Summary: The pieces of the puzzle start falling into place as the sequence of events from tomb discovery to ferry accident are connected. But fortune seems to favor their adversary as she continues to stay one step ahead and draws closer to her goal.

Next morning Mipha had her usual breakfast family meeting but it was much quieter than usual. Sidon tried to lighten the mood with a couple of stories but ended up being unsuccessful. Link's mind was on the accident report he was anxious to get started reading, and both Mila and Midon were not in a cordial mood from the lack of freedom and limited visits with friends. Only Lapha and Linky seemed in good spirits, planning what they would do after school. As soon as the meal was over Mila left and took out her Tab. She had heard a message come in but her parents were firm about not using Tabs during meals together unless there was some true emergency.

Tila: Mila, looks like we can't visit each other for now. You ok?

Mila: Yeah, but my friends and I miss you. Mido is pretty bored too. You?

Tila: Same here. I'm in lots of meetings with my sister. How is Linky doing?

Mila: Fine. Spends all his time with Laff these days. Still interested ?

Tila: Still only thinking far ahead. Got to go now. Duty calls-another meeting with my sister.

After breakfast Mipha wasted no time in contacting Queen Faray to ask her about the Sheikah woman that Laray's sister found, explaining they suspected Tiray's and the Sheikah woman's death were related. Faray responded that she only knew the woman was an archeologist but would find out more and let Mipha know whom to contact.

Meanwhile, Link went off to read the board of inquiry report on the accident in which Princess Tiray, sister to Ambassador Laray, was killed. It was a very formal document and pretty dry reading, concentrating as it did on the facts of the case. Besides describing the accident, it listed the names of the crew and passengers on the voyage, the position of the ship when the accident occurred, its speed, the visibility and weather, any statements collected from passengers, as well as a transcript of the board of inquiry's meeting and its findings. The transcript included statements from the two officers as well as the question and answer portion of the meeting. The summary of findings at the front of the report concluded the event was an accident caused by a passenger falling in her sleep into the ship's propulsion unit. The board's recommendation was that the area of the ship from which the passenger fell be better secured to prevent any such future occurrence.

As far as the passengers were concerned, there were eight in total and all but three were Zoras. The four Zoras besides Tiray were couples who lived here in the Domain and were returning from a day trip to North Hyrule. There was a Gerudo passenger named Darnia and a Hylian couple named Rayna and Mendon who lived in Mabe Village. It was when he got to the question and answer section of the report that the statement of the First Officer jumped out at him. The officer had seen a shadow move and it struck the officer as odd enough to risk ridicule and mention it at the hearing. Link thought it would be worthwhile to interview the First Officer named Hildon to see if he could remember anything else. The Captain apparently didn't see anything relevant to Link's interest, so there was probably no point interviewing her. After some back and forth messages with the person in charge of the Lanayru Bay dock, an interview with Hildon was scheduled for later that afternoon when he would be back on duty. Normally these kinds of inquiries could be handled by one of the guards, but given the secrecy of the matter, Link needed to do this himself. After finishing the report Link was frankly quite worried and needed to discuss things with Mipha.

While Link was off reading the report, Mipha had not been idle either. Queen Faray had learned the Sheikah woman was named Fandra and had been investigating artifacts uncovered during the digging of the channel to the Akkala Sea. The person in charge of the digging operation was named Lanyon, and he could be found at the current point of excavation. Faray offered to provide further assistance but Mipha thanked her and told her she preferred to handle this herself if alright with Faray. She summoned Sidon and the Captain of the Royal Guards, Larah.

"Larah, I need you to take two officers and interview a Sheikah in North Hyrule," said Mipha. "I know this is very unusual so let me explain. We suspect that the deaths of Ambassador Laray's sister and the death of a Sheikah archeologist named Fandra are related. Fandra was examining artifacts uncovered as part of the dredging operation on the channel to the Akkala Sea. That work is under the supervision of a Sheikah named Lanyon. I need you to interview Lanyon and see if he can tell us about what Fandra was doing and what occurred while she was there. If he asks why we are investigating, just tell him we think her death may not have been an accident and it may have implications for our Domain but we cannot say more at the moment. Do you have any questions, Larah?"

