Chapter 33: King Under the Mountain
Link's legs wobbled with each step, and his arms hung limp at his side. His shield already torn from his grip and tossed well out of reach. His opponent stood silent, preparing a quarterstaff for another blow. In a heartbeat, they struck. The pole descended toward his head. Link heaved his sword high, to catch the attack. Slow. Tired. Weak. The staff crashed past his guard and struck his knuckles.
His sword flew from his fingers. He yelped and grabbed his hand.
Bethmasse glared down at him. "Is that all?"
"No," Link gasped as he bent over to pick the blade back up. He'd faced a monstrous spider, fought against three Lizalfos, and even dueled Ganondorf. But nothing he'd been through ever hurt half as much as Bethmasse's training.
The Gerudo took her position a step out of his reach. "Again."
Wincing, he held his sword tight. His fingers bled along his knuckles where Bethmasse hit him, and under the nail of his thumb. When did that happen? He'd lost track of how many times she'd beaten him. But now that he saw it, he couldn't ignore the throbbing pain. He staggered across his master and performed the salute. Or tried to, but he couldn't lift the guard all the way to his eyes before his arm gave out and fell back to his side.
Bethmasse shook her head.
Link growled and grunted, heaving his arm as high as he could get it. It reached his eyes, just as she taught him. But as he finished the flourish the sword slipped from his fingers and once more clattered to the ground.
Groaning he bent over to retrieve the weapon, only for someone else to grab it faster.
Bethmasse held his sword away from him. "Hand," she said as she held out her own.
Link placed his wounded hand in her grip. Even bloodied and swelling it looked so small placed inside Bethmasse's calloused fingers. She pressed her thumb into one of his scrapes.
"Ow!"
"Good, all move. Not broken." She let him go and his hand flopped to his side. "Can you go again?"
"Yes," Link reached for his weapon.
"Wrong," she said and slapped his hand away. "Don't destroy yourself."
Link fumed. She was the one who pushed him to exhaustion every morning. "Your king said to fight until the end."
"For what is important. This training." She slid his sword into his sheathe. "In my tent, find honey and bandages. Heat honey and spread over your hand. Then wrap. Go, rest. No training tomorrow. We march."
Bethmasse returned to the other Gerudo, as Link limped away. No training tomorrow, making it the first day since he fought Ganondorf that she wouldn't torment him. This was her punishment. Ganondorf said she couldn't kill him, so she hoped to break him instead. As to why she told him not to hurt himself. Well... he hadn't figured that out yet. But it must be some snide insult or trick.
Just more proof that he could trust no one here. None of them were his friends. "Only the princess," Link muttered to himself as he trod through the sloping caverns. And little good she could do back in Hyrule Castle.
He wandered through the Goron Tunnels, past the tents of the Gerudo. Not stopping to get the bandages Bethmasse offered, instead sticking his hand under his arm. It felt better, the swelling went down and he could close his fingers after a bit. Why waste time when there was still so much left to do?
Throughout the lower levels of the mountain, Gorons rushed about. Holding large shining stones and strange black pots. Most did not pay attention where they went, making Link stagger about to avoid them. One Goron near crushed him underfoot as he pulled a wagon through the roads.
"Watch yourself!" Link shouted, but the stoneman didn't respond. They all 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.
Come the morning, many may never see their homes again. Never eat with their family or play with their friends. And if Link did not find the Ruby it would not matter what happened to them in the coming battle.
If the Goron Tunnels had any kind of organization to them, Link did not understand it. Castle Town made sense. It had a marketplace full of shops and people spending their time away from work. Surrounding it were buildings where people lived. And always one could look up and see where they stood in relation to the castle. But under the mountain? The Gorons built everything on top of itself. Layers and layers of winding paths and great caverns.
