Chapter Eight: A Goron Problem

A particularly boisterous Cucco call was what finally roused Link from his slumber. Stifling a yawn, he stretched as he sat up, remembering the last time he was in here. It certainly wasn't the most pleasant of circumstances, getting sliced up by stalchildren before landing up in here. Curious, he reached behind him, attempting to feel the wound, or the remains of it. He cringed as his muscled protested the act, as his fingertips brushed raised skin. Scarred, obviously, and still not quite healed if his muscles were anything to go by. Still, he hadn't felt any scabbing, which meant the wound had closed up nicely.

Rotating his shoulders in an attempt to ease out some of the tension, He shuffled out of bed to dress himself. The last thing he reached for was his cap, but he stopped inches from grabbing it. He smiled. A faint blue pulse from within was all the indication he needed to know that Navi still slept soundly. Deciding not to wake her, he instead brushed his blond hair from his face and made to exit the room, making sure to leave the door open a few inches for her.

His first observation walking outside was that it was still fairly early into the morning; the sky was bright, but the sun was yet to be visible above the ranch walls, and the shadows were long. And already the ranch seemed so alive, he had to wonder just how early did the day start for the people here. He passed by Mr. Ingo, who was feeding the cuccos beside the house, who only gave a curt nod towards his direction, muttering to himself. He caught only a handful of words, among them being "Lazy" and "Talon," which made him grin. Evidently, Talon was not the most agreeable person to work with in Mr. Ingo's eyes.

There were fewer horses out on the range than last time—the others were being cared for in the stables—but he was still easily able to spot the pair whom he searched for. Sure enough, just like last time, He found Malon standing in the center of the field, Epona grazing beside her as her mane was being brushed. She was humming the same song as before too, a smile plastered on her face that he couldn't help but share.

"Morning!" he greeted cheerily, causing Malon to jump, startled, he laughed. "What, didn't expect me till later?"

"No, you just snuck u-" She stopped mid-sentence, staring at him, before suddenly giggling. "Y-your hair looks funny, forest boy!" she laughed, pointing to emphasize the fact. "Where's your hat?!"

He felt himself turning red, and instinctively reached up in an attempt to make his hair tamer. Apparently this only made it worse, because she only started laughing harder. Epona simply looked up, curious of the noise, and after a moment went back to grazing. At least she didn't care about his hair.

Giving up, and still blushing, he forced himself to pretend nothing was amiss. "My hat is currently being used as a bed, so I am without it for a while."

"o-oh, that's too bad ... and kinda' cute too," she added, regaining her composure. She still let out a giggle when she looked at him though. "Anyway, you just snuck up on me, was what I was going to say, before … that." She giggled again, but waved her hand as if to dismiss the matter. "How long will you be staying? You said he had to go back to Kakariko, right?"

"Yeah, that's a few hours to walk, but me and Navi agreed we—"

"Navi and I, you mean?" She interrupted.

"Would … uh, what?"

"'Navi and I,' not 'me and Navi;' that's not proper language, daddy always tells me so." She nodded sagaciously; Talon was an adult as well as her dad, and adults knew almost everything.

"Uhh … right … so, Navi and I," he paused, emphasizing the correction, "agreed we would want to rest there before going to Death Mountain, so we probably will leave in the early afternoon."

"Oh ok, do you wanna' help me with the horses then? I just need to feed them, it's really easy," she added, smiling. He nodded and shrugged, returning the smile.

"Sure, why not? It's better than doing nothing."

"Definitely," she agreed, Patting Epona on the shoulder before walking by. "Come on, I'll show you where we keep the feed."

~0~

The morning passed by quickly, a matter of hours becoming only a few minutes to Link. Navi had joined him and Malon in the stables between that time, lugging his cap with her, which made both of the children laugh, much to her chagrin. She was able to immediately silence Link with a comment on his unkempt hair, which made Malon laugh all the more. With a word of thanks, he had taken his hat and placed it on his head, pointedly ignoring the laughter and the look of amusement on Navi's face.

Lunch was quick, Link opting on having only some bread and cheese; since he would be walking for some hours, he didn't want his stomach getting in the way. It took only a few moments to grab his belongings, and within minutes he was at the entrance to the ranch with Talon and Malon seeing them off.

