Just thought I'd give you a chapter I really enjoyed writing, and also enjoyed reviewing to get it ready to put online. Please R&R, all thoughts, opinions and general comments are welcome. Also, there is a moment in this chapter that shows the great influence on my writing that comes from a lifetime of reading Tolkien. Points for anyone spotting that.
Chapter 13
A Way Out
It was a long time before he could even gather himself enough to get to his feet and try to understand what had happened.
Coughing at the dust that had been thrown up, he staggered towards the place where the tunnel had fallen in. Even lit only by Navi's tiny light, he quickly found the rock fall.
He knew immediately that it was hopeless. There was no returning through the passage. It had completely collapsed and the tunnel was blocked. Link breathed deeply to calm the rising panic he could feel building and tried to think through the problem. He was not certain which direction he ought to be going in and was completely disorientated, but as far as he was aware he had been continuing down the passage. That meant the way back out onto the mountain side was on the other side of the rock fall.
Link sat down and tried not to think about that. His ears were ringing with the aftermath of the cave-in, but he could not hear sounds of anything that indicated there were any dodongos nearby. Either they were under the rocks when the ceiling collapsed or on the other side of the blockage.
That was a reassuring thought, but it also meant that Link had no idea if the gorons were alive or dead. Rayner had certainly been directly under the section of the ceiling that had collapsed. Link tried not to think about that, as well.
A groan distracted him. So he was not alone. Groping in the dark on hands and knees, he crawled towards the noise. His hands fumbled blindly over the uneven floor and then reached something big in his way. Running his hands over it, he confirmed his suspicions. If he had not known what to look for, he might simply have thought it was a chunk of rock that had fallen clear of the fall.
The rock groaned again.
"Darunia?" asked Link. His voice echoed in the darkness, sounding unnaturally high and shaken.
"Link," murmured the goron leader. His voice was weak. It seemed he had not been thrown clear in time; some of the falling rocks had clearly struck him heavily. "What happened? Where are my brothers?"
"The roof collapsed," explained Link, and again his voice sounded strange, as if it were someone else speaking.
Darunia groaned once more, but this time it was realisation rather than pain. "This tunnel was only recently built. I was foolish in my rage. It is not as stable as the rest of the mines."
"Let me help you up," offered Link, trying to find a way of pushing Darunia to his feet.
"No," interrupted Navi. In the darkness she also sounded strange, her voice distorted. It was eerie, and not pleasant to Link's ears. He felt anger radiating from her. "I want some answers," she continued. "You can hear some of my questions while you're stuck here.
"You say this tunnel was only recently built. Do you know what's ahead of us?"
There was a moment of silence before Darunia responded. "What does it matter? Another part of the mines."
"I don't believe you. If this tunnel was only recently built then how could another part of the mines be ahead? Where have you been leading us?"
"It's just another part of the mountain."
"I think you've brought this on yourself. You tried to expand your mines and broke through to something that was already there. The dodongos did not over run the mine, you brought them out. They were in this part of the mountain ahead, and your new tunnels gave them access to the mines."
Again, Darunia took a long time to respond. Link could feel Navi's certainty growing, and as it grew it firmed her resolve.
"You are correct. But that is not the whole story. There used to be many more dodongos on this mountain than there are now. When we discovered them, they were larger and more violent than of old. They behave unnaturally. Only two of our miners escaped them, and they also told us that some seem engorged, distorted. Some theurgy has touched these creatures, just as it bewitched the rock that blocked our entrance. Something sets itself against us."
Navi did not respond. Link could tell she was thinking, digesting what Darunia had told them.
"What power is it that threatens you?" he asked.
"I do not know," said Darunia, gloomily, but he did not sound as if he believed himself.
"Why did you remove the Spiritual Stone of Fire?"
A gasp escaped the goron. "What do you know of the Spiritual Stone?" he asked, clearly unwilling to give anything away.
Link did not answer. Moving around again, he felt for Darunia's pack. He drew out a spare torch and found flint and tinder. As he struck them, sparks lit the passage and fire flared into life from the torch. Link stood and raised it up, looking down at the patriarch.
