Ch.2
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Eragon felt his way around the many tents lined up on the Burning Plains. The egg was the only good thing on his mind right now. It was raining so hard that he could barely see, even with his elf senses; he was tired; and his dream from last night kept bothering him. He wanted to help the sisters, but he couldn't help them without knowing anything about them.
He had to go to Nasuada's tent to meet with the fisherman who had found the egg on Vroenguard. He was rather interested in finding out how they had been shipwrecked and found the egg. He was lost in thoughts when he collided with a solid shape.
"Eragon?" an extremely familiar female voice said.
Eragon turned bright red. He had fallen on top of Arya.
He could feel her chest moving against his, her thighs pressed against his. He heard Sahpira snorting in his head. The moment was broken by Arya.
"Eragon, you're crushing me," she gasped.
"Oh, sorry," he said, hastily getting off of her.
"I'm fine," Arya answered composedly. "You really should watch were you are going, Shadeslayer."
"I couldn't see through the rain," Eragon muttered, embarrassed.
This statement was followed by a long, awkward silence as they both trudged through the rain to the command tent.
"So," Eragon began, trying to break the silence, "what do you think about the new dragon egg."
"I think it is the best thing that could have happened to the Varden in the present circumstances," she replied.
"Saphira says it's a female," Eragon continued, trying to prolong the conversation.
Arya looked surprised.
"Really?" she said.
"I was surprised too. She'll be the second female dragon in over one hundred years," Eragon replied.
"Galbatorix will want the egg once he learns of its existence," Arya said concernedly, "and…"
"And he won't need me anymore," Eragon finished
Arya nodded.
They continued in silence until they reached Nasuada's tent. Nasuada was there, as well as Orrin, Jormundur, and three men who Eragon assumed were the fishermen.
"Eragon, Arya, Saphira," Nasuada began as she saw the first two enter the tent and the last stick her head through the flap. The youngest of the three men, who was tall and thin with light brown hair appeared to be in his early twenties, was looking at Saphira with complete and utter awe. The oldest of them, who resembled the youngest, had a similar expression on his face. The middle one, whom was about thirty-five with blond hair, however, was looking at Saphira with an expression of bored disinterest.
"These are the fisherman," Nasuada continued, "Carlo," (the blond), "Jemez," (the oldest), "and Talson," (the youngest). We were waiting for you three before the fishermen told us their story."
"Father tells the story best. I was only five when we were shipwrecked," Talson put in.
Carlo rolled his green eyes at this statement and muttered something that sounded like, "And Jemez was an ancient twenty-five to my young eighteen," in an extremely sarcastic tone. Jemez laughed good-naturedly and said, "Such a joker, my brother. You never know what he's thinking. 'Guess what Carlo is really thinking' was my favorite game when I was younger." Carlo gave his brother such a look of pure loathing that Eragon almost jumped back. Talson seemed to notice this, and it clearly disconcerted him. Jemez seemed wonderfully oblivious to the look Carlo had given him. He started his narrative.
"I call myself a fisherman and so do my brother and son. That is only partly true. My brother and I fished only part of the time. We were mostly smugglers for the Varden. Carlo stole, bought and/or talked the goods out of their proper owners. He was better at this than I was. I sailed the goods to the Varden. Carlo often had to go with me to escape the authorities. We had many adventures that would make great ballads, but we're pressed for time so I'll be brief. That was what happened seventeen years ago. You may wonder why my son was with us. My wife died bearing him, and I always left him with my sister. She died a few weeks before that fateful smuggling trip. I had to take him with me. Galbatorix's soldiers themselves pursued us. Carlo had gotten a larger amount of goods than ever before, stolen from the warehouses of the mad king himself. A terrible storm came up. Carlo believes it was a storm caused by magic. He knows more about such things than I do." (Here, Jemez laughed over his ignorance of magic, and he did not seem to care when no one else did.) He cleared his throat and continued:
"We ended up on Vroenguard with a full supply of food, water, liquor, and weapons," Jemez said with a look that showed he thought no body human, elf, or dwarf could wish for more to stranded on an old, haunted island with absolutely no human inhabitants with only his hostile younger brother and nervous young son for company.