"Now you be careful, OK Link? You'll come back and visit again, right?" Malon asked, looking at the two of them. Link smiled and nodded.

"Of course I will, why wouldn't I?" Satisfied, she smiled before coming up to him and giving him a hug. Navi and Talon chuckled as they saw a tint of red come into his face, but he returned the hug and pretended like it didn't matter.

"I would say the same as my daughter did. You take good care of yourselves, alright? And I know it's not much, but here, take this with you," Talon said as he handed link a glass bottle, which he took in both hands.

"Some of our famous Lon Lon milk is in that there bottle. It should do you some good, if you're ever in need of a boost. It'll stay fresh for longer than normal milk, too, so no need to worry about it spoiling, even in this warmth."

"Wow, thank you sir," Link said, eyeing the bottle's contents. He was probably right; he had had some with his lunch and it did make him feel a lot more energized after the morning's work. Storing it away in his now near-full pouch, he thanked him again.

"No need to thank me," He chuckled, waving his hand as if brushing away a fly. "You earned it what with the work you helped with this morning; saves us a lot of trouble, and I gotta' say, you do a fine job of the work."

"Hey! Once you're done, you should come live with us! Then we can all work and have fun here together all the time!" Malon spoke up excitedly, nearly dancing on her toes. Talon laughed, his booming voice drowning out Link's own laughter.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Malon, Perhaps it's worth a thought another time, wouldn't you say Link?"

"Yeah, as nice as it sounds, that might not be for a while, sorry."

"Oh, fine," She pouted, wearing a dejected look. It hardly lasted though, unable to contain the smile that crept back into her face. "Just so long as you come back."

"I will, I promise," He said as he began to depart into the fields beyond. "See you guys later!" With final waves of goodbye, the ranch was finally placed behind them.

"You know, I really do like them," Link said after a while. Navi looked at him from beside him, keeping pace with her companion as she flew. "I don't think that was a bad idea either. I mean…the forest was where I was raised, but, it never felt like home." He paused, suddenly changing his thoughts. "No…The Great Deku Tree and Saria made it feel like home, but Father is gone now and, well, I don't feel like I will ever go back. I won't see Saria again."

Navi said nothing, only continued to watch him. His face, which was usually bright and happy, was now sad. It saddened her too, to see him this way. He's only a child, she thought to herself. How can one expect a child to bear such a burden alone?

Touching down upon his shoulder, she placed a hand on his cheek, causing him to turn slightly to see her. She shook her head, putting on a reassuring smile.

"We'll be back someday, Link. And Saria will be there too. I'm sure of it."

"You think so?" He asked her. She watched his frown fade and be replaced with a faint glimmer of hope. She nodded.

"I know so. We'll be back soon enough. Besides, Saria told you to come back and visit, remember? And she told you the forest was your home, even if you didn't always feel like you belonged. The Great Deku Tree called you his own. The forest is your home to return to, should you ever need to. I think you should trust them, and believe as they have believed."

Link looked toward the great forest stretching behind them to the south, considering her words. She was right, he had to finally admit. Without the forest, he would never have had a place to call home. Nor would he have had the friends he had in Saria and the Great Deku Tree…and Navi. He smiled.

"Yeah…you're right. I do have a home there…Nothing wrong with having more than one though," he added with a laugh. She chuckled as well.

"No, there isn't." Great Deku Tree…I think, I finally understand a little why you placed me with this child. You didn't want me to just guide him on his journey, did you? She shook her head in silent wonder. Even in death his wisdom and understanding was still being realized. As she flew after Link, she doubted it would be the last time she would see his wisdom.

~0~

The dawn found Link and Navi awake and well rested, and before even the shadows could be lifted from the valley that was known as Kakariko Village, they arrived once again at the guarded gate.

The rest of the journey there had been uneventful, and they had arrived just as the sun was setting over the horizon. On recommendation from Talon, they had found a kindly woman who offered rooms to travelers; an unofficial inn of sorts. So long as they needed a place to stay, she would give them one. She had been more than happy to see that they were cared for, and when it was time for bed, it found Link particularly satisfied with the dinner.

It was the same guard as before, who smiled as he ascended the final steps towards the gate.

"Ah, we meet again, lad. And I see you have a nice shield there," he added, nodding in approval. Link smiled, reaching behind his back for the mask he had placed there.

