Chapter 4

Link and Navi stayed another three days in Hyrule Town before setting out for the city of Bediver, to the north of Hyrule in the country of Logres. The journey was uneventful, but it gave Navi and Link time enough to become acquainted with Din.

In Bediver they found that the Zorla problems had long since been resolved, peacefully, and that there was no actual need for mercenaries… However, there were reports of trouble between the countries of Delos and Liiad; Link might try his luck there.

Delos and Liiad were two week's journey from Bediver if you took the trade route, but if one were truly determined one might take a shortcut through Dodongo's pass and reach the border of Delos within two day's time… But the pass was not without dangers, or else it might have been called the Delos trade route. The chief danger being that dodongos nested in the area, and although the huge, fire-breathing lizards were in fact herbivores that ate bomb-flower shoots, they were deadly creatures that often attacked those who dare trespassed into their nests.

After hashing it out over a pint of nectar and a haunch of some bird's meat, Link and Navi opted for the pass.

For a while, the going was easy. Besides a few bothersome, but harmless, tektites the trio made good time through the pass, and even found a small, uninhabited cave to sleep in for the night.

Though she doubted that the cold-blooded dodongos would be active during the night, Navi wanted to take no chances, and 'stood' watch at the entrance of the cave. Link offered to take a turn during the night, but Navi wouldn't have it; she could sleep in the morning in Link's pocket. Link knew better than to argue with this particular fairy, so he made his bed and went to sleep.

It seemed to Link that his eyes had just barely closed shut when Navi came ringing in his ear.

"LINK! Wake up! Some traveler's gotten himself in trouble!"

Link leapt to his feet and drew his sword, half expecting to come face-to-face with a fierce dodongo right there in the cave. It was nearly a full minute before he calmed down and realized that there wasn't actually an emergency right there in the cave.

"Oh come on!" Navi shouted as she grabbed a tiny fist full of Link's tunic and pulled him to the entrance of the cave.

"There… Look up there."

Link did as he was asked and looked up the path a ways. Though it was pitch-dark Link could just barely make out the figure of some hapless traveler cowering in fear from the fires of an angry dodongo female. Somehow the traveler had let the dodongo back him up against a sheer wall and trap him.

Link groaned, he didn't want to have to get up and save a merchant or some other that was too stupid to stop and rest for the night, but there was no help for it. In the forest it was common law to help those in need, and this one was definitely in need.

Link woke Din up and quickly explained the problem. With Navi lighting the path before them, Link and Din ran down the path towards the dodongo.

They got there just in time, as the dodongo was about to go in for the kill with a jet of flame that could have engulfed the, now-unconscious, traveler had it ever left her gaping maw.

With a maneuver that Link had taught Din on their way to Bediver, Link leapt off the horse's back and buried a knife in the dodongo's tail, he then immediately threw up his shield to protect himself from the dodongo's trademark tail-swing and fire attack that often ended the life of the dodongo's victim. Meanwhile Din ran around to the side of the beast, ready to lash out with his hooves once the dodongo's vulnerable side was exposed.

Eventually Din and Link were able to wear the beast down and convince her that this one was not worth fighting anyways. So after taking a severe beating, the huge lizard turned tail and sped off in a rather uncharacteristic display of agility. With the monster gone, Link hefted the large traveler up onto Din's back and led the horse back to the cave.

By the light of the fire, and Navi's own natural glow, Link was able to see that there were no serious external injuries, and the man had probably either gotten tripped by the dodongo's tail and hit his head or he had just plain fainted out of fright. Neither was something Link could help with at the moment, so he simply laid the dark-skinned traveler out on the ground and went to sleep.

When he awoke the next day, the traveler was still unconscious, and Link saw a cut on the man's head he had not seen last night. He knew now that the man needed a healer; something that could only be found back in Bediver. So they packed up camp, loaded the man onto Din's back and returned down the way they came to Bediver.

In Bediver it took the healers nearly two hours to repair the man's fractured skull and prevent any long-term effects. Since they hadn't arrived into town until it was nearly evening, Link and Navi thought to stay the night in town and set out for Delos on the morrow.

The next morning they were awakened quite early by an unexpected knock at the door. Link leaned unsteadily on the doorpost while the far more alert Navi listened to a message from a young herald boy. Apparently the man they had saved the night before wished to repay them, but they had to come to the healing house in person to collect their reward. It did not take long for Link to come to his senses and get fully dressed to meet the, apparently rich, traveler.

At the healing house, Link and Navi were surprised to see that the traveler couldn't really be called a man… Yet. He was at least two years younger than Link and was clean-shaven, which usually indicated that you were too young to grow a beard. Yet, that didn't make his presence any less impressive to the Kokiri and Fairy.

Although he still seemed a little unsteady, the lad stood heads above Link and looked as though he could take on a goron in arm-wrestling. The lad had long, sharply angled nose, very dark skin, small, gold eyes, and a thick crop of red hair.

The dark-skinned youth extended a pie-sized hand that nearly crushed Link's fingers, "I am Gannondorf; Prince of the Gerudo."