Masses, rejoice! It's a slightly longer chapter! ^_^
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Owl
I stared at the large door, which seemed to be made of a slab of rock, for several minutes. My nerves were humming. The back of my neck was prickling and I felt horribly weak, as though I might collapse any moment. I was afraid to knock- I had not seen my uncle Darunia for many years, and had no idea how he would react to my sudden appearance. What if he didn't recognize me? What could I do to convince him that I was the princess of Hyrule?
I was so lost in my own worries, it took a few minutes to notice the whispers at my back. The Gorons were conferring about my situation. When still I hesitated, they urged forward one of their own, who stepped carefully around me and banged three times on the door, loudly.
It flew open in moments. Darunia stood before me- the biggest, brawniest Goron I'd ever seen, with arms as thick as tree trunks and a wild mane of hair. His black eyes, bright with intelligence, swept over first me, then the Gorons.
He turned to the one who had knocked and asked something in his native tongue, which I could neither speak nor understand. The Goron replied in the same language, gesturing to me, and Darunia's beetle-black eyes found me once more.
"What brings you to my city, Highness?" he asked in the Hylian language, his tone and manner surprisingly gallant.
I blinked at him. "You recognize me," I said, overwhelmed by nerves.
"Of course," said he. "What are you doing here all alone? Where's your father? Or that Sheikah woman who's always at your side, what's-her-name. Impa."
I burst into tears. The Gorons were startled into silence. They all stood shock-still, staring at me as I sank to my knees and covered my face with my hands, sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn't stop. It was just too much. It had come to me then- princess or not, I was just a little girl, lost and afraid and alone in the world. Unprotected. At the mercy of what horrors, the goddesses only knew.
After a minute or two, I felt a hard, reassuringly solid hand on my shoulder, and my sobs quieted some.
"There," Darunia said. I could feel his hesitation, the awkwardness at being forced to deal with a crying little girl, undoubtedly one of the problems he rarely had to worry about.
Slow vibrations in the dirt beneath me were the heavy footsteps of the Gorons as they returned to their daily tasks, leaving Darunia and I alone. I kept my head bowed as I quickly composed myself, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
I looked up at my uncle, cheeks scarlet with shame. "Sorry," was all I could manage.
To my surprise Darunia bent down, wrapped his strong arms around me, and lifted me easily. "Tell me what happened," he commanded.
"I can't believe you haven't already heard," I said, startled out of my misery.
"We don't get the news very fast up here in the city."
"But it's been a month!"
"Since Ganondorf took the castle, you mean?" I stared into Darunia's beetle black eyes, astonished again. He smiled half-heartedly. "Oh, we know about that. I figured your Sheikah was taking care of you."
"She was," I replied in a small voice, trying my hardest to hold back the tears that threatened to well once more. "But she had to go away. She's a sage."
Darunia nodded as he carried me into his chambers. "So you came to stay here."
"No. I was staying in Kakariko. But Ganondorf's coming after me."
Darunia abruptly set me down and stared at me, wide-eyed. "Now?"
I nodded.
Darunia hesitated. "Zelda," he began, then stopped and shook his head. "No, that's not right. Your Highness. If Ganondorf is coming here, I can't-" He hesitated again.
"You can't keep me here," I supplied kindly. "I know that, Uncle. If anything happened, Impa wanted me to go to the Temple of Time, only I can't because that's the direction Ganondorf-"
"Oh, is that the problem?" Darunia interrupted. "That's not a problem at all. I know someone who I'm sure can help."
"You do?"
"Of course." Without hesitation Darunia scooped me up in his arms once more and headed to the back of his chambers. "Come. We're going to the mountain peak."
"B-but what about the Gorons?" I said worriedly. "What if Ganondorf comes?"
"If Ganondorf comes, they won't have anything to lie about." Darunia set me on my feet again before his throne and motioned for me to get on his back. I did, clinging to his massive shoulders as he rose and gripped his throne with both hands.