"The shield isn't the only thing I got either, sir. I found the mask too, here." Drawing it out, he extended it to the guard, who took it, examining it with a smile.

"Yes, this looks exactly like what my boy always talks about. Thanks kid, I owe you a passage up, don't I? How was that shop like anyways?" He asked, walking over to the gate lock. Link shrugged.

"It was weird, really. The guy was kinda' creepy, talking about lending masks instead of selling them there and stuff I didn't get. I got the mask though; all I need to do is apparently pay him for it or something."

"Is that so?" The guard mused, opening the gate. Perhaps the kid didn't get it, but he did. He had never heard of such a concept before, but he had to admit it had potential. He smiled. The kid basically was acting as salesman, and he didn't even realize it. Apparently the man hadn't explained that well enough for a child to understand.

"Well, maybe I'll drop in sometime when I'm off duty. And here, a little tip for helping me out," he said, flicking a gleaming rupee towards him. Catching it, he looked to see a red gleam, which he remembered from Talon's explanation to be worth twenty green rupees.

"You've earned that as well as my thanks. You keep yourself safe up on that mountain, OK? The Gorons should be about halfway up."

"Thank you sir, for everything. I'll be back safely, I promise." With a last wave, he passed by the gate, and began his ascent.

the flat, terraced landscape of the village was quickly swallowed by the roots of the mountain. The whole of the winding path before him was laden in shadows, the sun not yet high enough to bathe the surface of the rock. Despite the chill air and the path before him, Link was soon breathing heavily, for the path became steep in some places, and ever did the path ascend, never falling even an inch. Still, he pressed on, assured by the knowledge that the Goron race he sought was not much farther.

As the morning aged to near its end, Link found the path veering sharply to the right. As he made the turn, he for the first time bore witness to the full grandeur of Death Mountain. Link stared in amazement, craning his neck to see the top.

"It's so...big," he said, never taking his eyes off the monolithic work of Din. Navi beside him nodded, also appreciating the size of the mountain.

"I never thought it would be this huge from where we saw it before, did you?" He asked, finally tearing his eyes away to look at his partner. She shook her head.

"I knew it would be large, but not like this. I think I have a better understanding of why it is simply called Death Mountain too."

"What?" he asked, looking at the mountain again for clues."

"Look at the top."

He followed her instructions, squinting in hopes of seeing better. The sun was high enough now to illuminate some of the surface, and it was from this he was able to see what she was talking about.

Faint traces of smoke streamed from the peak, and it was only now he realized that what he thought were clouds was actually a ring of smoke around the entire mountaintop. He heard a faint rumble that shook the earth faintly, and witnessed several rocks and more dark smoke shoot from the top. It lasted only a few moments before dying away.

"It's not a mountain; it's a volcano," Navi stated. Link nodded, understanding too now the namesake. To get too close could spell death.

"If we're this close, that means the Gorons can't be much farther at all," Link reasoned aloud, then smiled. "Let's see what we can find." With renewed energy, he pressed further, Navi fluttering behind and he followed the trail further up.

It quickly turned into a challenge, though. Several times they were forced to take cover from falling debris as a result of the mountain's activity. A part of the trail doubled back on itself, steeply ascending, making it that much harder to avoid injury. Link was curious about how the rock formation looked by the pinch in the path, but he left it in the back of his mind; climbing, and being safe about it, was more important.

The path doubled back again, going back towards the mountain, and this time link was rewarded with a promising sign.

"There, that's what the lady said we'd find, right? A red pennant at a fork?" Link asked, knowing Navi heard him from within his cap, which she had decided to take refuge in. When he had made his intentions known to the kind woman back in Kakariko, she quickly was able to give him pointers and landmarks to note. Her late husband had been a soldier that had once patrolled the mountain, along with the Gorons, so she knew exactly how to reach the isolated people of the mountain.

"Yes, that's it, now take the right path, the one that goes down."

"Finally, an easy part," Link happily exclaimed, making his way past the pennant and down towards his destination. By now the sun had risen high enough to reach everything, but not here. Here the path had actually been dug into the mountain, so that there was an expansive ceiling of rock overhead. The air was cooler here, which was certainly welcome for Link, who was half-drenched in sweat from his exertions and the growing heat.

