Link didn't go straight to Kakariko, however. First he went back to the forest to visit his friend Saria. She was nowhere to be found, and everyone told him that she was in the forest and was expecting him. Link entered the Lost Woods and found the owl perched on a branch. Kaepora advised Link to follow the mysterious tune that wafted through the woods' enchanted air.

Link followed the sound of Saria's ocarina through the Lost Woods all the way to the Sacred Forest Meadow, where he found Saria sitting on a log by the ruins of a temple. Saria taught Link one of her own melodies, an ocarina song that would allow her and Link to communicate telepathically. That way, no amount of distance could ever separate the two.

Link went to Kakariko Village, where the Hylian soldier guarding the gate to Death Mountain Trail just laughed at his request to pass. He didn't stop laughing after Link showed him Zelda's letter:

This is Link...
He is under my orders to save Hyrule.

but he did open the gate and let him through. Before Link climbed up, he advised "Mr. Hero" to get a proper shield, since Death Mountain was an active volcano.

Link hiked up to heights of the dry and dreary Death Mountain, passing by the Dodongo's Cavern and some hungry-looking Gorons on the way. The Gorons told him that Dodongos, dinosaur-like monsters that hadn't been seen since days of old, had suddenly appeared in the Cavern, and that on top of that Ganondorf had sealed off the entrance with a huge boulder! The Goron's food supply in Dodongo's Cavern was inaccessable, and Link reached Goron City to find that its inhabitants were slowly starving. Asking about the Spiritual Stone, Link found out that their leader, big brother Darunia, had taken it and locked himself up in his room, vowing not to come out until a messenger of the Royal Family arrived.

Link played Zelda's Lullaby to gain access to Darunia's chamber, but Darunia was in a foul mood. Darunia spurned Link because he was just a kid, not a messenger of the Royal Family like he had expected. Link had heard that Darunia liked music, so he played Saria's Song for him with the Fairy Ocarina. Darunia, catching the beat, began to dance wildly, and could not contain his joy. Giving Link a Goron Bracelet, he asked Link to prove his worth by defeating the Dodongos inside the Dodongo's Cavern. Then he would consider giving Link the Goron's Ruby.

Link, using the Goron Bracelet to pick up a Bomb Flower, bombed the boulder that blocked Dodongo's Cavern. The hot, dark cavern gave Link the creeps, but he plucked up his courage and boldly fought baby Dodongos and other monsters. Climbing up to higher ground, Link found a pedestal inscribed with these words:

Giant dead Dodongo...
when it sees red,
a new way to go
will be open.

A bridge led over the top of the petrified skull of a huge, ancient Dodongo. Link threw bombs into its eyes, and as they turned red the skull's mouth opened wide. This led to another door, through which Link could access the rest of the Cavern. Finding a suspicious hole, Link jumped in - and turned around to find himself face-to-face with a Dodongo ten times his size, the Infernal Dinosaur King Dodongo. The huge beast curled up and rolled toward the brave lad, and Link jumped out of its way. As the monster opened its mouth to spit fire at Link, Link threw bombs in, and the monster swallowed them. The Dodongo's stomach could only take so much damage, and the King rolled out of control into the pit of lava in the middle of his lair.

Link was safely transported out of the Dodongo's Cavern, where he met Darunia. In gratitude, Darunia made Link a Sworn Brother, and sealed the agreement with the Goron's Ruby, the Spiritual Stone of Fire, as a token of their friendship. Darunia thanked Link for risking his life for them, unlike Ganondorf, who had said, "Give me the Spiritual Stone! Only then will I open the cave for you!"

Darunia told Link to climb the Death Mountain summit in order to meet the Great Fairy. Before he dared brave the rain of lava and burning rocks, Link bought a Hylian Shield from the Bazaar in Hyrule Castle Town. Taking shelter under the huge metal shield, Link safely passed by the eruption from Death Mountain Crater. Reaching the top, Link met up with the mysterious owl once again. After Link visited the Great Fairy of Power, and gained the ability to use magic, the owl flew him safely down to Kakariko Village.