He found himself limping through a foundry where air burned so hot it made Link's chest hurt. How'd he even get there? He'd been trying to find the chief's home again, but he never passed this place when he returned to the Gerudo camp. That had been easy to find, just climb up. But the lower levels of these tunnels were all jumbled and splitting. Now he was lost and couldn't hear himself think over the sound of smiths pounding steel into shape. And intermixed with the smithies, Gorons wandered about as though the heat and noise did not bother them at all.
Lucky.
He trod back through the heat, doing his best to cover his ears. Sweat from the heat joining what remained on him from Bethmasse's training.
Wait, did this look familiar? Only he'd been there at night when no one worked and it was actually quiet. Now he couldn't even remember what happened a day ago. So many tunnels and dim lights and Gorons. How could anyone find anything?
Groaning he turned back around and headed once more through the smithies. Once past he found more homes carved out of the mountain stone that looked exactly like all the others did. Only the lack of guards to prove none of these doors belonged to Darunia.
Instead Gorons passed from one to the other freely. Though most crowded around outside. Many gathered together, with their heads bowed. Others laid out weapons for themselves, or sat in a circle telling stories to their friends. One massive old Goron with gray hair stood surrounded by a dozen young ones, all presenting him with axes and cudgels. One of the children cried.
Another group of adult Gorons formed a ring, and shouted names. The young stonemen would enter the circle when called and run at each other, smashing their stomachs and shoulders into each other. They'd charge and shove and press each other until one fell over. But when one did, the others would cheer and lift him to his feet. "You fall now, you won't fall against the lizards!" one of them said.
In one doorway two Goron's embraced. "Come back," whispered the older of the pair. His stone body withered and cracked. "Remember to come back."
Link could not hear what the other one said, if there even was anything to say. They were afraid, all 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. 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. And he still did not know if he was on the right path to reach Chief Darunia. But he needed to sit or he would collapse.
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 midway across 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 full-grown trees of the Lost Woods before the chasm ended. But, why? The Gorons seemed to like filling every foot of the mountain they could.
That proved it. He'd gone the wrong way. He would have noticed this, surely.
At the bottom of the chasm, 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 what looked like the black soot that Milo made Link clean from the fire pits back home.
Once full, a Goron wedged something into the top of the pot. Another two would pick them up one at a time, even though they didn't look heavy for a Goron, and carried them to a wagon. All while handling the pots as though the lightest disturbance would break them.
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. But Navi would never come out and give him a lecture again. And though it came from his wood, father could not explain either. He'd have to be satisfied not understanding what was happening. As always.
"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 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 understand what the people out here were talking about half the time. And they refused to believe him when he talked. He should never have left home. So what if he grew when all his friends did not? At least he'd still have friends. Doing nothing but ache and sit confused at the world he never should have entered.
He found himself staring at his ocarina. Strange and magical and it didn't work like he wanted. But it was home. One of the few pieces of it he had left. He brought the ocarina to his lips and started to play. Nothing important, not at first. Just a tune the fairies taught the Kokiri children that Link always liked. His fingers stung as he played the notes, but he didn't care.
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 Mido would focus on the music and having fun. Link shut his eyes and 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 Chief Darunia's guards to turn him away.
The sound of stones slamming into each other surrounded Link.
Rockslide?
Link scrambled to his feet, searching for the danger. Wincing as pain shot through his still taut leg.
Instead of collapsing stone, the noise came from one of the Gorons standing on the other side of the bridge. He slammed his huge hands together in applause, each strike echoing like thunder. "Good job, goro! I never heard that music. But here, come this way." He waved for Link to get away from the bridge.
Link gave one last look over the bridge. Some of the Gorons looked up at him, their hands covered in that black soot. One waved. They must have heard him play all the way down there. But one of the larger Gorons did not seem pleased, he shouted at the others to return to their work. That one looked strange, half of his body darker than the other. He did not seem to be doing any of the physical work, but watched the pouring of the black soot.
Link stretched and rubbed at his leg before he went to the Goron that applauded him.
"Where did you learn that?" the Goron poked 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?"
