Link wasn't even done with his talk about how being away wouldn't interfere with the soldier's training, how it was only a two day trip and how he would make sure to make it up when he came back, but General Glop - 'Tim. Timotheus, at least' - was nodding along and letting Link go with barely a look.

Link stopped in the middle of the hallway, looked up and tapped his foot to the floor.

Was that it?

Link was trying to will himself not to feel cold. It didn't work. The walls had already absorbed the heat from the chimney and looking outside his window made him feel colder. It was dark and the mist was thick. He would feel better in Death Mountain, but until then, the cold was assured.

"Where are we going?"

If it weren't because Link had become accustomed to Robert's voice by now, Link would have launched a punch straight to the face. He made himself relax, if Robert had received a punch it would have been his fault anyway, dark corridor, too early in the morning and talking right beside Link? Sucker. "We," Link marked, "are going nowhere."

Robert threw a raspberry, "Well, where are you," a bored look, "going?"

Link remained silent. A spy? No.

Not this Robert.

"How did you know?" Link imagined Robert behind closed doors, one ear pressed to the wood.

"I may or may have not seen you talking with General Glop, and then I may or may have not talked with him in hopes of getting information out of him, and the General may or may have not told me everything I needed to know."

Link shook his head and started walking down the hallway, Robert was right beside him.

"I'm going with you."

Link gave Robert a confused look but kept on moving. "I don't need you to come with me."

"I know, but still."

Link didn't say anything and a few steps farther Robert stopped walking. Link was about to turn and ask what was wrong, or perhaps something along the lines of why did he want to go so badly, but Robert grabbed the straps of his bag and asked, "Can I?"

And Link didn't have it in him to say no.

Robert picked their destination quite easily.

"Do you think I'll be able to enjoy some of their hotsprings?"

"This is a serious mission."

"It is a serious question."

"If they don't kick us out, then maybe."

"I haven't been to one in a pretty long time."

Link raised an eyebrow, sure that Robert would fall into a nerdy and full account of one of his many high-end vacations from before, "Really? When was the last time?"

But he received a forlorn look and with a soft voice Robert shared, "Too long ago, that's for sure."

"Oh, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

When they made camp that afternoon to eat before climbing Death Mountain, over a dish of fresh bread and vegetables Robert showed surprise over his parents marriage, "The more I look back now, the more I realize that my father was a son of the biggest baba imaginable to everyone but my mother." Link nodded along. "She had to turn a blind eye to lots of things, I'm sure." Link remembered Ulli and Rusl. "What a shitty thing to do."

Link bit a potato and imagined Rusl being mean to everyone but Ulli, "But you still love your mother, don't you?"

Robert's frown relaxed and Link smiled. That's right, he thought.

"With all my heart," Robert confessed.

Link could feel the sweat pooling at his back. He was no longer cold, sure, but now that he didn't have to worry about the cold, and instead had to worry about the steadily increasing temperature...

"Fuck, it's hot," Robert cleaned the sweat from his forehead and threw it away with disgust.

"Damn right," Link whispered. He had forgotten how hot this place had been. He had forgotten how uncomfortable he had felt. He had forgotten a lot of things about climbing this goddessesforsaken place. Fuck this heat.

He also had forgotten how the Gorons had been absolutely closed off a few months ago.

"Who's there?"

The new voice was deep and rocky - as if their vocal cords were harder, rustier, clankier - and Link turned to the voice immediatly.

"Oh," the Goron said, "you."

Robert stood from his squat and looked from the Goron to Link.

"Good day," Link greeted, he walked to the rock, "I've come to talk with Gor Coron."

The Goron thinned his lips and nodded, "Sure, but Darbus will want to see you first."

"All right."

The Goron sat and hid his legs on his stomach, "We'll be waiting for you up there."

"I appreciate it."

The Goron was rolling away before Link was finished with his sentence.

Robert opened his mouth, "He wasn't thrilled to see us."

Link nodded, he had expected a little bit more of enthusiasm, "Well, we're here already."

