Two chapters in one day. Please take note of how lucky you readers are and how pathetic this author is.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize from the Inheritance Cycle. All original material belongs to me.
Nasuada knew it was best for both her and the blue-scaled dragon to leave Tronjheim as soon as possible and to hide somewhere where they could not be found by anyone from the Empire, Varden, or Surda. She would sooner die before allowing her soul partner to fall into the hands of Galbatorix, as would inevitably happen if she stayed with the rebels. And once that decision had been made, Nasuada was going to stick with it 'til her dying breath.
Time was of the essence if she was to escape. The guards had allowed her some time to recover from the life changing incident, but they and the elves would soon be back to presumably escort her to the elfin capitol of Ellesmera. It was still late at night and the majority of Tronjheim would still be sleeping, or else gathered around the no longer secret room in a vain attempt to catch a glimpse of the new Dragon Rider. Escape was possible, if she was swift enough.
The young woman worked quickly, changing out of her nightgown and into a plain dress tailored specifically for travel. She grabbed a dark cloak to hide her face and keep her warm on the cold nights. Nasuada thought wistfully of her bow and arrows, securely locked up for the night in the armory, but knew it was useless to try and retrieve them now. She settled for her dagger, which she had been given to protect her from assassins.
The dragon sat on her bed and watched her Rider, intrigued, as she raced about to stuff a pack full of traveling clothes and other items such as maps and whatever else she thought was useful. The hatchling seemed aware of the impending escape, and patiently waited for Nasuada to complete her packing.
Ccrreeaakk.
Nasuada whirled around, a hand reaching for the hilt of her dagger. The dragon hissed, baring its minuscule fangs. The creaky door to her room was being opened, no doubt by the very people who wanted to take her away to Du Weldenvarden. She tensed, preparing to fight her way out if necessary.
"Lady Nasuada!" Farica exclaimed in relief. "Thank the gods I am not too late!"
The young woman blinked in surprise, shocked to see her handmaid of all people barge in on her. Even more shockingly, Farica did not seem angry that her charge was attempting an escape. In fact, she supported it. The older woman shoved a small sack and Nasuada's bow and quiver into her hands, smiling.
"You are helping me escape?" Nasuada asked. "I thought you were deathly loyal to the Varden and to my father."
"And I love the woman whom I raised from infancy too much to allow her to walk right into her doom," Farica replied. She gestured down at the provisions she had given Nasuada and explained, "The sack is full of all the bread and dried meat I could smuggle from the kitchens. It also contains a knife, for whatever you need it for."
"My bow and arrows, how did you get them? The armory is guarded all night by a diligent man!"
"A man who also has a weakness for older women." The hand maid looked up into Nasuada's eyes, her own eyes alight with desperation and maternal affection. "I once lost my husband to the idealistic and fanciful dreams of the Varden. I cannot bear to lose another cherished one to the same cause."
Nasuada dropped her belongings and hugged Farica tightly, dark eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you," she whispered, those two words full of all the gratitude she wished to express to the caring hand maid.
The older woman pulled away, smiling. "Finish your packing, my Lady. You must leave Farthen Dur before dawn, lest the elves discover your absence and catch you. Go the stables, the path is free of watchmen at this hour. If you hurry, you shall escape without anyone noticing."
Nasuada hastened to stuff the sack of food into her pack, strapping her bow and quiver over her back. As an afterthought, she crammed Dominance of Fate into the bag as well, feeling its extensive history of Alagaesia and detailed maps and translations would prove useful on her journey. At last, the dragon willingly allowed herself to be placed into the bag, kept out of sight in case anyone glimpsed Nasuada.
The young woman gave Farica one last grateful nod before throwing her hood over her head. With a quick prayer to the gods, Nasuada left her room and hurried onto the stables.
The swift journey to the stables was thankfully uneventful. The inhabitants of Tronjheim were still fast asleep and those that had awakened to see the new Rider were on the opposite side of the city. Just as Farica had promised, the roads were currently free of guards.
Inside the stables came the drowsy bleating of the Feldunosts, sturdy, goat-like animals that dwarfs used to travel across the mountainous terrain. The Feldunosts, sensing the presence of their ancestral predator the dragon, began to panic in their stalls.
Inside the pack, the hatchling stirred, curious as to the strange scents outside, tried to peak out to investigate. Nasuada placed a soothing hand on the bag, sending peaceful thoughts to calm the restless dragon. Satisfied that her dragon was momentarily quieted, she proceeded further down the halls.
Past where the Feldunosts were housed was where the Varden's horses were kept. The stables had originally been intended to house creatures much smaller than horses, and it was obvious the great beasts were miserable in their too-small stalls. At Nasuada's arrival, most of the equines pricked their ears in polite interest, while those closest shied away, scenting the hidden dragon.
The majority of the horses were plain old nags that had been captured on raids, useless for anything but being modes of transporation for the soldiers. However, their were a few fine-bred horses from the legendary stables of Surda. These mounts were trained for battle and were reserved for high ranking officers.