"No, Your Majesty," said Larah. "I understand completely and will proceed at once." Larah bowed and left.

"So, Sidon, I think you know everything I do now," said Mipha. Just then Link arrived.

"I hope I'm not interrupting but there is something both of you should know," said Link. "The First Officer on the ship saw an unusual shadow move across the ship just after the ship hit Princess Tiray. I think that may be the being we are looking for moving from one host to another. I'm going to interview the First Officer this afternoon, but in the meantime, we have a difficult situation. This creature must have been inside Princess Tiray and then moved to one of the seven passengers or two crew members. At least that was my first reaction. But then I realized we can probably eliminate the First Officer since if he had been the one taken over he would never have brought up the shadow incident. The First Officer was standing by the Captain when the event occurred, so I think he would have noticed the shadow infecting the Captain. So, I think she is in the clear too. That leaves the seven passengers who were sleeping. Four of them live here in our Domain, two couples taking a trip together. The two Hylians live in Mabe Village and they are also a couple. The Gerudo passenger was by herself."

"That is worrisome," said Sidon. "So, the scenario you are painting is that this Sheikah woman was host to this being, who then infected Princess Tiray having killed the Sheikah. And now she has moved to a new host having killed Princess Tiray. Is there a way to narrow down the likelihood of each person being taken over? To my way of thinking I would lean toward the Gerudo. If this being wants to remain undetected then I think it is safer to infect a single person than one of a couple. The other member of the couple would be more likely to notice something unusual which would bring more attention."

"I think that is sound reasoning, Sidon," said Mipha. "I tend to agree with you."

"I do, too," said Link. "But until I have a chance to speak with the First Officer it might be prudent to have a couple of guards keep an eye on the four people here to make sure none of them does anything unusual. Do you agree, Mipha?"

Mipha thought for a moment.

"No, I don't agree. I don't like my guards spying on our own citizens," said Mipha. "I prefer to rely on the guards we have already assigned to protect people. Link, why don't you have your interview with the First Officer and if that interview leads us to suspect one of our people is infected with this creature then I will consider taking further action. Is there anything else?"

There wasn't, so Link and Sidon left. After lunch Link would leave for Lanayru Bay.

Meanwhile, in the part of Hyrule near Lanayru Bay, Darnia had begun walking toward Kakariko Village. The route would take her across some lush grasslands starting at the Samasa Plain and then across the Rabia Plain to the Lanayru Road West Gate. Then she would travel past one of those pesky Great Fairies and on into Kakariko Village. Apparently Gerudo people liked walking and she didn't mind seeing some of the countryside. It had taken weeks but she was finally gone for good from North Hyrule and free to wander across this land. She had walked for about an hour when she heard the sound of hoof beats behind her and soon a Hylian man on a horse pulled up next to her. He looked fairly young, perhaps in his late teens or early twenties.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," she answered.

"You're traveling alone?" he said.

This person was either not too bright or somewhat nervous.

"No, there's actually two of us here, you just can't see one of us," said Darnia.

She loved it when she told the truth and no one believed her!

"Hah, hah, very funny. You have a nice sense of humor, but I guess that was a pretty dumb question, wasn't it? Would you like some company?" he said.

She might like the horse and a change of host. Let's see.

"Not as dumb a question as you think. But yes, company would be nice," said Darnia.

He got off his horse and began walking next to her holding his horse by the reins.

"My name is Lanon by the way," he said.

"Darnia," said Darnia. "What do you do for a living, Lanon?"

"Oh, I'm a knight in the service of Her Majesty the Queen," said Lanon. "I'm out of uniform right now because I had some time off. I return to guard duty the day after tomorrow."

