Chapter 33: King Under the Mountain
Link's legs wobbled with each step, and his arms hung limp at his side. Everything ached. Worse than any of the strain he caused himself when he practiced in his hidden spot in the woods. Pain from his duel with Ganondorf, along with Bethmasse's training made every movement an agony. And of the two, the training seemed the worse. He was certain that Bethe was using his training as a means of punishment.
And maybe it was a punishment, but really it was just a reminder. He could not trust any of them. The Gerudo may sometimes be fun, they may take people in off the roads and offer them protection. But they were the drivers of war and hatred and they were loyal to a murderer.
"Only the princess," Link muttered to himself as he made his way through the sloping caverns the Goron's called home. That was the only one he could trust now, only the princess. And little good she would do back in Hyrule Castle.
At least he was away from the Gerudo, though the Gorons did not seem much better. Link dashed around one that bumbled forward, nearly crushing him underfooot. His hands were filled with large shining stones.
"Watch yourself!" Link shouted after the Goron, but the stoneman didn't respond. They all of them seemed busy. Preparing to face what the Great Deku Tree had always warned him of. The great beast that devoured everything in its path: war.
Bethe had told him they would leave the safety of the Goron Tunnels in the morning and everyone had one last thing to accomplish. In the crowded confines within the mountain, Link could limp through a foundry where the air was so hot it made Link's chest hurt if he got too close to the fires. The Goron that almost trampled over Link dropped the ore into a pile. Further down smiths pounded steel into rough metal shapes of armor and jagged weapons to serve the Goron army.
If there was some kind of organization to the Goron City, Link certainly didn't understand it. In Castle Town there was the marketplace which was a designated area away from where most people seemed to live. And when he had helped bring the animals into the pen that was a whole other area set aside for visiting traders and their goods.
Here everything seemed to be on top of each other. As if the Gorons did not mind the heat or the noise of anything around them.
Lucky. All he could do in the mountain was think about how sweaty he felt, how hot he was, how much the pounding of steel and stone rang through the whole mountain. He made his way through the foundry over a section of huts carved from the stones. Gorons crowded around entrances, some bowing their heads in solemnity, others preparing equipment for themselves to take into battle. A group of young ones that weren't much taller than Link stood around one massive Goron with gray hair and presented him axes and cudgels. One of them was crying.
Another group of Gorons that did not seem quite as old to Link's eye huddled together running toward each other and smashing their stomachs and shoulders into each other in some very violent game. But every time one was knocked down, the others would lift him up and applaud their effort. "You fall now, you won't fall against the lizards!" one of them said.
And in the doorway of one of their huts two Goron's embraced and whispered something too quiet for Link to hear until he had near passed them by.
"Come back," one bald withered one said as he embraced one much younger and taller than himself. "Once the battle is done, promise me you will come back."
Link could not hear what the other one said, if there even was anything to say. They were afraid, all of them afraid in their own way. Even those young ones running into each other. This was more like father had warned. That the coming war was something terrible and dangerous. It was far from how the Gerudo reacted to the news of war. Among them they were feasting, dancing, and singing for the fight ahead. They seemed to welcome the coming violence.
What did it mean, that he felt more at home with them?
He limped away from the Goron homes and reached a bridge and stopped. There was still so much more ground to cover until he reached Chief Darunia's but he felt as though he was going to collapse if he continued walking. He needed a break, just for a moment.
What does it matter if I stop now, anyway? It wasn't as if he had any plans to actually get to the Goron leader. He was only going to head to the Goron's home and do what exactly? Yell for the Goron to open up and listen to him?
He stopped on the bridge and sat down, letting his feet dangle over the side. He was high up. Higher than he suspected. He'd passed over a few other bridges, and each of them had a new level of workers or homes just below each of them. But here there was a large empty space almost as long as one of the large trees of the Lost Woods before the chasm ended. But, why? The Gorons seemed to like filling every foot of the mountain they could.
At the bottom of the chasm, Link could barely make out a group of Goron's working on what he could only describe as a bunch of spherical black pots.
Were they part of the war effort? They didn't look like any weapon that Link had ever seen before. But the Gorons seemed dedicated to working on the pots as efficiently as they could. And gently. Link did not know that Gorons could move with the care that they seemed to have while they worked with these pots. It wasn't the crushing of rock, the pounding of steel, or the beating of their drums. They measured out and poured something that from the distance looked like the black soot that Milo made Link clean from the fire pits back home.