"A few," Link said. More of the Gorons stared at him, some smiling waiting for him to continue playing. "Uhh, umm." 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. She would have joined them, stomping her feet and jumping to their rhythm. 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 Bethmasse's abuse. But he did not want to stop. Instead of finishing the song he changed the key and added 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, perhaps 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 remembering his home and his friends.
Finally his arms could no longer hold up the ocarina. He managed to bring the song to a swirling conclusion 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 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, staring at him. Was he supposed to do something else? At Castle Town performers bowed and made grand speeches after each song. But they were trying to get passersby to give them rupees.
That didn't feel right. So he just stood there, and felt heat spread around his neck and ears as the Gorons didn't stop their applause. Bowing his head, he stepped away from the crowd, 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 as Link. Why would someone think him dead? Then Link noticed the marks on the Goron's arms and backs. Chunks of stony flesh torn off by spear and axe and claw. Healed, except for some few cracks among the black scars.
"I was so afraid. I thought I was dead. You saved me, and I repaid your 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. Though 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 gave a confused look, but 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."
"If you wish. But why?"
"I am traveling with the Gerudo. I can't let them know 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." 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 Bethmasse, 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 talk 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."
"You can?"
"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-"
"Your debt, I know. Don't worry about it. Help me talk to Darunia and we'll call it squared."
"Of course, Link." Yadunby pulled the massive stone door back open. "Follow me."
The stoneman led Link through the tunnel paths. Some few that watched Link go inside the building with Yadunby glanced at him as he went. But they did not stop them. Yadunby led him back over the bridge, Link had been going the wrong way. Quite a bit, it seemed. They walked back up several levels before they took a separate path and descended some other tunnel.
Despite the ache in his legs, he couldn't help but smile. More than once he staggered over his own feet, and his hand still throbbed. Playing the ocarina had not helped his battered hand any. And yet, he was making progress. For the first time in days, he wasn't wasting time.
Yadunby muttered to himself as they 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. "Are either of them your friend?"
"No."
Of course they weren't. It had all been a waste, like it always was. Stupid to get his hopes up in the first place.
"You need to speak to the chief, goro?"
"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 to prepare."
"It cannot wait."
"Listen," 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 standing managed to grab onto Yadunby's arm and swung him around. Somehow the Goron kept on his feet as he spun about.
"Oh!" Link spun away from Yadunby and ran to the door. He reached out and pushed into the heavy stone. The door didn't even wobble. He stepped back and slammed his shoulder into it, and bounced off, tumbling back and landing on his rear.
Yadunby 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. He waved his arms and tried to right his feet, but ended up falling onto the hard stone floor. Rolling onto his back, he saw a Goron with a mane of white hair glaring over him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Chief Darunia of the Gorons demanded.
"I'm sorry, my chief," one of the guards ran into the doorway. "This merchant went insane and this fool child-"
"I have a 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 ground 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 slack and pudgy, Darunia looked as though every inch of his body was chiseled from the mountain itself.
"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, and I saved him. But, in the fighting, the letter was destroyed."
"Harrumph," Darunia waved his hand and the guard dragged Yadunby 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 managed to mumble.
"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.
"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."
"But I can-" he started, but the glower of the chief silenced him. If he couldn't explain himself, then everything rested on Yadunby.
The Goron merchant 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."
"Saved you from what?"
"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 quivering to the ground. "He saved me," Yadunby whimpered. "Three Lizalfos attacked me on the road. He saved my life, and I abandoned him. I was weak. I was scared. I abandoned him."
"This little thing defeated three Lizalfos? You certain you don't want to add a Dodongo to your tale? Perhaps a dragon?"
"I did fight three Lizalfos!"
"My chief, there were three of them. I do not know how he did it. I was too scared to look. But he freed me, and he survived when I ran."
"Hmmph," Darunia stepped away from Yadunby and scratched at his beard. His eyes roamed between his two captives.
Link glanced back to Yadunby, the Goron had returned to covering his face 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.
"Please," Link said. "I've come so far."
"Well then," Darunia squatted before Link. "Speak."