First on Oriks schedule is a tour of Trojnhem. This takes hours. Orik walks ahead, spewing facts and history as he goes. I follow aimlessly, trying to appear interested, but my mind is occupied with thoughts of Murtagh. I run through the visit in my head twenty times, and each time his words seem to have more meaning. I long to retrieve his note from my belt and read it's message, but I dare not do it in front of Orik or anyone else, and resolve to open it after the tour in the solace of my room. we start in the bathhouse; a large room filled with natural hot and cold spring pools. We weave in and out of courtyards decorated in statues and short hard grass, streets carved in stone, and houses cut into the base of the hallowed shell of the mountain. I am shocked by the sheer enormity of the city, it could hold two-hundred times it's current population. We make our way to an ancient looking arch leading to a large open space filled with long tables surrounded by chairs. The tables are set with hand painted china and polished silver.
"this is the dining hall, we have our celebrations here." Orik informs me as he directs me towards a chair in the center of the room
"You will also eat here." he sits beside me, where I am seated at the head of the table, and snaps his fingers twice. Two Shaven dwarves appear and fill our goblets with wine and our plates with bread and cheese. I eat silently, absorbed in my thoughts, as Orik gahawfs and talks happily with his comrades. We finish and I see them clearing our place as Orik ushers me back into the maze of tunnels. Our next destination interests me. He leads me to a massive room with a high ceiling, decorated with shelves of books that reach the top. Piles of books that don't fit in the shelves pepper the floor in neat stacks. Ornate rugs and beautifully carved chairs add a touch of warmth to the library. Here I stop, begging Orik for a chance to enjoy the library in detail. He agrees without grimace, apparently pleased with the progress we've made this evening.
"take whatever you want, just be carful with the binding and return it when you have finished" he says through his thick dwarven accent
"don't dally to long." he adds, and walks off down a row of shelves.
I smile at his back, amused.
'He isn't so bad' I think to myself, and make my way to a row of shelves holding somewhat smaller books. I pick one off the shelf and slowly sound out the writing on the cover. I hadn't practice reading or writing since I had been in Tierm with Brom and Jeod. Sadness rushes through me at the thought of Brom, I brush away the thought and focus on the book in my hands.
"Beggar Prince" I read finally, after sounding out every vowel. I smile with self satisfaction and open the cover. The rough parchment pages scuff against each other as I slowly read, fingering the yellow paper with my thumb and following every word with my finger. After a few sentences of struggling it get easier to read. Two pages later, Orik finds me and we continue our tour. I clutch my book to my chest as we walk, afraid of losing it in one of the many halls of Trojnhem. My mind wanders as I count the seconds till I'm alone in my room, but Orik doesn't seem to notice, and continues his tour. After hours of walking down dark corridors, eating again in the awkward silence of the dining hall, and viewing floor after floor of the city, I find myself outside my door. I turn to Orik, half amazed and half relieved that we found our way out of the bowels of Trojnhem. Orik reads my expression and laughs.
"very good, silver hand. You may rest now, I will send someone to wake you in the morning." with that he bows and disappears down the long narrow hall we came from.
I sigh and open the door to my room, reaching out to touch saphira with my mind. She hums in response. She is curled up on a large rug in the center of the room. I toss my book on my bed and rush towards her in embrace. Carefully dodging her spikes, I grasp her neck and nuzzle into her warm scales.
"welcome home, little one." I've missed you today, she hums.
I sigh again and cross the room, plopping down on my bed.
"much has happened. There is much to see in this city." we link minds and I share with her the days events, carefully blocking my visit with Murtagh. Too exhausted to talk, I spread out on my cot and finally reach for the paper Murtagh slipped me. Unfolding it I see a hand written note, urgency is clear through the penmanship.
'Eragon
I can not tell you how dear to me you are, i care for you a great deal, thereforeI must warn you of this, no matter how it endangers me. Galbatorix is searching for me. He can see me, even now, he can CONTROL me. I feel his power growing. You mustn't come near me if I am still in Trojnhem when you see this, I fear I am changing, there isn't much I can do. He has spies here. They will come for me like a theif in the night. Now that he knows you are with the varden, he will not spare you. Stay near the center of the city, never leave saphira. I hope you read this in time. be safe.
I am frozen. My hands shake so much that I drop the note and it floats gracefully to the floor. Tears well in my eyes and I am so afraid that shivers rack my body. Saphira looks up, suddenly aware of the distress pulsing through our mental link.
"eragon?" she springs up, alarmed
My jaw is slack and my eyes are wide, I find the will to turn my head and and choke out one stuttering word.
"Murtagh"