Then a Goron would wedge something to stop the powder from falling out and carefully picked them up one at a time, even though they didn't look all that heavy, and carried them to a wagon.
What could they possibly do? Usually food went in pots, but the Gorons ate rocks.
Maybe it was some weird magic?
That would explain why he couldn't figure out what they did. Magic never made sense. He rubbed his thumb along the ocarina. No one was inside of it. Navi wasn't going to come out and give him a lecture about what he was seeing, and even though it was made of the Great Deku Tree's wood his father would not say anything wise to him either.
Why was he even going to the Chief? There was no way to talk to him when he got there, and even if he did why would anyone listen to him?
"Careful little one." A Goron said as he trudged behind him. He shook his head and tentatively glanced over the edge.
"I'm not going to fall."
"Still," the Goron said as he quickly moved over the bridge, frowning as he glanced down. "Here is dangerous, goro."
What did that even mean?
How stupid he had been to think he could fix all this. Those dreams he had as a kid of riding out to protect people. He couldn't even understand what the people out here were talking about half the time. He couldn't even warn those that had the power and understanding to do what he wanted. He should never have left home. So what if he grew up when all his friends did not? He would still have his friends. He wouldn't be sitting out here, alone. Doing nothing but aching and being confused at the world.
He found himself staring at his ocarina. Strange and magical and it didn't work like he wanted. But, it was home. He brought the ocarina to his lips and started to play. Nothing important, not at first. Just a tune that the Kokiri children occasionally played together some nights.
He imagined Saria dancing in front of the players, moving fast and full of energy bubbling up until she could barely control herself. Everyone was happy and having fun when they played the instruments. Even Milo would focus on the music and having fun when the music played. Link shut his eyes and simply remembered home, how was he to know how perfect it had been? Even if he never fit in. Even with Mido.
The song ended, and Link sighed as he put the instrument down. His legs didn't feel as terrible anymore. He better get moving, he wouldn't want to miss his last chance for being turned away from Chief Darunia's home.
The sound of stones slamming into each other surrounded Link.
Rockslide?
Link scrambled to his feet, too fast, as one of his thighs burned with movement. Apparently the aches had not gone away completely.
But there wasn't any danger. The sound was from one of the Gorons on the other side of the bridge, slamming his huge hands together in applause. "Good job, goro!" he called. "I never heard that music. But here, come away from there." He waved for Link to get away from the bridge.
Link gave one last look over the edge of the bridge. Some of the Gorons were looking up at him, their hands covered in that black soot. One waved up at him. They must have heard his music all the way down there. But one of the larger Gorons was shouting something to the others, and pointing them back toward their work. That big one looked strange, half of his body discolored and darker than the other half, and as he shooed Link away it looked as if one of his hands was far smaller than the other.
Link went to the Goron that applauded him, his legs still wobbling just a bit as he went.
"Where did you learn that?" the Goron said, poking at his ocarina.
"Careful," Link pulled the instrument away. "It's fragile."
"Ohh, sorry, goro," the Goron nodded his head in apology. "I have never seen that instrument. Do you know any more songs?"
"Yeah," Link said. "A few." A few more of the Gorons were staring at him, some smiling waiting for him to continue playing. "Uhh, ok." He played a few scales, trying to figure out what song he wanted to do next. When by accident more than anything, he played the first few notes of the song Saria taught him.
It wouldn't bring her to him. He knew that. He had tested it enough to know that wasn't going to happen. But, he couldn't stop himself. The song flowed from his fingers and breath, as happy as Saria always was. The Goron that first applauded him wore a smile that spread even wider and he stomped his feet to the rhythm. Another laughed and joined him. Others found the beat and clapped their hands together or slapped them against their stomachs to make a rumbling drumming.
Saria would have loved it. He could almost see her dancing along with the Gorons, moving between their legs and jumping about as she did, always in the pure joy of movement. Perhaps that was what she was doing now? Dancing around with their friends as happy as could be. Did she still miss him?