At the far end of the tunnel-like structure lay the entrance to the Goron's home. Two large doors crafted of timber strung together, simply made with hardly any decoration, hung open across the almost squarish entrance, looking strangely out-of-place and yet perfectly normal at the same time.

Link turned to see Navi hovering beside him, having slipped out of his hat. He smiled.

"We made it!" he excitedly proclaimed. "We finally made it!" Navi smiled, pleased that her partner was in such good spirits. After the harsh trip, she was actually surprised he could be this way, but she was glad for it nevertheless. Now came a task potentially more difficult than the one they had just overcome.

"Now to find Darunia-"

"And the stone," Link finished, nodding. "What are we waiting for?" with a smile still upon his face, he confidently strode through the door. Navi followed behind, smiling. With an attitude like his, perhaps it might not be so hard as she thought.

The tunnel stretched into the mountain a good distance, even at one point casting the path into pitch darkness, as there were no lights. This lasted only a few moments, before light was seen from the far end. From that same source Link heard various sounds; strange voices, music playing from somewhere, and the occasional sound of rumbling. He pressed on, curious about the sources of it all.

When he finally emerged, he found himself in an expansive brightly torch-lit cave, dug out in a circular fashion with several levels reached through outlying stairways. Along the walls various murals were painted, many of them seeming to depict celebratory scenes. And for the first time in his life, he clasped eyes on the Gorons as they roamed the village paths.

And what a curious sight they were! They were large and rotund, their skin was reminiscent of clay in color, and their backs had the look, and probably the feel, of rock. Their wide girth and roundness did not permit them to have much of a neck, but as he watched one whiz by, he realized with amazement that he-or she, he could not tell-was rolling! The image reminded him faintly of when he had had to follow behind the rolling boulder back in the Kokiri Forest.

"Are you seeing this Navi?" Link asked, a grin on his face. Everything was so different compared to the forest, or even of what he had seen of the rest of Hyrule. What was it like to live underground?

"I see Link. I also see we're attracting attention," she added, looking around. Link looked too, and understood what she meant. Several of the rock people had stopped and were staring, seemingly just as curious about the two of them as he was about them. Suddenly nervous, he wondered if he should say anything.

"Umm..." He began, barely over a whisper. He never finished, as he watched one of the Gorons step closer, examining him with intelligent eyes.

"Goro? Are you a guest?" He asked, wit ha voice that was surprisingly smooth and gentle. Link was able to relax a little, not so nervous as before. They seem pretty nice, actually.

"I guess so," he answered more weakly than intended. Giving himself a mental push, he spoke with more confidence. "I came to see Darunia, it's really important and I need to see him."

"Goro? Darunia? Are you a messenger of the Royal Family, goro?"

Are they expecting the Royal Family's messenger? Thinking quickly, he nodded in confirmation. Zelda did send me here, after all, so, that makes me a messenger, right?

The Goron smiled then, beckoning him to follow as he turned toward some stairs.

"It is fortunate you come, goro. Things here have gotten very bad, and the chief has locked himself away in his room, goro, along with our treasure. He refuses to come out until he hears the messenger has come. He is in a very bad mood, goro." He said somberly.

Link continued to observe his surroundings as he was led through the village. The most dominating feature had to be the giant vase with the Goron's likeness painted thrice around it. He wondered if it served any purpose at all. When they arrived at the bottom level, the goron led him past the vase, and a doorway that appeared to lead to a shop of some kind, to a strange door that reminded him of when he was inside the Great Deku Tree; it had no handle of any kind. In front of the door was a mat with various patterns on it.

"You'll find the chief through here, goro, just prove you're the messenger and he should let you in, goro."

Proof! How do I prove...? Then he remembered learning the song of the Royal Family, and Impa telling him its significance. Well, time to try it out. The goron watched him as he removed the ocarina from underneath his tunic, loosening the string to better play without it tightening about his neck. Taking a few breaths to steady himself, he put the instrument to his lips and began to play. Curiously, though he had only played it a couple of times as practice, this time it was as if the song wanted to be played, and guided him to play the notes with expert precision.

As he played, the goron nodded, apparently satisfied with something, and it was only then that link realized that he had relaxed somewhat; the entire time he had been nervous about something. Maybe because I'm just a kid. After all, why by the Goddesses above would the Royal Family send a child as a messenger?

