Chapter 5

It had been a long time since the woman who walked beside Darunia had been called Saria, but she still had the spirit of a Kokiri. As she glanced around at the barren landscape of death mountain, She was never more aware of it, than at times like these. She wished her adoptive father had someone else he trusted enough to send to the Gorons instead of her. 'It feels so lifeless on this mountain.'

The sound of Darunia speaking to her caused her to turn and look at him, "Your father only sends you up here when something important is happening, Yaima."

She adjusted her head scarf and sighed as they walked down the trail from the entrance to Goron City. She glanced around and looked back at Darunia, "Are you sure none will hear us out here?"

"None venture up here, except Link, you, and a few others," He frowned and gave her a stern look, "Will you tell me why all this secrecy is necessary?"

She sighed and nodded, "There have been reports of someone whose powers resemble Ganondorf's moving about." Crossing her arms, She looked up at him, "It's almost as if . . . "

Darunia suddenly cocked his head and gazed off in the distance. Yaima tilted her head and caught the faint sound of crying. She raised an eyebrow at Darunia, "I thought you said–"

"And there shouldn't be anyone about!"

He took off down the trail toward the mouth of Dodongo Cavern and she ran after him to keep up. As they approached the cavern, Yaima felt her throat constrict at the forlornness of the sound. They rounded the bend that hid the Cavern from view and they both stopped dead in their tracks.

Yaima's eyes locked on the still form of Link and the bloody mess on his chest. She felt a deep cold settle into her bones and as her mouth opened slightly, Her fingertips went to her lip, 'Goddesses, please don't let this be what it seems!'

A young man knelt by Link's head and cradle it. His form was almost doubled over as the sobs wracked his body. For a moment, She felt as though she knew him, But Darunia began to move before she had a firm grasp on the memory. She hurried after him, 'Why can't I hold on to any memory of my past before Dad found me for longer than a second!'

Her feet pounded upon the ground as she ran toward Link and the young man. 'Why could she remember she was Kokiri? Why could she remember she had been friends with Link? Why was everything else hazy!'

Darunia was already kneeling down on the young man's right when she arrived and gazed down at Link. She felt her muscles turn to ice as she looked down into his open eyes. The glazed look in them told her all she needed to know, but Darunia already had his hand on Link's neck, 'This has to be a dream! Dad will wake me at any time now!'

She walked around to kneel next to the young man on his left. The smell of blood hung in the air and her stomach churned at it. Darunia glanced up at her, "He's dead."

"His eyes . . . "She shuddered and reached out her hand toward them. Yaima bit her lip as she saw it shake and quickly closed his eyes, "His eyes . . . they shouldn't be . . . vacant."

Darunia grabbed her hand as she started to withdraw it and looked her straight in the eye, "Yaima? You're shaking worse than . . . "

She swallowed hard and felt the bile rising in her throat. Her head scarf felt constricting, but she made no move to take it off. Closing her eyes, She felt tears begin to trickle out of the corners of her eyes, "I've seen men dead before."

"But none of them were legends."

She could only nod. Darunia didn't know that she loved this man and he lay there now; struck down like some vagabond. She made herself take an iron grip on her emotions and opened her eyes, "Legends shouldn't die." She forced her eyes away from the ugly wound and looked over at the young man, "Can you tell us what happened?"

The young man just knelt there and continued to cry. Darunia frowned and reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder, "Was he a friend of yours?"

The man was oblivious to his hand and question. Yaima glanced over at him with a critical eye that her father had trained her to develop. His plain, undyed linen tunic, shirt and breeches told her that he was just a commoner, but then why was he with the Hero? A sturdy leather belt was worn about his waist and her eyes locked on a small jiggling pouch that hung from it. It was tied tightly shut and something looked like it was trying to get free. She reached over and pulled on one of the ties and the knot came undone. A small glowing ball of light shot out and caused Yaima to rock back on her heels as her eyes widened, "What in Farore's name . . . ?"

The Fairy froze when it caught sight of Link's body and drooped, "What! No! This can't . . . !"

Darunia stared at the fairy as his face filled with amazement, "What is a simple farm boy doing with a fairy!"

The fairy glanced at them and jumped in the air, "Who . . . ? Darunia?"

The Goron crossed his arms and gazed at the fairy, "What are you doing with this young man, Fairy?"

The fairy glanced at Yaima, "You're not a Goron."

Yaima folded her arms, "I'm aware of that fact. What mischief are you causing here?"

It stared at her, "Mischief! I'm a Kokiri fairy! Not some free fairy!"

Darunia's glanced at the young man, "Then he's a Kokiri?"

The Fairy shook himself as is he were shaking his head, "No . . . Does he look like a Kokiri?"

"He's right, Darunia, "She glanced at the young man's clothing, "His clothing isn't Kokirian."

The fairy nodded.

Darunia gestured to Link's dead body, "Then how was he concerned with this!"

The fairy glanced briefly at Link, then back to Darunia, "His father was taking him to see you."

Yaima raised an eyebrow, "Father? There is no one else around . . . " Her eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth, "Oh no . . . "

The fairy nodded and they both looked over at Link's son with sympathy. Darunia's mouth turned downward and his eyed saddened, "Was this done in . . . ?"

The fairy drooped, "From what I could hear."

Yaima reached over and placed a gentle hand on the man's knee, "No one should witness that." Link's son was as oblivious to her as he'd been with Darunia. She glanced at the fairy, "What kind of beast could do this!"

The fairy seemed to sag in the air, "He claimed Ganondorf as his father . . . "

Yaima and Darunia stared at each other in shock and the Goron's fist slammed down like a boulder onto the ground, "Then he'll have to suffer as his father did!"

For the first time, The young man seemed to come out of his oblivion and raised his head to look at Darunia. His eyes were hard and tear stained, "I'll make sure he does!"