Link let the song grow louder, as he blinked away the tears in his eyes. The tempo went faster, and the dancers gave a laugh as they kept pace with the music. Link's arms felt heavy as he held up the ocarina, weighed down from hours of practice. But he did not want to stop. Instead of finishing the song he changed the key and added just a little bit of flourish to the notes. But even with his little variations he stayed true to the theme that Saria had given him. That simple tune of joy and friendship.
He did not know how long he played, possibly only a few minutes. More Gorons gathered around him, and none of those that first stopped grew bored of the tune and left. But it felt like hours just remembering his home and his friends.
Finally his arms could no longer hold up the ocarina, and he brought the song to a swirling finish before letting his hands fall to his side.
"Well done!" shouted one Goron as the dancers stopped and the rest applauded. Some rolled around him, leaving great lines in the dirt.
Link wiped at his eyes then gave the small crowd a smile. "Thank you," he said. He didn't know what else there was to say. He just stood looking at the Gorons as they laughed and clapped their hands together. All of them staring at him. Was he supposed to do something else? When he had been in Castle Town he saw a perform bow and make grand speeches after each of the songs he played while trying to get passersby to give him rupees.
But that didn't feel right. So he just stood there a moment, and slowly felt heat around his neck and ears that the Gorons weren't stopping with their applause. Ducking down his head, he started to step away from them, toward his futile tasks when someone stepped in his way.
"It's you," said one of the Gorons. Then he leaned forward and squinted down at Link. After a moment his eyes went wide. "It is you!"
"Sorry? I don't know who you are."
The Goron fell heavy to his knees and then bowed before Link. "It is I who is sorry." He said and held up his hands. "I thought you were dead."
The other Gorons looked just as confused by this as Link was. At least until he took a good look at the Goron kneeling before him. Older than most the others, with small tufts of white hair on his head. But what caught Link's eye were the marks on his arms and back, where chunks of his stony flesh had been taken out and were not yet healed. Cracks along the stone that Link had seen once before.
"I was so afraid. I thought I was dead. You saved me, and I repaid you bravery with cowardice."
"Oh," Link's stomach felt as if he had been eating the same stones the Gorons feasted upon. "I-" what was he supposed to say? 'I'm only glad you are safe?' He wasn't glad about that. It was because of this Goron abandoning him that he almost died. It was because of him that Navi took him to the Great Fairy. Because of him, Navi left him in the first place.
No, I can't blame him for that. But he wanted to, he truly wanted to.
"Everyone," the Goron looked up, waving to the others. "This is the boy I spoke of. This is the Hylian that saved my life upon the road. The one who fought of three Lizalfos with only a-"
"No!" Link said. "No, I'm not. Stop!"
But the Gorons had already heard. They were whispering about him now, moving closer trying to get a good look at him.
"You can't tell people who I am," Link whispered to the Goron. "Can we talk somewhere, private. Please?"
The Goron stood up, he looked confused but then he nodded. "Yes, of course, young hero. Follow me."
Hero? Link wasn't a hero.
The Goron shouted for the others to give them space, then led away from the crowd into one of the nearby homes. The great stone door made a low grinding noise as it opened and the Goron ushered him in. The room inside was not particularly large, no bigger than the room Link and Malon had stayed in when they were in Castle Town. But it was far emptier, with only one large stone lump in the middle that must have been the Goron's bed, or perhaps a table?
Now alone, the Goron once more went to his knees. "I am sorry, young hero. I did not mean to offend you."
"Link, you can call me, Link."
"Ahh, thank you, Link. I am Yadunby, and I am at your service. From now, until my debt is repaid."
"You don't have a debt."
"Yes, I do," the Goron shut his eyes and frowned. "Often I have thought of my disgrace. Often I worried I left you to die. An old fool like me, too scared to aid one so young. Whatever you need, young hero- Link. Whatever you need I will do for you."
"First, stop calling me, young hero. And don't tell anyone else about me, ok?"
"Of course. But why?"
"I am traveling with the Gerudo. I can't let them know about me, about the one I was… what did you see?"
Yadunby's eyes blinked open, as he squinted around Link. "There was one with you. The fae of blue light."
"That! Her! You can't tell anyone else about Navi. Ok?" If it got back to Ganondorf that he traveled with a fairy, how long would it take him to realize he came from the Kokiri? He knew enough to travel through the Lost Woods when no one else could. Link couldn't risk him finding out.