As the last note faded away, the door before him groaned in protestation as it began to rise up, opening a path to the room where Darunia was.

"You play well, messenger, goro. Darunia will see you." Leaning forward, he beckoned link closer. "I must warn you, goro, he is in a foul mood. I can see your value, child though you may be, but Darunia is proud, goro, very proud. Take care with your words, friend." With that, he straightened, patted link on the shoulder, and went his way.

"So basically, Darunia is going to be mad at you," Navi said, sounding annoyed. Link sighed.

"Way to have first introductions," he remarked, before stepping through. "Might as well get it over with, he whispered under his breath."

~0~

"What mockery is this?! Does my sworn brother the king think so little of me, to send a child?! Din curse my misfortune, get out of my sight!" The towering Goron roared, His face the mask of ferocity. He turned his back to Link, who stood across from him, determined to stare at the decorative stone pillar until he was gone.

Darunia was not what Link had expected him to be. He was much taller than the rest of the Gorons, And extremely muscular, though he still held the trademark belly and general roundness. Link had noted before how the Gorons had little to no hair on their heads, but Darunia had a full head of cream-colored spiked-back hair, outlining his hard face and temple, and even sported a full-grown beard of similar attributes. And all of it helped to make him look even more angry.

Still, while he was a little frightened, his stubborn determination won out.

"No, I won't."

He saw the Goron's head turn slightly, and a grunt emanated. "You won't? Shall I make you?"

"You wouldn't be able to. I need your help."

That brought forth a hearty single laugh. "HA, YOU need help? My people are in danger of extinction! Our main food source, bomb flowers, has been blocked off, and starvation threatens us like a pack of wolfos surrounding their prey. What could your need be, to be greater than our own?"

"I need you to give me the Spiritual Stone of Fire so we can stop Ganondorf. He's a bad man who wants the Triforce."

Darunia was silent, but slowly turned to face Link agin, his face a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. He looked him up and down, examining him, all the while Link remained silent, waiting for an answer. Navi peaked her head out from under his head, curious of the events. Darunia caught sight of her, and his eyes widened.

"You are not Hylian, yet you know the song of the Royal Family? You are a curious one, and I commend you for your courage. However-" He paused as he began to pace, organizing his thoughts.

"I cannot give you the stone so easily. I believe what you say is true: Ganondorf is not to be trusted, and he seeks the Triforce. A short while ago, some Gerudo came here demanding the stone. I refused, of course. The next day, a giant rock covered the cave a short ways from here, and from within the sound of dodongos were heard, a lizard species thought extinct from overhunting. Never once did they mention Ganondorf's name, or even imply it was he who sought it, and he claims at the gathering that he was unaware of this, and that these gerudos are rogues. I met him once before, in the civil war years ago. He is a cold, calculating man. I believe he is lying, and that he is responsible for this tragedy upon us."

He turned to face Link once again. "I cannot freely give you the stone, like I said before. But, be it against my judgement, if you were to unblock the cavern outside, and remove the threat of the dodongos from within, then I would give you anything you would ask of me, even the stone."

You mean that?" Link asked, eyes widening. He had thought it would be more difficult. Navi too seemed mildly surprised. Darunia nodded.

"I do. And though it would be reluctantly, I do not think it would be unwise. As young as you are, you seem fairly competent, and you have a fire in your eyes that we gorons appreciate." Walking over to one of the desks in the room, he shuffled through a box until he pulled something out. "There's no real reason that I give this to you, but lets just say it's a gift of friendship, shall we?" walking over to Link, he extended his hand, revealing what he had found. It was a small golden bracelet, with black stones carefully cut and embedded to form the goron symbol.

"This bracelet is worn by those who are to become chief. As of yet, I have no heir of my own, and quite frankly, something like this is easy to replace. It should fit you quite well, and wearing it will give you greater strength. Go ahead, try it on," he urged, proffering the item.

"Link took it in his hands, admiring the smooth surface. He had seen similar trinkets at the Castle Town marketplace, but nothing as skillfully crafted as this. Gorons it seemed were master crafters. Slipping it onto his sword arm, he was happy, and so was Darunia, to see it fit perfectly. And he could have sworn he felt a shift in his strength, but he wasn't sure.

