Sorry it took so long. I swear the next update WILL be before the next year.

Chapter 28: To Stop a War

Faith knew they were only headed toward Kakariko because it was the only way to get to Death Mountain but she still knew something could go wrong. Kakariko wasn't a place she wanted to visit again, because of what had happened there. The town wouldn't be at all like he remembered she could guarantee it, after all it had gone through so much change in the one night she was there. "Should I warn him? Should I act like I don't know what happened when we get there? Will he know the damage is recent? Should I say anything? Will it even be like what I'm expecting? Will they have started to rebuild again?" Faith thought to herself as she rode ahead of Link. "Will it even still be there?" Preoccupied with her own fears and doubts, Faith didn't pay any attention to what lie in the road.

"Watch where you're going! I'm not rock you can jump over!" a voice yelled just as Dara reared. "Learn to control your horse Hylian!"

Faith gained control of Dara and realized that the voice she had heard came from a creature that looked like walking rock. "What is a lone Goron doing out in Hyrule Field?" Faith asked as Dara burred in protest.

"I could ask the same of you Hylian!"

"I'm not alone. I travel with a friend," Faith spat as she convinced Dara to stand still.

"I do not see a companion unless you were racing ahead," the Goron Warrior said as he stood to his full height. He was barely as tall as Link when he stood.

Link came into view just as the Goron spoke and eased Llamprei into a stop beside Faith. "Has my companion caused any trouble for you great warrior of the mountains?" Link asked noticing how much this Goron looked like a young Darunia. He had met Darunia's son and knew that his lineage must still live on.

The Goron smirked at Link's comment. "You must have been to Death Mountain before. However, fellow warrior flattery will get you nowhere. You're companion nearly trampled me with her horse."

"I have, years ago." Link nodded in reply. "It is strange for a Goron to be so far from Death Mountain and especially by himself, please excuse my friend for mistaking you for a boulder. She wouldn't have expected to find a Goron Warrior lying in the road."

The Goron nodded in agreement. "I guess it is partially my fault as well. You are quite the warrior aren't you? I am Kenric, protector of the Gorons. May I ask for your names?"

"My name is Link and my companion is Faith."

A look of surprise crossed the Goron's face when Link said his name. "You are named for the great hero! It must be destiny! The fires of the great crater have been burning most violently in this past moon! The hero of legend has been born again to save Hyrule!"

Link and Faith exchanged quick glances. This Goron had instantly recognized Link as the Hero of Time and merely because of his name. Faith suddenly wondered if it was because this Goron had been praying as hard as she had that the Hero of Time would return once again. Looking over the Goron once again Link noticed the Goron couldn't be much older than Faith was.

"I must tell the other Gorons! You will find a hero's welcome in Goron City! I know you probably have business in Kakariko Village so I will wait for you to make your way up Death Mountain. We will meet again Hero!" With that, Kenric rolled back into a ball and began to roll toward Death Mountain.

"I'm not sure whether we should consider that a success or whether we should be worried," Faith said as she watched the rolling Goron.

"For now we have other things to worry about," Link said as he noticed a cloud of dust coming from the direction of Lon Lon Ranch.

Faith pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow into place waiting to see if she would need to use it. "I can't make out what it is yet."

Link looked at the cloud again. "It's two riders. One of them is Akiko! Put away your bow!"

Heading toward the two riders, Link kicked Llamprei to get her to run. Faith put away her bow and followed. Once close enough, she recognized the second person to be Ryder. Both Link and Faith wanted to know what caused the two to be moving in such a fast retreat from Lon Lon Ranch.

"Thank the Goddesses we've found you two. The people of Kakariko are in an uproar. They want to plan an attack on the dessert village to get back at them for the attack on Kakariko just a week before I found you. We need to show them that you really are back. They want proof or they're going to storm the desert," Akiko said as she stopped Knight when they met Link and Faith.

"If he shows himself to an entire village it's going to be hard to do anything anymore. Word of him could spread to Dogan," Faith replied halting Dara as well.

"You think word hasn't already reached his ears? How could he not know by now? You two have gone into the forest and water temples have you not?" Akiko shouted causing Knight to nearly throw her.

"Please let's talk about this somewhere besides horseback," Ryder said turning his horse toward Kakariko Village. "I have a home at Kakariko we can discuss a plan there."

"Lead the way," Link agreed.

Link was both surprised and impressed at the sight of Kakariko. He'd heard of the attack so he expected there to be some damage to the town but he'd thought there would be more. He'd actually expected there to be homes that were still burnt and charred but no sign of fire marked a single home. The town had begun rebuilding that was for sure. There were walls that were partially gone and roofs with holes but all were in the stages of reconstruction rather than cleaning. It was amazing to see so many people working together to rebuild. The village had also grown in size. There were more homes, shops, and life then there had been before. One good thing had at least happened while he had been gone.

"What are you doing bring more outsiders into this village? Do you remember what happened last time?" a woman asked ask she came running toward Ryder.

"Please, Sophia, these people will do us no harm. I swear upon my honor," Ryder said climbing off his horse to look the woman in the eyes. "These three are my guests. If they do anything that breaks our laws, I can be held personally responsible."

The woman nodded to Ryder. "I'm not worried about Miss Akiko. These other two I've never seen before and that worries me. There aren't very many safe havens for those like us so seeing an unfamiliar face tends to make me cautious."

"These two are here to help us, I promise." The woman nodded in acknowledgement and went back to where she had been working. "Now come, we have much to discuss."

Ryder's house was small but beautiful. Faith noticed that it didn't seem to have been touched at all in the attack. To her that meant one of two things, he could somehow hide magic use or he was so important to the people that his home had been rebuilt first. Either way she was even more impressed with the healer than she had been before. Once inside Ryder offered then all a seat and some tea. "I'm sorry for bringing you here under such circumstances but we can't risk an uprising right now. If there is fighting in the desert, and you two try to return more temples to they way they were before, then Dogan is likely to unleash forces we've never even dreamed of."

Link nodded in agreement. "The question is, what do they want as proof?"

Akiko and Ryder both frowned. This made Faith nervous. "What are we going to have to do?"

"You, Faith, are to do nothing to aid him. This is something he's to do by himself. Link, the townspeople have asked for you to go through three different trials. Each will test you in a different way. All three, however, will test what the townspeople believe made you a hero 100 years ago," Ryder answered solemly.

"And the tasks I'm to complete are?"

"That, even I do not know."