Nasuada walked over to a stall where a roan-colored stallion was intently watching her. It was obvious from his powerful build and fine head that he was a warhorse. In fact, he had been a gift from King Orrin himself for her tenth birthday. Battle-storm nickered as he saw his owner, obviously expecting to be let out of his cramped living space for a ride. Nasuada gave the stallion an apologetic smile and continued on. Though Battle-storm was her own personal horse and would no doubt be frightened of the dragon in her bag, he was too obvious for general travel. He was a warhorse and any who saw him would become suspicious as why a poor woman would have such a valuable animal in her possession.
Nasuada eventually settled on a bay gelding as her mount. He would be as terribly suspicious as Battle-storm was, and was sure-footed and even tempered. As a bonus, he didn't panic when the baby dragon poked her head out of the pack to inspect him. Nasuada dubbed the horse mild-mannered horse Glen, after a certain calm elf she knew, and quickly went to tacking him up.
Just as soon was Glen was ready to go, everything seemed to fall apart.
A light suddenly went on behind Nasuada and she halted, knowing she had been caught. A strong and familiar voice demanded for her to turn around at once. Nasuada complied, fixing the owner of the voice with a wan smile.
"Greetings, Orik."
The dwarf swore in surprise, reeling back from the sudden appearance of Ajihad's daughter. "Lady Nasuada, is that you?" He held up his lantern, straining to see her face in the darkness. "What in the name of Helzvog are you doing up at this ungodly hour?"
Nasuada suddenly felt like breaking down into sobs in front of Orik and giving up on this senseless escape. The dragon in her pack nudged her side gently, her tiny mind giving her strength. The young woman raised her head, daring him to challenge her.
"I'm leaving Farthen Dur, Orik. And I'm not sure I'll ever be returning."
Orik's eyes widened in disbelief. "You cannot be serious!" he exclaimed. He gaped at her for a moment, before frowning and steeling himself. "Then I cannot allow you to leave. Daughter of Ajihad you may be, but not even you have the power to order me to stop you from this madness!"
Nasuada sighed. She showed her gedwey ignasia to him, watching as the silver mark glowed orange in the light of the lantern. The hatchling poked her head out of the pack again, fixing the dwarf with a curious stare. Nasuada felt sorry for the dwarf when he gawked at the dragon and the mark on her palm, but she did not show any sign of weakness toward him.
"It is not as Lady Nasuada that I command you to stand down, Orik, but as Rider Nasuada."
The dwarf sighed, looking away from her. He bowed in resignation, moving out of her way. "I shan't tell anyone of this moment, my Lady. As far as everyone else is concerned, this meeting never happened."
Nasuada hesitated, regarding Orik suspiciously. He respected Ajihad greatly, and seemed not the kind to keep important secrets from him. "How do I know I can trust you?" A sudden stroke of brilliance came to her and she asked, "Will you say the same promise in the Ancient Language? So I can make sure you will remain true to your word."
"Bah!" Orik exclaimed in disgust. "The silver-tongued elves and their words of magic mean nothing to me. The word of a dwarf is as solid as the mountain he lives in. Both of your secrets are safe with me, Lady Nasuada. Even without the aid of the damned Ancient Language. From me, you shall need no other guarantee."
Nasuada frowned, ready to insist on the oath anyway.
"Ouch!"
The dragon nipped her fingers, hissing disapprovingly at her. Scolding feelings suddenly entered Nasuada's mind and she realized that the little blue hatchling thought the dwarf was trustworthy and was urging her to think the same. Nasuada scowled at the dragon, forcing it back into the pack, but complied with its wishes.
She inclined her head, keeping her words civil as she addressed the dwarf. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Orik. What you have done today is a great favor I must repay you for, someday."
He merely sighed. "I shall hold you to it, my Lady. It has been an honor for me to assist a Dragon Rider in her daring quest and also a blessing to be one of the few to lay eyes upon a living and breathing dragon." In a quieter voice he added, "I would advise against taking the main road out of Farthern Dur. The gates there are patrolled regularly. However, there is a path to the southwest that will lead you into the mountains and eventually to the northern plains of Surda."
Nasuada dipped her head in gratitude. Silently she put her hood up again and turned away from Orik. She led Glen out of his stall, mounting him and guiding him out of the stables.
Together, she, her stallion, and the hatchling rode out of Farthern Dur and into the great and frightening unknown.
Next chapter: Nasuada's first day as a runaway and also her first time at roughing it up in the wilderness of the Beor Mountains. Also, the semi-cute-semi-obnoxious baby dragon finally gets her name!
1. Why is Farica helping Nasuada escape?
Farica isn't as delusional as the rest of the Varden. She knows the very real danger of being in the rebellion, as she lost her husband in a skirmish sometime before the events of this story. She also doubts the abilities of the new Dragon Rider, and doesn't want the woman she raised from childhood dying in some futile effort to overthrow Galbatorix.
2. Orik was in the stables this late at night why, exactly?
Plot convenience c: Let's just say that Orik was taking care of his sick Feldunost and heard noises coming from the other part of the stable. Hence he went over to investigate and saw what he presumed to be a thief trying to steal on of the horses.
3. Why did Orik allow Nasuada to leave?
Orik isn't stupid. He knows that Nasuada now outranks him and he can do nothing to stop a Dragon Rider. The most he could do at that point was promise to keep Nasuada's secret and to point her in the direction of the safest and quickest path out of Farthern Dur.