Torch in one hand, he reached a hand into the pouch at his waist and withdrew the gift bequeathed to him by the dying Deku Tree. Unwrapping it, he held out the Spiritual Stone to Darunia. The emerald shone in the torch light.
"Can it be?" asked Darunia, staring. His eyes moved from the stone to the boy holding it. "I said last night there was more to you than I first thought. I see that was more true than I realised."
"I have come here to collect the second Stone," said Link, and his voice no longer shook.
"It is the prize of the gorons," replied Darunia, and there was the hint of a threat in his voice. "It is not to be taken by outsiders."
"Why did you remove it?" When Darunia did not answer, Link tried a different approach. "Who else came here to ask for it?" Again Darunia did not answer. Link felt realisation from Navi, as she reached the same conclusions Link had come to in the darkness.
"Someone came here and asked for the Stone," she said. "You refused to let them take it and removed it from public display. It was after that that the dodongos appeared and the entrance to the mine was blocked."
Darunia looked at Link, but could not hold his gaze and dropped his eyes. "He was an ambassador on a visit to the races of Hyrule," he said, resignedly. "Ganondorf, the Gerudo king. He said he wishes the gerudo to be a stronger part of Hyrule than they have since the civil war.
"We ate privately in my rooms, and he asked about the Stone. He said we should make a gesture of good will to strengthen the ties between our races, and that the Stone would be a suitable gift. I thought it was simply seeking better relations between our peoples, but I told him I could not allow him to take it.
"He became angry. He said we should live in harmony, but if I refused to grant him this boon, the gerudo would become our enemies. I still refused, saying I wished for harmony, but that was something I could never allow an outsider to take away, no matter how diplomatic the request. The next day he viewed the mines, before leaving us."
Link nodded. "So Ganondorf came here, and when you refused him the Stone he looked for another way to take it from you."
"He is due to return here for a second visit, soon. I have little doubt that he will then tell me to give him the Stone in return for relieving our difficulties. I will be honest that before your arrival I had considered giving in to him."
"He must not have it. He is seeking to enter the Sacred Realm," said Link, bluntly.
Darunia digested this new information. "You are right. He must not." Grunting with pain, he clambered to his feet. He swayed slightly, but stayed standing. The torch light flickered off his craggy figure, and it was obvious the rock fall had caused him considerable pain.
"To stop him, we must get out of this place though." He staggered forwards, moving to where the tunnel was blocked. Link came behind him, holding the torch aloft for him to see.
"I am ashamed," whispered Darunia, and Link could not tell which of them he was addressing any more. "I did this myself, blinded and thoughtless. It is a poor way for a leader to behave." He turned to Link. "What of our companions?"
"I don't know," the kokiri lied. He hoped fervently that Timbull and Hendon were okay on the other side of the rock fall, but he did not think it possible that Rayner had survived.
"We must move on," said Darunia. He began moving down the tunnel, leaning heavily against the wall as he moved. He was staggering slightly, but stayed on his feet. Link followed after him, the torch raised above his head to light their way.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"This was not the tunnel that broke into the dodongos' lair. We were digging deeper into the mountain at several points before we were overrun, and the passages cross each other further up."
"So there's a way out?"
"Yes, we will be able to leave. I do not wish to spend much more time in these mines. It seems they are cursed at the moment, as if any goron entering brings bad omens upon himself."
Unable to think of a response, Link trotted along behind the patriarch. Darunia's breathing was laboured, sounding like a great exertion every time he drew air into his lungs. The sound filled the tunnel and echoed around them, sounding distorted, unnatural and unpleasant.
Eventually, Link spoke to break the silence. "You always speak of gorons as male. Aren't there any goron women?"
Through his rasping breaths, Link heard a low chuckle, normal goron light-heartedness breaking through even here. "That is a question I have heard many times, brother. Our people seem strange to the hylians, and I suppose now we must extend that to the kokiri.
"Our world is one of balance. Amongst the hylians, there are men and women, two sides creating one whole. Did you know that there are no men amongst the gerudo? Only one male is born amongst their race every hundred years." Link's surprise at this news elicited another low chuckle. "Perhaps the goddesses created balance in Hyrule between the gerudo and the gorons, the peoples of the east and west. The sun rises over our mountains and sets beyond the western desert.