"Galbatorix's men were too scared to land on Vroenguard even to placate the king's wrath. I can only guess what he did to them. We went farther inland and stayed in one of the rider's old shelers. Talson found the egg while he was digging in the dirt when he was…about…seven, I think. The trees were too huge to cut down. Finally, sixteen years ago one of the trees came down in a storm. We had axes. It took us a whole year to cut it up and make a boat. We sailed to Teirm. It took us two days.
"When we got there, we heard rumors of a new rider. I went to the home of my old friend, Jeod Longshanks, and he confirmed the rumors. He said that the new rider had actually stayed in his house for a time and had left a few weeks ago. We decided that we must get there. It took us a long time to get there. We were attacked two or three, perhaps four, five, or six times by bandits, soldiers, and other miscreants. We sustained injuries in every battle. Those slowed us down. We finally got here just yesterday. There's not much left to tell," Jemez finished. He sat down in his chair and took a drink from the water flask that Jormundur had kindly given him.
"I think that they should all swear in the ancient language that he has not lied," Arya put in.
"I agree," Nasuada replied.
"As do I," Eragon and Saphira said together.
"You're all right," Jormundur said.
"Okay," Jemez said, "just tell me what words to say. I don't know a word in the ancient language."
"I don't know enough to swear," Talson replied.
"I do," Carlo put in, interrupting everyone. He switched to the Ancient Language. "I certainly do. I tell you now that I lost everything when that ship wrecked. My wife thought I was dead. When I came, she'd remarried. I only hope the Varden can make it up to me."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Eragon asked coolly. Carlo was annoying him.
Carlo grinned nastily, "You're the smart ones. I am but a humble fisherman. You tell me."
You have a clever tongue. Learn to use it with respect, Saphira projected so that everyone could hear as she placed her claw on Carlo's chest.
Carlo sighed and said, "Saphira Bjarskular, eka celobra ono un mulabra ono un onr Shur'tugal ne haina. Ach neiat eka."
If you keep your promise, snake tongue, Saphira told him. Carlo laughed at his nickname.
"You have a clever dragon," Carlo said to Eragon.
Eragon remained silent.
"I apologize if I offended anyone. Lady Nasuada, forgive me," Carlo said, bowing and grinning lecherously at Nasuada, who looked uncomfortable as he did this.
"Of course," Nasuada replied.
"I am accomplished in magic," Carlo continued. "Could I serve the Varden that way?"
Nasuada looked at Eragon.
"I gave up command of the Du Vrangr Gata after the battle. Trianna was happy," Eragon muttered back.
"You will have to talk to Trianna," Nasuada told him.
"I shall," Carlo replied as he got up and left.
"I apologize for my uncle's behavior," Talson said. "Please don't get too terrible an opinion of him." He smiled sheepishly at everyone, especially Nasuada.
"The fault was not your's," Nasuada responded warmly.
Talson looked gratified beyond belief. Eragon thought Jemez looked worried for just an instant. Eragon realized he must have imagined it because Jemez looked pleased when he looked again.
"I think the meeting should be adjourned now," Jormundur put in. Nasuada nodded in agreement. Talson and Jemez left after swearing the words Eragon and Arya told them to say.
Good nickname, Saphira, Eragon said as he and his dragon left the tent.
Do you think so? Saphira asked modestly, though Eragon could tell she was pleased. He thought over everything they had all said. Carlo was the biggest puzzle of all.
Trianna sweated and shouted as she attempted to heal the man lying there. He had been attacked in a skirmish with the remnants of Galbatorix's army. He had several broken ribs and a fractured collar bone. She felt new energy being sent to her, and she managed to heal the man. Trianna looked around for her source of help and saw only a tall, handsome blond man. He smiled as he walked over to the man lying next to the newly healed one. This one had a smashed skull. The blond man healed him with ease. Trianna gasped.
"I am here to ask about joining Du Vrangr Gata," the man said.
Trianna accepted him immediately.