last inquiries, to little avail (Deku faces are tough that way, one would imagine). He takes a good deal longer than you'd think necessary to conjure an answer.

"This one," starts Arco, motioning subtly to himself, "Does have some friends that are Gorons. Gorons are... no, not Sheikah. Gorons are like, Gorons are like..."

He twiddles his hands in the air, again looking as if he is trying to shape the dough of his thoughts. Finally, revelation.

"The Foreman, in the North Forest Mines. You were there, I think. He, and the other miners, are Gorons. Gorons are... people. Like Deku Scrubs are people." A deep breath. "In fact," adds Arco slowly, "This one is also..."

Hesitation, and then a weak frown (think of someone smiling weakly, but then think of how Arco would do it). "I am a Goron in a sense, having been raised up with them. I too have roots in, eheh, the roots of Death Mountain, mining and smithing."

Another pause, then a slight contortion in the Bard's face. "Er, er, but, but, I am also a Sheikah. But Gorons are not usually Sheikah, and... erg..." Arco rubs his forehead with two fingers, groaning at his poor explanation.

Blah... but I think Grenada understands now.

"Yeah, unless you want us both to be jailed."

He wonders what exactly was confusing Arco about this.

"But I don't think you understand what happened. If you have any questions, I'll answer them now."

He pauses, letting Arco have his chance to ask away, and he sighs. 'Hopefully I can explain this good.'

Turning his attention to Arco again he hears 'This one,' with a motion at himself. Third person talking, so confusing, he doesn't think people should do that, but he decides that's for Arco to choose.

"The foreman? Yes, I was there. He was a gorons. Now I understand."

He remembers the large brown body, the huge muscular frame. The extra r's in every word. That's what gorons are. People. He thought himself ignorant, and decided it best if he brushed up on his knowledge some.

Oh, so he's like a goron, but not. Like a mixture of the two. He thought that was interesting. He gives off a big smile followed by a chuckle.

"I get it now, you're like half of each. That's cool."

"I see."

Arco waits--as usual, for himself. When his mind manages to catch up with everything, he replies, "I don't think I have any other questions... it will be clear soon enough. Maybe when we reach your village?"

Unless, add the eyes, you would like to speak more about your past and your people.

The pause stretches, as Arco nods encouragingly, wordlessly helping Grenada long through the chain-reaction of revelations.

"Yes," he exclaims finally. "This one is... both." The Sheikah allows a smile to break through the still eyes. "Sheikah by blood and heritage, Goron by life and culture. Or something." His hands, moving again, show that he wishes to expand, but his further speaking is in his mind only.

You've got it now... like Goron plus Sheikah divided by two, equals... one. Sheikah yes, but Goron, too, not just half of one and half of the other, but one of one and one of the other, yet still just one, and, and... yea.

"Yes."

"OK, fine by me."

Arco always seemed to have so much going through his mind, Grenada was surprised that he didn't have any questions. But that was unimportant, he thought, to draw his attention back to the conversation.

He nods, accepting that Arco is both. He wonders what exactly this would be like, but he doesn't know any Deku that are also something else... except the Deku Tree. He would have to remember to ask the tree what it's like if he ever got the chance.

"Arco, what is it like being a Sheikah?"

"Being a Sheikah?" Arco tilts his head to the side, a completely passive expression frozen on his face. After a minute of silence, a single syllable manages to creep out of his mouth:

"Er..."

The Bard blinks twice before lifting a hand and conducting some vague melody in the air, buying much-needed time.

"It is like... like being a Goron, I suppose," he says finally. "Like being anything, only most Sheikah are quicker people than are Gorons. Maybe like being a Deku Scrub, only taller and with..."

His left bottom eyelid twitches.

"With hair." A pause. "Good people," he parrots from before.

Most people are good people...