Robert didn't hear one complaint coming from Link. Link bore with whatever was making him kick off rocks with more force than necessary to keep on climbing, with whatever made him mutter under his breath, and with whatever made him send sharp glances to the top of the mountain with amazing stoicism.

"Fuck it," Robert heard from up front. Amazing, he thought, Link really had it in him to bear with things. Link glanced back once, unthreatening, likely to make sure that Robert was following fine, probably just to gave Robert a reassuring nod, but Robert was sweating in places that were surprising to him and his awareness levels were at an all time low, so he just locked eyes with Link and blurted, "Do they owe you something? You looked way sure for someone without a plan."

Link pulled back his upper lip and sighed, "Something like that."

"Does it bother you that much to see Darbus?"

Link said nothing, then, "Make sure not to startle when you see him."

Robert stopped a second and huffed, "Link, I know he is massive and scary, as if I'll get scared."

"Hylian! Here to ask for help, I assume!" Darbus had his arms on his waist, unassuming and booming with energy and strenght.

Robert was behind Link and the only thing he could remember was the blond's 'Don't startle' again and again. Robert felt as if one little twitch of his muscles could let that giant of a Goron know he was here, put him on the spotlight. Robert inched closer to Link, a whine stuck on his throat. "Link," Robert tried, but his voice came out too quiet.

Link glance at Gor Coron, who gave him a slight shrug and motioned to Darbus with his head. Right, Link thought, he had to deal with him. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Darbus."

"A pleasure!" Darbus' voice echoed through the cave, "I didn't see much of you, though!"

Robert could feel his hair standing on end, how was he supposed to remain calm when Darbus had such a voice?

"Though my men tell me you were pretty helpful to them," Darbus nodded to himself, as if coming to a conclusion in the moment, "so I'll listen at least to whatever you have to say, Hylian!"

Link nodded, trying to keep a smile on his face, "I am humbled, Darbus, but as my matter is of such less importance, just having a moment with Gor Coron will suffice."

Darbus huffed, and the moment he exhaled the air shifted in the room, an air wave cooled Link's sweaty face, "Fine by me, Hylian." Darbus pointed to Gor Coron, "Go help this man, then!"

Gor Coron had the decency to look ashamed.

Robert was so shaken that the atmosphere in the room didn't register.

"Well," Gor Coron started, "I see you have come back."

Link nodded. Gor Coron had given them towels to dry themselves with and glasses filled with clear water. Robert reached for his glass when Link's empty glass hit the table, it was lukewarm and Robert had to fight the whimper that wanted to leave his lips.

"I heard you are going down to the valleys without permission."

Gor Coron shifted uncomfortably and his gaze got sharper, "We go down from time to time, we don't need permission for every little excursion, do we?"

"I have come to ask that you do."

"We have every right-"

"I ask that you talk it with your elders and eventually with Darbus, you only have to ask for permission to get it."

"to do-" as soon as Link's words registered Gor Coron drew back, "What?"

"I give you my word, you'll get permission as soon as you ask for it."

"Well, isn't that convenient."

"It's a good deal," Link admitted.

And Gor Coron kept on fighting, "But you see-"

"I know Darbus is the problem," Link leaned forward, gave Gor Coron a meaningful look, "but I insist."

Robert made the subtlest face of disgust after finishing his glass of water and then looked to Gor Coron and Link's back and forth.

Gor Coron clicked his tongue, "Fine, but you'll help us with the monsters deep into the mountain."

Link sat back, "Won't Darbus want to do that himself?"

"He has at least acknowledged that he lost some of his memories back then and has been more eager to accept help."

"Even from me?"

"We will talk with him."

"And as for what I asked?"

Gor Coron looked to the side, "I said fine," he then looked back, "What about you?"

Link looked to the side, "Fine."

And Robert felt he needed some pretty big portions of information to understand what was going on.

I wanted Darbus to like me and love me and be buddies with me like Darunia once was, but he laughed at the thought of being saved by a hylian. Darbus, my man, you broke my heart.