"Thank you, umm, Chief Darunia-" The chief laughed, this time jovially.

"Just my name is fine enough," he stated with a grin."And I don't believe I know yours."

"It's Link, and this is Navi." He pointed to the fairy as he said this, and she nodded her head in respect. Darunia repeated the motion, before returning his attention to Link

"I would see you to the cave, but I must remain here, for the stone is now under my care, as before it was displayed above the city. My brother should still be outside the door; he's the one who led you here." Link blinked, before gaping at the memory.

"That was your brother? But he looks nothing like you!"

Darunia laughed again. "Yes, everyone says that. Then again, I don't look much like any of my brethren," he mused aloud, chuckling to himself. "Anyway, my brother can lead you to the cave. From there it is up to you. I would wish you the best of luck, young friend, and may the goddesses watch you with favor."

"I'll be back in no time, you'll see," Link assured, smiling. "Thank you for your time." He stepped out of the room, back toward the rest of the village. Darunia nodded in satisfaction.

"If only more Hylians had his spirit," he mused aloud. The he chuckled, realizing his error. He wasnt really a Hylian, the clothes and fairy were proof enough. Without a doubt, he was Kokirian.

But...How was he able to leave the forest? He had to wonder.

~0~

"I'm impressed you did well with my brother, goro," the goron said, as they walked out from the village back outside. The shadows had not shifted much, only a short amount of time had passed, but by now noon had come and gone. Luckily Link had been able to pick up a meal in the village, that didn't consist of rocks.

"He was mad at first, but when I told him why I needed his help he was fine," Link explained, looking around. As he did so, he caught sight of an outcropping, where a single plant was, bathed in sunlight.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the object in question. The goron followed his gesture, and nodded when he saw it.

"Ah, that is a bomb flower, goro, and that one is most precious and unusual. Bomb flowers are what we enjoy eating the most, and they grow in dark, warm areas. Dodongos Cavern, where I am taking you, has many of there, goro. It is unusual to see one out in the open and thriving, so we do not eat those ones."

"Uh huh. Can I get a closer look?"

"Certainly," The goron replied, motioning him towards the plant. The two of them walked over to it, and Link bent down to examine it more closely. The best he could describe it to himself was that it looked like a giant blueberry with leaves on top. He reached out and touched it, feeling the texture of the spherical plant, and found it was smooth, but tough. These were what the gorons ate chiefly, bomb flowers.

"How do you eat these?" Link asked, curious.

"Well, First we must diffuse them-"

"Diffuse?"

The goron blinked. "Of course, goro, they are unique plants in that they explode if not properly handled."

This made Link remove his hand from the plant, looking at it with more wariness. A plant that exploded? This mountain just added another reason to its namesake.

He got up and looked out over the edge as the Goron continued his explanation. Link was only half-listening, as it may prove useful to know, and indeed he did find it useful as he developed an idea. Over this very fenced ledge was the cavern, its entrance sealed. There was no way he would be able to move it, and certainly it would take far too long to break it, but...

"How long does it take these plants to grow back if picked?" Link asked suddenly, turning back to face the goron. He looked at him curiously.

"They have an unusually high rate of regrowth, goro, about two days in the open like this, in the cave in mere hours."

"Am I allowed to pick this? We can use this to remove that huge boulder, and when I get rid of the dodongos, you can have all the bomb flowers you want."

"The goron brightened, a smile coming to his face. "That is a good idea! You are a clever one, goro, let us try it. We can pick it, just not destroy it, goro."

"So, how would I pick it to delay an explosion?"

The goron assisted him in the process, Link following is instructions exactly. After all, he didn't want the plant to explode in his face. After only a few moments, he held it in his hand.

"It will remain like this for only a few moments, goro, you must dispatch of it quickly."

"Easy," Link replied, tossing it over the ledge and watching it plummet toward the boulder. As it made contact, there was a loud crack, and immediately after the plant exploded, creating a burst of sound as well as fire and smoke. And it did the job; the rock beneath shattered to hundreds of pieces, and the rest of the boulder was split in a dozen or more places, all of which flew from or into the cave entrance, creating an accessible passageway.

"Well done, goro!" the goron cheered, smiling. "Now you're going to get rid of the dragon, right?"

Link whipped around, shocked. "A what?!"