"No, there are no goron women. But then, one might argue that there are no goron men. We simply are what we are. We are gorons, and brothers all." Link fell silent again to consider these words.
Soon after, they came to an intersection of the tunnels. Darunia indicated the left turning. "This passage will lead us back out of the mines." He was walking more easily, and his breathing was not as difficult. Goron resilience was obviously formidable.
He had walked fifteen paces down the corridor before he realised he was alone, the flickering light fading as he walked out of the illumination of the torch. Turning, he saw that Link was still holding the burning brand, but his attention was drawn down the dark tunnel that led deeper into the mountain.
"Brother," he called. "What delays you? I do not wish to spend any longer than necessary down here." Link turned, looking at Darunia in surprise, as if he had forgotten he was there.
"What's down this way?"
Darunia grimaced. "I would have thought it obvious. It is the passage we were digging when we broke through to the dodongos' cavern."
"How many dodongos are there down here?"
"I do not know. Too many for you and I. Our intention in entering the mines today was to learn just that."
"We still can," said Link, still looking into the darkness of the tunnel. "Otherwise we've wasted our journey. I think we should try and find out."
"What are you thinking, brother?" asked Darunia, moving back towards the intersection. "I can hear in your voice that an idea is forming."
Link did not turn or meet his friend's eye. "I just think we shouldn't turn back yet. You still need to know what's happening in here, and I want to make sure we stop whatever Ganondorf has set in motion."
"Very well. I am learning to put my trust in you more and more. It is a difficult lesson for a big goron to learn, but it is so far proving worthwhile."
Still holding the torch, Link now took the lead, with Navi perched on his shoulder.
"You may not wish to tell him, but I know you have something else in mind," she whispered in his ear. "What are you planning?"
"Just what I said. I intend to do whatever I can to hinder Ganondorf's plans."
Again, silence descended amongst the little group, as they moved deeper into tunnels of Death Mountain. They did not speak now, and all were straining to hear any sounds ahead of them that might suggest they were walking into danger.
They had been walking for some time when Link heard just that. A rustling, slithering sound, just at the edge of his hearing, warning him that all was not well. It grew steadily louder, and soon Darunia could hear it too. Both now moved as silently as possible, a task that was far easier for the small boy than for the cumbersome goron.
Ahead, the passage widened out. Even Link, unskilled in such things though he was, could see the marks where the miners had broken through and the forged passage gave way to natural cavity.
The rustling noise was very loud now. Link edged forwards, straining to allow the flickering light of the torch to spread further and reveal a little more ground.
The light slid over brown rock and then, suddenly, green skin. A body was revealed, two legs, a stubby head with virulent red eyes, and a long thick tail. Then another dodongo could be seen, and another, and another. They turned towards the light and there was a long, low hiss. It spread, and soon it became a loud seething noise.
Backing away, Link could feel his heart pounding harder and harder. The dodongos were slow to react, but it was obvious that there were more than they had seen previously. They had answered the gorons' question: there were many, many dodongos down here in the tunnels of the mountain. The hissing continued to grow, and it became a truly terrifying sound. The front dogongos were steadily dragging themselves over the ground now, pulling themselves towards the intruders on their two stumpy legs.
Abandoning his caution, Link turned and waved frantically at Darunia for a retreat. The goron did not need telling twice, and responded immediately. He moved quickly down the passage, still trying not to make too much noise. He knew more about the creatures than Link did, and knew he did not want to send too many vibrations rumbling through the rock for the dodongos to pick up. Link had no idea this might cause problems, and was too small for it to be a problem anyway. He simply ran, making sure not to get too far ahead of Darunia, but nonetheless keen to get away.
The hissing of the lizards chased them down the tunnel, and the sound of their pursuers closing in on them was loud in their ears. When he estimated they were half way back towards the intersection, Link decided it was time to throw caution to the wind. He stopped and faced his companion.
"Darunia, is there any other tunnel that intersects with this one? Any other way out except this tunnel?"
