King Galbatorix had enough of excuses. With a short spell, the soldier fell to the ground, dead. "You!" the king pointed at Denthor, "You will not fail me, will you?"
Denthor bowed low. "No, I will not, your majesty."
"You understand the implications at hand if she discovers who she is, don't you?"
"Aye, she will see to it that your reign will and she will be the one to take your place. The prophecy was quite clear on that, sir."
"Which is why I will not tolerate anymore failure. Now go, and do not dare come back until the deed is done."
Denthor bowed again. "Yes, your majesty." After, he turned and left to prepare for a long journey to the Varden where he would find Lunessa and kill her.
Lunessa's heart lightened when the Varden's camp in Surda came into view. She had been traveling for months in search of Angela the Herbalist. From many sources, she heard that the woman had been staying among the Varden. "You see that, Kione? Soon we shall be among them where we can relax from such a long journey." The bird cawed in response. Kione was her coal black raven. Ever since she was born, Kione has always been her companion, and in many ways, her best friend. Lunessa laughed, "I should think that you would be more enthusiastic than that." Kione cawed once more.
Two guards stopped her when she was about to enter the camp. "Hold on, you need permission to enter here. Who are you and what are you doing here?" A tall man said. His companion had his hand on his sword ready to attack her if she proved dangerous.
"My name is Lunessa, and I am in search of Angela the Herbalist. Do you know if she is here among you?"
The guard relaxed when he heard her mention Angela's name. "Aye, she is here. Come, I can take you to her."
"Thank you." She said, following the guard while his companion stayed behind. The Varden's camp was larger than she had imagined taking them nearly an hour to locate Angela's tent. When Angela saw her, she did not recognize her. It wasn't until she said her name that the witch's eyes widened and she dropped her basket of mushrooms.
"My goodness! Lunessa, it has been so long!" She said as she shooed the guard away. "What are you doing here? Is the tribe all right?" Angela asked, becoming concerned. Both women were a part of the same tribe known as Althekona. The tribe had been a wandering tribe that had recently found sanctuary near the Beor Mountains. They have supported the Vardens efforts, but never lived among them in Farthen Dur. The tribe had been well known for its herbalists and fortune tellers, making some people believe that they have been blessed by the Gods. Lunessa's parents were both fond of plants rather than magic which was a trait passed down to her.
Angela embraced the young girl in a hug. "I can't believe you are here!"
Lunessa laughed, and hugged back. "It's wonderful to see you again!"
Solembum woke up from a nap and hopped down from the chair on which he was sleeping on. He walked over to Lunessa and began to rub against her.
"Oh, hello." Lunessa petted the marvelous creature. "I didn't know that you had a werecat. What's his name?"
Before Angela could say anything, Solembum looked up at her with his yellow eyes. I am called Solembum. Angela looked down at him, smiling.
Nice to meet you, Solembum.
No, it is I who has the honor of meeting you. He purred and continued to maneuver between her legs.
"Solembum spoke with you? What did he say?" Angela asked.
Lunessa nodded and repeated what he told her.
"I find this as no surprise. Come, let us head inside so that we can catch up. You have yet to answer my initial questions." The herbalist led Lunessa and her raven inside the tent. "Now, please tell me what it is you are doing here."
"I came here to find you because I am in need of a mentor. Since you left from your last visit, the tribe has faced many ordeals, and as a result, many of the elders have died. The few that remain are not as skilled or as educated as you are. To ensure the survival of our ways, I had to seek you out."
"I am flattered, but might I inquire about your parents? They are both skilled in the ancient ways."
Lunessa's expression became somber. "They were killed last year when we were attacked by the Kings soldiers." Tears brimmed her eyes at the memory, but they did not slide down her cheeks.
Angela's face paled when she heard this. "Lunessa, I am so sorry to hear that. It is apparent that you have had a rough time dealing with their loss."
Lunessa nodded. "They were able to teach me the basics of our race and a little bit of magic, but I have so much more to learn. I am, however, pretty proficient with herbs, which should please you."
"Indeed it does." Angela cracked a small smile out of courtesy, but she was still sad about the loss of her dear friends. "I would be honored to be your mentor, but you should know that I am very involved here."
"That's ok. There is no rush. Besides, I can even help you perform your duties." Her eagerness reminded Angela of her mother.
"Very well then. Now, how is Kione doing?" At the mention of her raven, Lunessa smiled.