"I will not, I am sorry Link. I did not know. I will speak more carefully. But I still must offer you my service, I owe you my life."
Link sighed. What was he going to do with a Goron following him? He couldn't bring him back to Bethe, and if he just disappeared to travel with the Goron they'd know something had gone wrong. And most of his few remaining things were back at the wagons.
"Actually, there might be something you can do. Do, you know your chief?"
"Of course I know Wild Darunia, of a line of great warriors, sworn brother to your own king."
"I don't have a king. Never mind. Can you talked to him? Could you get him to see me?"
"Hmm," Yadunby frowned. "He is leaving tomorrow."
"I know, I have to see him tonight. Can you help me?"
Yadunby scratched at his tuft of white hair. Of course he can't. It was far too much to hope for, that some random Goron would know how to get a meeting with a chief of the entire mountain. Just another waste of time.
"I can try," the Goron said. "Yes, for you I can try."
"Really?"
"I think we can do it, goro. But there will be some luck involved. A friend of mine is one of Darunia's guards. If he is on watch today, perhaps he will let us in."
It wasn't much, but it was more than anything Link had. "Thank you."
Yadunby stood up, but kept his eyes lowered. "There is no need for thanks, young hero. If anything there is far more I must do for you. I have my-"
"Yeah, your debt. Don't worry about it. Just help me talk to Darunia."
"Of course, Link." Yadunby pulled the massive stone door back open. "Follow me."
The stoneman led Link through the tunnel paths, those that had seen Link go inside the building with Yadunby glanced at him as he went. But it was not long until they had walked well away from them toward the lower levels and the chief. Despite himself, Link could not help but smile. His body still ached, and more than once he staggered from his own feet. But, he was making progress. He could accomplish something. For the first time in a long time, he felt he wasn't wasting his time.
Yadunby muttered to himself as he walked. "Hello Brodni. Listen I have a favor to ask. No, no. Brodni, remember the child I- hmmm. Did I ever tell him about it?" Several times he glanced over his shoulder to Link, but he continued straight through the mountain. Only stopping once they finally reached the chief's home. "Hmmm."
"What's wrong?" Link looked around his leg to see the Gorons guarding the chief's home. "Is that your friend?"
"No."
And with a word Link's hope disappeared. It had all been a waste, like it always was. Stupid to get his hopes up in the first place.
"Hmm, you need to speak to the chief?"
"Yes."
"Then we must try." Yadunby stepped toward the guards. "Hello!" he waved and smiled at the pair.
"Hello, goro," one of them said. But he looked past Yadunby to Link. "You again? Go, little one."
"He is with me," Yadunby said. "I have need to speak with Chief Darunia."
"He's busy, goro," said the other guard. "There is a war. He wishes to be left alone."
"It cannot wait."
"Listen, goro," the first guard stepped up to Yadunby and placed a thick hand on his shoulder. "The chief is not seeing anyone. Now, you leave."
"Hmm," Yadunby said, before he took a deep breath and glanced back at Link. "Go."
"What?"
"Go!" Yadunby grabbed the guard's hand and whipped it down. The guard's eyes went wide in surprise, as he staggered to the side, smashing into his compatriot.
Link charged forward, his sword drawn.
"What are you doing?" the guard shouted and reached out for Yadunby, but the old Goron knocked it away and slammed his massive chest forward. He was smaller than the guards, weaker by the look of him too. But they were unprepared and he managed to knock one of them completely over.
"The door!" Yadunby shouted as Link ran to him brandishing steel. "The door, hero!" The guard still on his feet managed to grab onto Yadunby's arm and swung him around. Somehow the Goron kept on his feet.
"Oh!" Link spun away from Yadunby and ran to the door. He reached out and his hand slammed into the heavy stone. The door barely wobbled. He stepped back and slammed his shoulder into it, and bounded off, tumbling back onto his tailbone.
Yadunby wordlessly shouted, one of the guards had his hand on Yadunby's face and forcing him into the dirt. He still struggled, flailing his arms and legs as best he could, but he was no match for the guards.
Link scrambled back to his feet and started pounding on the door. Grunting and shoving as hard as he could. The door creaked open inch by inch.
