Ever since she was born Glaria had been different. The clan's seer and madge, Taqula, had had said at Glaria's birth that she would be counted among the greatest Urgralgra who ever existed. By the time she was four years old, she had displayed a talent for magic. Less than a year had passed before she was apprenticed to Taqula.
When she was nine years old, the males from her village went to fight with the Varden in the war against Galbatorix. Because Taqula was a madge, he went with them. Glaria stayed with the village to fill in for her master. She was, by this time, almost as skilled as Taqula.
At the end of the war, Glaria's father moved his family to Ilirea.
The city was crawling with humans. Glaria breathed in, tightening her grip on her tall madge staff. As a child she had been told horror stories of humans and elves – especially dragon riders – who had slaughtered entire Urgralgra villages.
Beside her, Glaria's mother Vekaq held tightly to five-year-old Kana's hand. Kana was trying not to cry.
Glaria smiled reasurringly at eight year old Qulavan as he tightened his grip on her hand. "We'll be fine," she whispered to him. "Daddy wouldn't bring us here if it wasn't safe enough."
"I'm not scared," he whispered back.
"Yes you are," Glaria stated firmly.
"Being scared isn't a crime. In fact, you can only be truly brave by over-coming fear."
"Daddy! Daddy!" Kana's shrieks grated on Glaria's nerves. She she decided then and there that she didn't want children. Glaria looked in the direction her little sister was pointing and started in surprise. Yes, it was her father coming towards them, but he was wearing a strange uniform that could only have been designed by humans. It made him look mean, strong and dangerous. Well, more dangerous than usual, all eight feet of him. Glaria's father, Gavokk, was Kull, so when people told Glaria she was getting tall like her father, that told her she was going to be Kull too.
Gavokk embraced his mate remarking, "You're pregnant."
She grinned and kissed him.
Glaria saw some humans staring. "Staring's rude!" she snapped in the common tongue. The humans started in surprise and made themselves scarce. Glaria smiled.
She didn't have time to do anything else because Gavokk scooped up both her and Qlavan and embraced them. "you two are growing fast," he commented. "and I missed too much of it."
"Not all that much," said Glaria comfortingly. "but we missed you a lot."
Gavokk let his older cuds go and scooped up Kana. She squealed as he placed her on his shoulders. Giggling, Kana held tightly to her father's horns.