"He is doing quite well, aren't you buddy?" Kione cawed. Solembum looked at the bird with interest. "How long has Solembum been with you?"
"Quite a while actually. Speaking of which, he talked with you. Very few have had the opportunity to be able to converse with him, and because of that, I have something that I can offer you."
Lunessa cocked her head to the side, confused. "What is it that you want to offer me?"
"If you permit me, I can give you a true fortune telling." Lunessa's expression hardened.
"You mean to say that you have the knucklebones of a dragon?"
"Aye."
"You shall have to tell me how you got them."
"Perhaps, but at a later time. Do you want your fortune read or not?"
After thinking it over Lunessa said, "No. I already suffer from seeing visions on a regular basis, so I already know a lot about the future as it is. Regarding my future, I would rather live in the moment and experience life oblivious to my predestined fate."
The herbalist was pleased with her answer. "Personally, I feel that you have made the right choice. I have only given a true fortune telling to a few people, including Eragon Shadeslayer."
The mention of the Dragon Rider made her ears perk up. "You know him?"
"Yes, I do. In fact, compared to some, I know him quite well."
"Do you think that I might have the opportunity to meet him?" she asked, meekly.
"I think the odds are in your favor," beamed Angela.
For the rest of the afternoon, the two of them had discussions on various subjects. When evening came, Angela prepared a place for her to sleep. That night, Angela learned that Lunessa suffered from insomnia. As a result, the witch gave her some medication to help her sleep. The next day Lunessa began her lessons from Angela regarding magic. Angela said that she would do her best to help her, but warned her that she was not an expert. "The person you should really seek help from is Eragon."
"Well, you can teach me what you know in the meantime." Her lessons were short due to the fact that Angela kept getting interrupted. At one point, she was requested to see Nasuada. Lunessa stayed behind while Angela went to see the leader of the Varden. She was still new to her surroundings and preferred not to get involved with anything at the moment.
A few days had passed and Lunessa was reading a book inside Angela's tent. She was all alone, except for Kione. The raven was perched on her shoulder looking down at the book as she read. For half an hour she read quietly until the sound of footsteps could be heard from outside the tent. Instead of Angela, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes entered the tent. The scene surprised her rendering her speechless.
For a split second, Eragon thought he had entered the wrong tent. As he looked around, he confirmed that he was in Angela's tent, despite the young woman staring at him with wonder. She had brown eyes and hair that went to her shoulders. A black raven sat on her shoulder reminding him of Queen Islanzadi and Blagden. "Excuse me, do you know where Angela went? I was told that she wanted an audience with me."
"She just left a little bit ago, but she should be back soon."
"May I wait here until she returns?"
"Sure." Lunessa said, unsure who this stranger was.
As if he read her thoughts he said, "I am Eragon by the way, and you are?"
Shocked, Lunessa had to force herself to speak. "I am called Lunessa." She then pointed at her bird, "And this is my raven Kione. I am honored to meet you, Argetlam." She dipped her head in respect.
"I am pleased to meet you as well. I have never seen you around, so I am curious how you are sitting here in Angela's tent."
"Angela and I go way back. I sought her out for personal reasons and have lived here since my arrival." She said, not eanting to give too much away.
"I see. How long have you been here?" Eragon knew that any friend of Angela's was worth getting to know.
"Only a few days." Not long after she finished, Angela entered, Solembum trotting behind her.
"Good, you got my message." Angela said to Eragon. "Will Saphira be joining us?"
"She went off to hunt, but if you need her here, then I can tell her to come."
"No, that will not be necessary, though I encourage you to have her meet Lunessa later."
Eragon glanced at the young woman then back at Angela, "Fine, but now explain why you called me here."
"Patience, Dragon Rider, patience. I was just getting to that point. Lunessa is one of the few people that Solembum talked to."
Eragon's eyes widened at the news. "That is very interesting to hear…"
"Indeed it is." Angela smiled at Lunessa.
"Let me guess, you want me to bless her, don't you?"
"Aye."
"I must have consent from her before I can give her a blessing though." He turned his attention towards Lunessa. "Will you permit me to bestow a blessing upon you?"
The girl looked at Angela with uncertainty. The look upon the witch's face calmed her nerves allowing her to say yes to the Rider. Placing his silver palm on her forehead, he noticed that she did not recoil from his touch. Pleased, Eragon began to chant in the Ancient Language. When the spell was complete, Eragon took a step back. "I am finished."
"Thank you," Angela said.