"A knight! That's very impressive," said Darnia. "And where are you stationed?"

"Hyrule Castle, which is where I'm eventually headed," said Lanon. "I'm planning to stop at Kakariko Village on the way. I'm usually assigned to outside guard duty near Castle Town, but I'm hoping to move up in rank. I would really love a shot at the Royal Guard, but they're very tough to get into. They protect the Royal Family and they only take the best. But I keep working to improve my skills. Where are you headed?"

"Kakariko Village for now," said Darnia. "I was thinking of touring Hyrule Castle next. But I wish you good luck in your efforts. Do you know any members of the Royal Guard?"

"I do, some are friends of mine," said Lanon. He paused for a moment. "Does that mean you want to meet them? I guess it makes sense someone as attractive as you wouldn't be interested in a regular knight like me."

"No, no, that's not it at all," laughed Darnia. "I am interested in learning more about you. And I could see us getting closer perhaps. Are you very skilled with that sword you carry?"

"I'm pretty good, but working to get better," said Lanon. "I finished twelfth in the sword competition last year but I'm hoping to move up this year."

"That's still very impressive!" said Darnia. "Perhaps when we stop for a rest we can have a practice fight. I am pretty skilled with a spear, but perhaps I could learn some techniques from you."

"Alright," said Lanon. "I've never fought a Gerudo before. Let's do it!"

After walking further, they finally needed to let the horse graze for a bit and they stopped at a grassy area toward the western end of Rabia Plain.

"Are you ready for our training exercise?" said Darnia as she raised her spear.

"Ready if you are," said Lanon drawing his sword.

They squared off and began the practice battle. Lanon was quite good. In fact, she was counting on that. Darnia was good as well. They parried back and forth for a while. Then she waited until she could see Lanon was about to strike a blow higher up near her head, and she deliberately missed blocking it. His blade cut into Darnia's throat, a fatal wound. She quickly abandoned Darnia's body and her shadow form entered Lanon.

When the blow landed Lanon had reacted with utter shock, not understanding why Darnia would lower her guard just as he struck.

"Oh no! For the love of ..." said Lanon.

Don't you dare say that goddess's name she thought as she took Lanon over in time. Not that the name of the goddess would hurt her at all. It wouldn't. But she very much disliked foul language. Her mother had raised her properly in that respect. She had thought about taking over Lanon first and then killing Darnia, but she wasn't sure Lanon would actually win the fight, especially if she was controlling him. This way was safer. She found she could actually read more of Lanon's mind than the others. Well, she always thought men were simpler minded than women. Maybe this was more evidence of it. Or it could just be this person's mind. No matter. This ability would help her fit in more easily with his duties and his friends. Especially Royal Guard friends. Time to head out. But first she looked back at Darnia's body. She should hide it. She dragged the body further away and behind some bushes. She had some magic to make Darnia's body disappear but it took a little time to do that and she would have to leave her host to invoke it. This was good enough. She walked back, mounted the horse and was on her way. It was getting late and she would stop at Kakariko Village to spend the night. Lanon wasn't due back at the castle yet anyway. She still hadn't decided if she wanted to deal with their Great Fairy. She would see how she felt tomorrow. For now, she would certainly block the Great Fairy from detecting her presence, especially since she would pass right by her fountain. But by the time she got to Kakariko Village, Lanon's body would need food and rest. She did not want to damage a fresh host.

After lunch Link made his way to the Lanayru Bay port. There was a fast Sheikah ship at the dock and he knew it was scheduled to return to North Hyrule later that afternoon. He made his way to the port office and found First Officer Hildon waiting for him. Hildon greeted him warmly.

"Sir, I am very honored to meet you," said Hildon shaking his hand. "We studied about you in history class. But I must say you've aged very well! You look just like the picture in our textbook. Maybe some of that Zora longevity has rubbed off on you, sir."

