Prologue
The tavern went silent as the young women entered, lifting her hood as she did. She seemed oblivious of the fact that every man in the room had leant forward looks of expectation and appreciation on their faces.
"A room for the night?" He voice rang out, cultured, despite her peasant like appearance.
"Certainly miss, just for one is it?" The landlord leered at her over the counter.
"Not exactly" She glanced back at the door, and a huge wolf bounded in and sat by her side. There was an uneasy muttering, and all of the men but one reached for their weapons. The girl turned, hearing the zing of swords being pulled out of their scabbards.
"He won't hurt you. Unless you hurt me…" She raised one delicately shaped eyebrow, deadly serious. The swords went back in the scabbards, though their owners gave the strange duo filthy looks as she turned back to the bar.
"Oh, and a mug of mulled wine?"
"Yes miss. I'll bring over to you." The landlord gave her a strange look as she turned her back, noticing the gleam of a sword hilt under her cloak as she did.
A little while later, one of the men who had been watching her came over. She glanced up at him, wary and the wolf growled warningly.
"Peace." He said, more to the wolf than the girl. "I mean you no harm." His eyes suddenly unfocused for a moment then came back to the girl. "In fact, I think I can help you." He said as he sat down beside her. A look of recognition passed over her face.
"You were the man who didn't draw his sword when you saw Dare, aren't you?" She asked, though more of a statement than a question.
"I was. I presume Dare is your name for the wolf?" he asked.
She nodded, with a small smirk as if at a private joke.
"Still, just because you didn't act like the rest of these dimwits, doesn't mean I like or trust you." She said, her face and voice hard. He smiled back, though he gave nothing away. "Besides, who said I need help?" she continued, obviously on the defensive.
The man smiled. Though she didn't know it, the girl had just asked him the exact right question to allow him to help her. It was his job to help those in need of expert assistance.
"Although I might not look it, I have experience in dealing with matters that are more than they appear. Like 'your' wolf, for example. Or should I say, the young mage Altair?"
She gasped truly amazed, and more than a little scared.
"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes open wide in fear. He lifted his hood back from his face a little, and she frowned. His features, were well, beautiful, almost elven, but not quite.
No, it couldn't be him…could it?"Eragon? She all but whispered. He nodded and let the hood remain up.
"That I am." Eragon said. "But we ought best keep that between the four of us,"
"The four?"
Greetings, little one.
Saphira! Oh, I suppose I was a little foolish to forget that… The girl blushed.
"As I said," Eragon continued smoothly as if there had been no interruption, "I might be powerful, but there are enough fools in this place would fight me. And I prefer for things to refrain from being…messy. Still, now you know my name, might you extend me the courtesy of knowing yours? After all, to help you I need to know as much as possible about your tale."
She nodded, and glanced down at the wolf.
Do it. Altair said, his amber wolf-eyes looking deep into hers.
"My name is…'Ren. And I should warn you it's a long story…"