"What exactly was the blessing you bestowed upon me? I recognized some of the words, but not all of them." Lunessa inquired.
"You know some of the Ancient Language? Can you use magic?" Eragon asked, becoming more fascinated.
"Unfortunately, I have not been able to perform any magic. I am still trying to learn though. Angela has been teaching me what she knows, but…" she trailed off.
Eragon smiled. "You are wondering if I might be able to teach you."
"Yes, I am. I understand if you say no because I know that you are very busy."
Nodding Eragon said, "If I happen to have any free time, I shall be more than happy to teach you magic."
"Thank you, Argetlam." Lunessa curtsied.
Eragon managed to conduct several lessons with Lunessa in the next two months. During that time, Lunessa became comfortable talking to Eragon and Saphira. She also had the chance to meet Nasuada and King Orrin, both marveling at her unique ability to see into the future through frequent visions. At one point in time, a vision of hers saved the Varden from a surprise attack. Like Elva, she was asked to serve the Varden, to which she said yes under one condition: she would be bound to no one.
Lunessa ensured Nasuada that if she received a vision that would help their cause that she would not keep it hidden. "I do wish to help out while I stay here, but I am not accustomed to being told what to do. Also, I am here to train so that when I return to my tribe, I can teach the children as is custom." Nasuada did not like the idea, but granted her to be free anyways.
Lunessa also clearly remembered the day she met the elf, Arya. The dark haired woman took an immediate interest with her, and even her raven. "He is a lovely creature, Lunessa. You should be proud to be his companion." The elf said. Lunessa simply smiled and acknowledged her thanks. It was that same day when she had a vision that frightened her and made her question Angela.
She ran into the tent as if she had just seen a ghost. Angela was knitting a shawl but stopped the instant Lunessa charged in. "Good heavens, are you all right? What's wrong?"
Her heart pounded wildly and she felt as if it would leap out of her chest. "I just had a terrible vision, and I am scared Angela. Every vision I had has come true, so I know that this one will come to pass as well." She was trembling as tears began to fall down her cheeks.
"Shhh. Calm down, child." She embraced the girl tightly. When she released her she asked, "Pray tell, what did you see in your vision?"
Still choking on her tears, she said, "I saw myself die."
Angela lifted up her chin. "How…what exactly happened?"
Lunessa relayed every detail to the witch regarding the vision. When she finished she sat down on a chair. "It's hopeless, Angela. I will be doomed to die very soon."
Sighing, Angela said, "Look, you mentioned that you did not see yourself get pierced by the blade, so there is no way of telling if you actually die or not."
Appalled, Lunessa stood up. "Stop it! I know what you are trying to do, and it won't work. I know what I saw, and I know what implications will become of it."
"Do you, because if you truly understood the implications of your death, then you would not be so eager to accept this fate!"
Lunessa stiffened. "What do you mean by that? You speak as if I am someone of great importance."
Angela closed her eyes. "But you are someone of great importance. If you weren't Solembum would never have talked with you, though, even if he didn't speak with you, you still are very important."
Lunessa was becoming irritated with her roundabout answers. "Angela, get to the point."
"Sit down then." Lunessa complied, still annoyed, but remained silent. "I am sure you are well aware of King Palancar and his legacy here in Alagaesia."
"Of course, my parents made sure that I learned about him as part of my history lesson, but what of it?"
"Good. The reason I asked is because King Palancar is your relative, making you the true heir of Alagaesia."
At first Lunessa denied the fact that she could be realated to Alagaesia's first king, but after a while, she began to see sense in what Angela had told her. The herbalist showed her a few documents that made her see the truth. "Now, you understand what I mean when I tell you that you cannot sit idly and let your vision come to pass. Our fate is never really certain anyways.
"I don't know, Angela. The vision was vivid."
"Yes, but you never saw it through to the end. I just want you to see all the possibilities of the vision instead of one."
"Fine." Lunessa was tired of the conversation and wanted some time alone, even from Kione, to think things over. She left the tent and headed over to the outskirts of the camp where she laid down and looked up and the sky.
"There you are!" Eragon raced over where Lunessa sat in the grass. "I have been looking all over for you; what are you doing way out here?"
Lunessa became startled at the sound of his voice. Turning her head, she saw the Rider run towards her. Seeing him brought up feelings that she wanted to suppress, but she could not help but fall for him each time she saw him. Her feelings just added another problem that she had to face sooner or later.
"Lunessa?" Eragon asked, softly.