Link was always surprised, and not entirely pleased, when he met people who told him they had studied about him in their history class. He just didn't feel like an historical figure quite yet, more of a current events figure. But his claim to fame had happened over twenty years ago now, so he understood where they were coming from.

"Thank you for meeting with me on short notice," said Link. "I would like to talk with you about the accident. I read the board's report and I wanted to ask you about the shadow you saw."

"Oh, so you think there is something to that?" said Hildon. "I was reluctant to even mention it but it startled me at the time."

"I'm glad you did," said Link. "Can you describe it for me again?"

"Yes, sir," said Hildon. "I was in the front of the ship speaking with the Captain. The sea was calm and all the passengers were sound asleep when last I looked. Then the rear of the ship struck the victim and I was the first to turn to look back. I saw what looked like a shadow move quickly from the rear of the ship. But of course, I was mostly concerned about what happened and raced to investigate. That was when I could see the victim's body floating in back of the ship."

"Yes, that must have been terrible," said Link. "I know you say it happened quickly, but do you happen to recall the direction the shadow moved relative to the other passengers?"

"Let me think a minute," said Hildon closing his eyes. "As I faced the rear of the ship, the four Zora passengers were to my left and the Gerudo and two Hylian passengers were to my right. I can definitely say the shadow moved toward the right. And fast, too. That's what startled me."

"You're very sure of this?" said Link. "It's important. If you are not sure, please just say so."

"No, I'm sure," said Hildon. "I can picture it. The shadow moved toward my right. Does this help you?"

"Yes, you've been a great help," said Link. "Thank you."

Link believed him, in which case the four Zoras from the Domain were fine. So, this being infected either the Gerudo or one of the Hylians, with the thinking being the lone Gerudo was more likely. He needed to alert Zelda who would pass the warning on. Of course, he needed to let Mipha know at the same time. He was a Zora citizen after all.

Link: Mipha and Zelda, I interviewed ship's officer and suspect the being infected someone on board. Most likely is Gerudo named Darnia. Other possibility is couple from Mabe Village named Rayna and Mendon. Returning to Domain now.

Zelda: Link, good work! Will issue alert to find these three people so we can investigate.

Zelda summoned the Captain of the guards and requested that he issue an alert to all guards to be on the lookout for the three individuals named, the Gerudo Darnia and the Hylian couple Rayna and Mendon. They are needed for some questioning regarding the accident in Lanayru Bay. Please do not approach any of the individuals alone.

The Captain said he would have the alert issued at once.

Link returned to the Domain hoping perhaps they were getting close. He wished he could figure out a way to strike down this evil being before she caused more innocent deaths.

Meanwhile in North Hyrule, Captain Larah and two of her officers had made their way to the Akkala Sea channel construction site. Queen Faray had asked the Sheikah representative to alert Lanyon about their visit so he made himself available when they arrived.

"Thank you, sir, for meeting with us," said Larah. "As you know we are investigating the death of Fandra and wondered if you could tell us what she did while here."

"Yes, of course," said Lanyon. "Well, she actually made two trips out here. The first was after we uncovered some small artifacts. We sent her some pictures but she seemed eager to see them in person. When she arrived, she looked them over then told me if we discovered something more significant like items with writing or a structure to please let her know. But nothing we found was so important as to interrupt our work."

"I see, sir," said Larah. "And her second visit?"

"Yes, her second visit was more significant," said Lanyon. "We uncovered a structure, a tomb actually. We stopped work in that area at once and notified Fandra. She came and was quite interested. She had us remove the round stone slab that was sealing the tomb, then she entered and looked around. I followed her inside the tomb a few moments later. There was only a skeleton inside. Fandra said there was nothing else of significance to the tomb and we could destroy it after we took proper care of the remains, which we did."

"So, nothing unusual happened during her second visit either?" said Larah.

"No, I can't recall anything," said Lanyon.

"And nothing remains of the tomb, you destroyed all of it in the process of digging the channel?" said Larah.