With the rugged scratch of shifting stone, the door swung open. Link flew forward, tried to right his feet but ended up falling forward waving his arms in a failed attempt to catch his balance. He landed with an "Oof," and tried to roll off his stomach. A Goron with a mane of white hair around his face glared down on him. "What is the meaning of this." Darunia demanded.
"I'm sorry, my chief," one of the guards ran into the doorway. "This merchant went insane and this fool child-"
"I have message!" Link shouted. His sword was still in his hand. Why had he drawn it? That just made him look like some villain. He shoved the sword back in its scabbard, which was more difficult than expected lying down. But he managed it and raised his hands as he got to his knees. "I have a message from Princess Zelda. Please, you have to listen to me."
"The boy is lying," the guard said. "He came by yesterday, We asked him for any proof that he was a messenger, he had nothing. I am sorry, Chief Darunia. Let me get rid of him, and I promise there will be no more disturbances today." The guard stepped into the room and reached for Link.
"I'm not lying! I come from the Princess. I-" Link rolled back on his feet to pull away from the guard. "I know- I know something. I know that you are close to the Princess. I know you used to play music and dance with her. No- no her father- the king played music and you danced with her. Please you have to believe me."
The guard grabbed onto his wrist. Link tried to pull his arm free, but there was no way out of the guard's grip. With a yank that felt as though it would pull his arm from its socket the guard pushed him toward the door. Outside, Yadunby lay on the grown his hands over the back of his head, the other guard pressing on his back to make certain he couldn't move.
"Wait," Darunia said. The guard stopped, and yanked Link around to face the chief. He did not look happy. The Goron was tall, even for other Gorons. He had the round belly that was common for his people, but where Yadunby looked a bit slack and pudgy, Darunia looked as though every inch of his body was solid as the stone of his back.
"The Princess is young, but she is wise," he said. "She would not send you to me alone."
"I had a letter, but I lost it."
"The Princess does not suffer fools who would lose something so important, either."
"I'm not a fool. Well- I mean," after all the foolish things he'd done, even he didn't believe that lie. "On my way here, I saw one of your people, umm, him," Link waved his free hand toward Yadunby. "He was attacked by Lizalfos, and I saved him. But, in the fighting, the letter was destroyed."
"Harrumph," Darunia waved his hand and Yadunby was dragged inside the room. "Shut the door."
Yadunby fell to his knees, shaking. "I'm sorry," he mumbled his eyes lowered. He was terrified, almost as much as he had been when Link had first rescued him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
"What's your name, goro?" Darunia said, squatting down in front of him.
"Yadunby," he barely managed to say.
"Well, Yadunby, what possessed you to attack my guard. Do you know how I must punish you for that?"
"Yes, mighty chief. I am sorry. It will never happen again. I am sorry." He dropped himself to the floor, cowering. By the goddesses, he truly was a coward.
"What possessed you to do this Yadunby?"
"I told you," Link said. "I-"
Darunia turned and glared at him. "You will be silent until I say otherwise."
Link did what he was told, but glowered at the chief. This was it then, his entire quest rested on the hands of a coward.
Yadunby visibly shook. Was he crying? "I needed to," he said after a moment, his voice quivering.
"Why did you need to do something so stupid?" Darunia said, his voice a low rumble of stone scraping against stone.
"For what little honor I have left," Yadunby's shoulders shook again, as he tried to control himself. "I abandoned my savior. I fled like… like a coward. I'm afraid."
"Your savior was it."
"I helped him," Link said. "He was- AHH." The guard twisted Link's arm and forced him down to his knees.
"The chief told you to be silent."
"Don't hurt him!" Yadunby shrieked and tried to push himself off the ground before the second guard punched him on the side and sent him back quivering on the ground. "He saved me," Yadunby whimpered. "He saved my life and I abandoned him. I was weak. I was scared. I abandoned him."
"Hmmph," Darunia stepped away from Yadunby and scratched at his beard. His eyes roamed between Link and Yadunby. Link glanced back to Yadunby, the Goron had returned to covering his face with his eyes as he shook. He really was a coward, wasn't he? Then it was up to Link. He tried to keep the chief's eye, he set his jaw. Trying to will his sincerity into the Goron's mind.
"Please," Link said. "I've come so far."
"Well then," Darunia squatted down before Link. "Speak."