"They know I was here," I said.
"But they don't know where we went. Honesty's the best policy, Your Highness." Darunia dug his feet into the earth and tugged with all his might. Inch by inch the heavy throne slid back, revealing a gaping hole leading into a dark red mist. Heat suddenly pressed down on us, swirling from the passage behind the throne.
"What is that?" I whispered, fascinated.
Darunia said, "The Death Mountain crater."
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The heat was immense. I clung to Darunia weakly, my head laid helplessly on his shoulders as he rapidly climbed the walls of the crater, up toward blue sky. We were in the very heart of the volcano, hanging perilously by Darunia's fingertips over a pool of liquid fire, and I could only withstand the heat for so long.
My sweat was cold. The hairs of the back of my neck were suddenly prickling. I felt the sensation -the oddest sensation, and one almost familiar- of something creeping behind my eyes, reaching to touch my mind...
What was taking advantage of my weakness to try and speak to me?
I shuddered.
"Are you all right?" I heard Darunia ask, from far away.
"No," I croaked.
"We're almost there."
He scaled the cliff wall faster. I did not know it. I only felt the rush of fresh air, the cool touch of twilight, as Darunia climbed over the edge of the cliff and brought us out into the rapidly dying afternoon.
I slid from his back, my knees weak. Whatever had tried to touch me was gone. Darunia and I stood on the very peak of Death Mountain, on the roof of the world, it seemed- I could see everywhere, from the field to the east to the blue ocean far to the west. Kakariko Village was a picturesque tapestry, nestled in the shade of the great mountain. The view made my head swim.
After a few moments I realized Darunia was talking. "-after the castle was destroyed. I don't know why he'd be after her, but if Impa thinks she's in real danger then we'd better listen."
"Well, I can take her to the Temple of Time, but I'm not the person who should be protecting her," a new voice replied. Confused, I turned to face Darunia. My mouth fell open.
Darunia was conversing with a giant owl, perched upon an outcropping of rock.
"Darunia," I said, utterly amazed. "What...?"
The owl's gleaming amber eyes turned to find me. He ruffled his feathers in an uneasy sort of way and cocked his head to one side, staring at me.
"So you are the princess of destiny," he said.
I only gaped, unable to think of a word to say.
The owl continued to stare at me for several long moments. "She's small," he said at last.
I felt Darunia's solid, reassuring grip on my shoulder. "Small, yes, but brave as a Goron warrior. Zelda, this is Kaepora Gaebora, an old friend of mine. Kaepora, Her Highness Zelda, Princess of Hyrule."
Kaepora inclined his head to me. "Good to meet you." Without waiting for my reply, he looked to Darunia again. "I cannot-"
"I'm not asking you to take care of her," Darunia interrupted shortly. "I'm asking you to take her to the temple. It's Impa's request."
"Then let us not deny Impa. I will carry the Hylian princess to the temple, then I leave. I'm going south before I encounter anymore of this unpleasantness." Kaepora leapt off the rock and waddled over to us, ungainly on his talons.
Darunia was frowning at him. "Some might call that a coward's way out," he said stiffly.
"Nevertheless. I have no connections here. My charge has disappeared." Kaepora ruffled his feathers and turned his back to us. "Climb on, little princess, and let's get you to safety."
I looked up wordlessly at Darunia, who nodded. "Go on, Your Highness."
"Darunia," I said, and touched his arm tentatively.
The Goron King bent down and lifted me once more. "If you're going to say thanks, skip it," he ordered. "I'm your uncle. If you ever need help, you can always come to me."
"Thank you," I said stubbornly.
Darunia only grinned and lifted me onto his shoulder so I could clamber aboard the giant owl's back. I wrapped my arms around Kaepora's neck and gripped his feathers tightly as Darunia patted my leg, his smile fading.
"Be safe, Your Highness."
The owl's greats wings unfurled, and Kaepora and I took to the air.
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Continued in Chapter 10: Sanctuary