Link and Zelda spent the night in a small cave at the base of Death Mountain. The heat was uncomfortable but not especially dangerous. They took turns staying awake to keep watch, just in case the moblin horde approached. Thankfully, they were left in peace.
Zelda wondered how they had been found. At first, she thought that the moblins could sense their exact location, but the fact that they hadn't been pursued made her reconsider. She decided that a more likely explanation was that Ganondorf had somehow warned his allies in the Sacred Realm of their imminent arrival, and the moblins had simply went straight towards the nearest landmark where they expected Link and Zelda to take shelter. Moblins weren't clever enough to think of that idea, so Zelda knew that they must have been directed by someone much more intelligent.
When morning arrived, they made their way further up Death Mountain. Link had discovered numerous horse tracks going up a path, so they concluded that there must be a human settlement on Death Mountain. It wasn't a very hospitable environment for humans, so Zelda concluded the humans may have been driven to Death Mountain involuntarily. She wondered if those humans had once lived in the abandoned city.
The hike was arduous, to say the least. Link thought he might pass out from the heat and from exertion. "My thighs and butt had better be very well-toned after all this hiking" muttered Zelda. Link pinched her butt. "I've got no complaints" he said. "It all looks perfect to me." Zelda laughed for the first time in a while. "You had better not complain if you know what's good for you."
After a long hike up Death Mountain, they found the civilization they had been looking for. As soon as they crossed over the peak, they could see a city down below in a valley. A river cut through a pass in the mountain and flowed down into the valley. Zelda never would have imagined that a place as dangerously hot as Death Valley could possibly contain such as oasis. After walking uphill for so long, it was a relief to finally be descending the mountain on the other side.
"Don't move!" Link exclaimed suddenly. He motioned for Zelda to look at the archers hiding on a nearby ridge. There were approximately twenty archers with arrows nocked and pointed at Link and Zelda. Every single one of the archers looked like they were ready to kill without hesitation at the slightest provocation. Zelda held up her hands.
"We mean no harm!" shouted Zelda. "I would like to speak with the person in charge here!"
Approximately half of the archers slowly stood up and walked down from the ridge to approach. They had lowered their bows but they all had their hands on their swords. They were dressed in leather armor and very basic helmets that didn't cover their faces. One of the soldiers stepped forward from the group and eyed Link and Zelda suspiciously.
"I am Captain Malcolm of the Fire Valley Guard. Who are you and why are you here?"
Zelda spoke for the two of them. "I am Queen Zelda of Hyrule, and this is Link, my betrothed. We are from the land of Hyrule. I don't know how to explain it other than to describe it as a parallel world of sorts to your own. It's kind of like how..."
"I know about Hyrule" interrupted Captain Malcolm. "My father was from Hyrule. There have been others who have entered our world from Hyrule before. And you say you are their Queen? Where is your army of soldiers to protect you?"
"My army could not make the journey" replied Zelda. "We had to pass through the Spirit Realm, land of the dead. Any soldiers I brought with me would have died instantly. Link and I survived because we are protected by the magic of the Triforce." Zelda held up her hand to display her piece of the Triforce.
"Well, we always have the most interesting visitors" said the Captain. "I will take you to meet our Chieftain, but I hope for your sake that you are being totally honest about what you just told me. We face threats from our enemies, so we have to be cautious, even a bit paranoid."
The Captain led them into the city. "Our home is called Fire Valley" explained the Captain. "The name is a bit confusing. Our home obviously isn't actually on fire. We are just located near the fire." He pointed up at the lava streams on the side of Death Mountain. "I'm not going to confiscate your weapons because you don't seem like the kind of people who would take that very well. Just don't make me regret it."
They were led into a large boarskin tent where the Chieftain and his bodyguards were waiting. The Chieftain was a tall muscular man dressed in a multicolor robe. He wore two swords at his waist. Despite his intimidating figure, his expression was reservedly friendly. "So you are the two my scouts reported" he said evenly. "I am Chieftain Tallon. Before we speak any further, I must ask how I can trust you not to betray the location of our home?"
"Simple" replied Zelda. "We wouldn't know who to betray you to. We just arrived last night from a distant land. We narrowly escaped from a bunch of moblins. You are the first humans we have encountered here."
"By 'faraway land', you mean Hyrule" stated the Chieftain flatly. "I have known others from Hyrule. Your manner of speech is similar. Of course, I can understand why you are uncomfortable discussing your place of origin. Some people end up here by accidents, some as victims of evil pranks, and others by interacting with very powerful magic. I suspect you are among the last group. Great power acts as a magnet for the power-hungry, you know."
"You are very perceptive" said Zelda. "I believe that we caught the attention of a particularly villainous soul on our journey through the Spirit Realm on our way here. I believe we have escaped danger though. I have discovered enough of his limitations to know that Ganondorf isn't omnipotent."
"Ganondorf you say" mused the Chieftain. "Now that's a name I'm familiar with. There is a religious cult that worships that green-skinned abomination. If you caught his attention while traveling through the Spirit Realm, does that mean that he is…"
"Dead" Zelda finished for him. "My betrothed, Link, killed him by driving a sword through his chest. I'm not one to delight in the deaths of others, but I must admit that I am definitely pleased that Ganondorf is no longer among the living."
Chieftain Tallon chuckled. "Well, nothing I have heard of Ganondorf inclines me to disagree with you. And you are certain Ganondorf doesn't know where you were headed?"
"I cannot be certain of anything where Ganondorf is concerned" said Zelda. "However, I believe he doesn't know our exact location. He just knows that we will be going after the Triforce of Power. Link already has the Triforce of Courage. I possess the Triforce of Wisdom. We need to find the Triforce of Power so that we can seal it away, where evil men like Ganondorf will never be able to find it."
"The Triforce of Power you say" mumbled the Chieftain. "I think you will have some difficulty obtaining that. The Triforce of Power has been possessed by Lord Ghirahim for ten years now, and he won't let it go easily."
"Lord Ghirahim!" gasped Zelda. "I have heard that name before! I read about him in Hyrule's history books. He was the servant of Demise, Ganondorf's predecessor as Demon King. As I understand it, Ghirahim was the spirit of Demise's sword, and the essence of that sword was absorbed into the Master Sword. Link now possesses the Master Sword, so Ghirahim would have had to have been released from his imprisonment in the Master Sword in order for him to be here."
"Maybe that's who Ganondorf was speaking of" said Link. "He said he had released a soul from the Master Sword and sent him here, but that doesn't explain how he has been here ten years already."
"It actually might explain it" said Zelda. "Ganondorf said that this spirit was able to traverse the Spirit Realm more rapidly than we could. Since the Spirit Realm is removed from time as we know it, it may be possible for Ghirahim to have traveled back in time on his way here. Unlike us mortals, an immortal spirit doesn't have the same limitations."
"That makes sense" said Link. "So at least we know who the enemy is now."
"But that still leaves one question unanswered" interjected the Chieftain. "If Ghirahim is merely the servant, then what became of the master?"