The goron looked down at the kokiri, confusion evident on his speckled face. "Why do you ask?"
"We don't have much time," rasped Link, exasperated. "Is there any other way back from here?"
"No. We were driven from this place before we had any opportunity to continue our mining."
"Good. Then bring down the passage."
"What?" Darunia's tone was sharp.
The hissing and slithering was growing louder and louder. Time was running short.
"I said bring down the passage! You made this tunnel and it brought the dodongos out. There are far too many to fight without a huge amount of bloodshed. But this tunnel is as new and as fragile as the one where the roof collapsed. Block this tunnel and the dodongos are sealed back where they came from."
Light dawned in Darunia's eyes, but they had dawdled too long. Hissing vehemently, the vanguard of the dodongos was upon them. There was no option. Link held the torch in his right hand and drew his sword in his left, and Darunia bunched his mighty fists. This tunnel was far narrower than the previous one, and the two of them formed a wall together.
Three dodongos leapt at them. The first fell from the air, killed instantly by Darunia's fist. A second fell back, its throat cut wide open by Link's blade. The third hit Darunia and made him stagger, but he quickly shook it off, trampling it beneath his feet.
Lunging forward, Link stabbed and slashed in the little space. Two dodongos received great gashes across the front of their blunt heads, another died instantly as the blade was driven through the roof of its mouth into its brain.
Yanking the blade free, Link attacked again and drove the sword through the neck of another. The time it took to once more draw his blade free allowed a lizard to lash at him with its teeth, lacerating his left arm just below the elbow. He gasped in pain but running on adrenaline drew back and swung out with the sword. The dodongo hissed angrily as the blade was drawn full across its face.
Retreating a step or two, Link found the space to lunge again and kill it, then turned on another, instantly dispatching that one as well.
For his part, Darunia was doing his best but even goron resilience could not change the fact that he had barely escaped the cave in. Nonetheless, he held his own and struck out at any lizard within range.
No injury could hold Link now, though. He stabbed, and hacked, his blade darting too and fro in the confined space. The dodongos were not as eager to come forwards now. There may have been more of them, but they were growing mortally afraid of the little sword. They were crawling over their dead to reach the kokiri, and many that had not already been dispatched had received painful wounds from the sharp steel.
Seeing their reticence, Link drew back from them. He was panting, and nearing exhaustion and did not know how long he could carry on fighting. Taking his cue perfectly, Darunia advanced. He drove at the dodongos with a great roar and forced them backwards, just for a moment. It was enough to buy a second's breathing space, though.
"Darunia!" shouted Link. "Bring down the tunnel! It's the only way to get out of this!"
"Those are wise words, brother. I will see what I can do about a courageous heart. Now, get back!"
The dodongos had decided to charge again, too stupid to give up when they had clearly superior numbers. Link retreated, backing away with the torch held up to light Darunia's work. Before they could reach the warriors, though, Darunia slammed a great fist into the wall that made the whole passage shake. Undeterred, the dodongos continued to advance. Darunia struck the wall, and then a third time. The rumbling grew and Link continued to retreat, wondering if the whole mountain was going to fall down around them.
The goron's fist slammed into the wall, and now chips and shards of rock flew away. He punched again, and the tremors continued to spread. Even the dodongos were uncertain now, hesitating at the trembling of the passage.
At the last second, Darunia abandoned his work. He moved towards Link, taking two great strides before throwing himself forwards. He bunched himself up, pulling in all his limbs, so that he became a huge rock that flew under the momentum of his run, bouncing down the tunnel and ricocheting off the walls.
Link threw himself to the floor to avoid being crushed by his friend, and then for the second time that day, he found himself in a world that was falling apart. He could not tell which way was up or down, the torch and his sword dropped from his hand. Everything went dark but the noise seemed to go on and on, the rumbling and roaring of rocks crashing and falling incessantly, until Link was convinced that the mountain really must have collapsed and that at any moment he would be crushed. He could do nothing but wrap himself into a tight ball, and hope this final act of defiance against Ganondorf had been enough.
Eventually, the noise subsided. He did not dare to move, and barely knew if he was dead or alive. He could only lie in the dark, trembling and shaking.