"I'm fine. I just needed a quite place to think is all."
"What are you thinking about?" Eragon sat down next to her.
"How did you cope when you became a Rider?"
Eragon chuckled. "I fear you have been hanging around Angela too long when you answer my question with a question."
Lunessa playfully shook her head. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"Very well then." Eragon said, still laughing. He had always appreciated her meager sense of humor. Taking a breath to allow him to calm down he said, "Coping with the sudden change was not easy at all; in fact, it took months for me to fully grasp the full meaning of being a Rider. During that time, I had Brom to talk to. I find it amazing how talking about something can lift the weight off your shoulder's a bit. I also learned that reflecting upon the past did little good."
"Is there anything else that helped you?" Eragon gazed at Lunessa, studying her.
"What is bothering you, Nessa?" he finally asked. His demeanor changed to reflect his genuine concern for her.
She was going to reply until she realized something. "You called me Nessa."
Unable to deny that he had let the word slip, he said, "Aye, I did, what of it?"
"Nothing, it's just that the last person to call me that was my mother."
Eragon sat there awkwardly as he understood her meaning. Calling her Nessa revealed to her that she meant a lot to him, which was true. As of late, when he has been teaching her magic, he found it harder and harder to concentrate on the lesson as his attention always veered towards her.
Lunessa sensed his nervousness, pleasing her. Until that moment, she had no idea that he had felt that way about her. Seizing the moment, she leaned in to kiss him. His lips were warm to the touch, and soft. She felt herself come alive as her hormones began to race. Severing their contact, she met his eyes. He was confused at first while he processed what had just occurred. Then, his gaze softened and with one swift motion, he kissed her back.
His love for her radiated through the passionate kiss. Even Saphira, who was about a half a mile away, could sense her Rider's his emotions as plain as day. Even so, there was still a part of him that thought this was not a good idea. He remembered back to what Angela had foretold; according to his fortune, he was supposed to fall in love with a noble woman.
Lunessa obviously is a prominent figure as Solembum did talk to her and in turn, he blessed her. Yet, that did not make her, as society would consider, noble. This revelation sickened him. He pulled away from the kiss suddenly uncertain of his real intentions towards her. Did he truly love her? That is the question he had to answer before he attempted to become intimate with her again.
Puzzled by his sudden change in behavior, Lunessa asked him, "What is wrong?"
"It's just something that Angela predicted for me." As he spoke those words, he became very self conscious.
"I can see that whatever she told you is really starting to bother you. I have been troubled as well, except by a vision I had earlier. Angela said that I should not worry too much about it, but it still scares me."
"What did you see?"
"I was being attacked by a man. I could not see his face; however, I saw that he had a dagger. He charged at me and before the blade pierced my breast, the vision dissipated."
Hearing this made Eragon pale. "I do not understand; why would anyone want you dead?" Lunessa was about to explain, but stopped when Eragon continued to say, "Whatever his reasons, I shall request that you have guards around you at all times."
Lunessa blushed. It was obvious why he wanted her protected. "Eragon," she began. "I need to tell you something; something that explains why the King wants me assassinated." Eragon perked up his ears, listening intently. "Through careful reading and observations, it can be concluded that I am related to the first king of Alagaesia, that is King Palancar."
Eragon was glad that he was already sitting down when she spoke those words. "You, you are the true heir of Alagaesia then? Lunessa, I…" he paused, unsure what to say.
"My sentiments exactly." She sighed.
"No, well, yes, I mean…" Lunessa turned her head and gazed at him curiously.
"What?"
"I need to tell you something as well. I feel foolish now for thinking the way I did. After you hear what has been bothering me, I do not think that you can blame me why I thought what I did. The fortune that Angela predicted is that I would fall in love with a woman of noble birth. A few minutes ago when I kissed you, I quickly pulled away because that thought entered my head. In a split second, I had to question what my true feelings were for you. My feelings felt genuine, but I had to be certain, for both our sakes. I believe that you are a descendant of King Palancar. It makes sense when I think about it."
"Now, because you are the true heir of Alagaesia, King Galbatroix wants you dead. I actually feel that he recently discovered this fact as well, otherwise, why would he have let you live for so long without attempting to be rid of you. The fact that he wants you dead is in part a good thing; it proves that the King is afraid that he will be defeated.
"I have faith that with your help, we can be rid of Galbatorix. If that happens, are you willing to take his place?"
Lunessa shrugged. "Honestly, I am not certain of really anything right now."
"I understand." He smiled. Seeing him smile made her feel better.
"I know you do." She smiled back. Eragon stood up and lowered his hand to help her up. She placed her hand in his, and as he pulled her up, she said, "I take that back, I am certain about one thing."
"And that is?"
"This." Lifting herself on tiptoe, she pressed her lips against his. Without hesitating, Eragon wrapped his arms around her, kissing back. He felt relieved that his feelings for her were true allowing himself to completely immerse himself into the kiss. Lunessa placed her arms around his neck as their kissing deepened. When they eventually pulled apart, she whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, Nessa."
Eragon and Lunessa told Nasuada about her vision as well as her true identity. Nasuada was not happy that Angela had kept this a secret from her all this time, but was thankful that no real harm was done. She agreed that Lunessa needed to be protected. They arranged for six guards to be with her at all times, despite Lunessa's protesting that six guards were too many. Eragon also informed the leader that he was in love with Lunessa. With a smile, Nasuada welcomed that news.
With each passing day, Lunessa became less and less afraid of her vision. She did not disregard it, rather she did not let it linger so much in her mind. The guards that were ordered to follow her annoyed her with their constant presence. Only when she was around Eragon and Saphira the guards were allowed to leave.
It was a dismal day when the Varden was attacked again. As usual, Lunessa worked at the infirmary helping those who have been injured during battle. Diligently, she worked for hours. While she was busy bandaging a man's head, she heard a desperate cry for help. Running towards the voice, she saw a man carrying a boy with a neck injury. "Quick, bring him inside," Lunessa yelled over the noise of the battle.
Using her fingers to temporary stop the bleeding, she told the man to grab her some gauze. Instead of doing as he was told, he grabbed a hold of Lunessa's arm, dragging her away from the injured boy. She was pushed against the wall, the man staring deep into her eyes. It did not take her very long to realize that this was the vision that she had a while back.
Fear gripped her when she saw the dagger in his hand. Looking around, she did not see anyone to help her. She thought about screaming, but she figured that there was no use; the person who might hear her screams would not be able to save her in time before the dagger plunged into her chest. As her mind reeled, she suddenly remembered what Eragon had told her about killing someone through the use of magic.
The man raised his hand; she rummaged her brain for the words that could kill the man before her. The blade was inches from her chest when the word finally came to her. As fast as possible, she began to recite the spell. In her rush, she accidentally mispronounced a word, rendering the spell useless. In a blink of an eye, she saw her entire life flash before her.
Kione cawed loudly, distracting the assassin before the blade penetrated Lunessa's skin. That moment allowed Lunessa to recite the spell. Careful not to mispronounce the words, she felt the flow of magic rise within her. The man attempted to stab her again right when the magic was released.
A sharp pain seared through her stomach where the dagger had struck, but the man wielding it was dead. Kione uttered a cry of distress when he noticed that Lunessa had gotten hurt. "Go, get help!" The bird let out one for cry before flying away. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the dagger out. The blood gushed from the open wound soiling her dress.
Lunessa tried to tend to herself, but she became dizzy fairly quickly due to blood loss. Her world went black a few moments after she saw Eragon entering the pavilion, Kione flying behind him. While she was unconscious, another vision flashed across her mind. At the end of the vision, she awoke. The first person she saw was Eragon, then Kione. Looking around, she saw Angela as well.
Her wound would have been nonexistent if not for her blood-stained clothing and a hole where the blade entered. With help, Lunessa sat up from the cot she was lying on. All eyes were on her when she began to speak. "Kione, I have no words to express my gratitude towards you for saving my life." The bird cawed in response making her smile. She then went on to say, "While I was unconscious, I had another vision-a vision that depicted Alagaesia free from Galbatorix's rule."
Eragon let out an exclamation of joy. Lunessa smiled at his reaction. "I know, isn't it wonderful?"
"So you will become the Queen then?"
Lunessa shook her head. "No. I do not become Queen."
A look of confusion crossed Eragon's face. "Then how are you sure that Alagaesia is free from Galbatorix?"
"Nasuada becomes the Queen." Lunessa said standing up.
"Ah." He paused for a moment then said, "But what becomes of you?"
"That's the best part; I am married to you." Right after she said this, she felt Eragon's lips press against hers.
In the background they heard Angela say, "See, what did I tell you, you have to view each vision with all of the possibilities." She then signaled Kione to follow her to give Eragon and Lunessa some privacy as they continued to kiss one another.