Night had fallen and the stars were veiled by thin wisps of clouds. In the valley below them, not a soul could be seen. Murtagh had stayed quiet through most of the flight, only talking when he gave Thorn instructions. The red dragon had kept to himself, not wanting Murtagh to feel his thoughts; he was worried about the toll the words Gharza had spat to his beloved rider. Their encounter had only renewed feelings of anger and despair; would there ever be a time when they wouldn't be scorned for being who they were? They didn't know the torture they had endured, or the many spells that had been cast on them using their true names. They didn't know they were victims of fate. With a slight puff of smoke, Thorn beat his massive wings with renewed ardor. Murtagh's gaze was fixed on a distant star as he let his mind jump aimlessly from one thought to another. All the while, the word King Killer seemed to echo in the back of his head. His brows knitted lightly and he urged Thorn to pick up more speed; he wanted the wilderness, he wanted the cold of the north to numb him again. In the corner of his ruby eye, Thorn saw the distant flickering of a small fire.
Thousands of feet below them, Gharza was setting up camp. A faintly twinkling ruby passed over their heads, Maelor and Gharza booth unaware that Thorn and Murtagh was flying high above them. The girl was laid out close to the fire, her eyes closed but her pupils dancing wildly under their lids. Do you think she's in pain? asked Maelor as he averted his gaze from the girl to his rider. Gharza stopped rummaging through her travel-worn bag for a moment to spare a glance back at the girl. There's no way of knowing without entering her mind. I'm sure someone in Ilirea will be able to take care of her, the she-dwarf replied before continuing to unpack her bedroll. Gharza ate a small meal, quickly glancing back at the girl whenever she heard her rustle under Murtagh's cloak. We should find her some proper clothing, she said as she rearranged the cloak on the girl's body. Gharza knew it would only be possible once they were back in the capital and sighed as she sat back down on her makeshift bed. We should be able to reach the city by nightfall tomorrow if the winds are kind, Maelor said as he sniffed the air, neck outstretched and eyes closed. Let's hope they are, I don't know how long she can go without water or food, Gharza replied as she recalled how the girl had not been able to drink a single drop of water the rider had eased in her mouth. A small sigh escaped through Gharza's pink lips as she settled herself in her sheets, her eyes locked on the girl before sleep took her.
When Gharza awoke the next morning, the air was crisp and the sky infinitely blue. Maelor purred as she lovingly patted his large jaw. When Gharza walked over to the girl's body, she was displeased to see she was still in her comatose state. She quickly took her in her arms and flung her on her saddle. Gharza drew some energy from the pommel of her sword and felt her hunger, as well as any minor aches she had, fade away. She nimbly climbed on her saddle, securely holding the girl with one muscly arm as Maelor ascended. As the dragon veered northwards, he hummed in delight. The wind is at our back, we may yet reach the city before supper, he chirped. Gharza nodded, a small smile resting on her lips. Although she had a somber face at times, she was known to enjoy feast and any festivity where the taps freely dispensed beer. Sweet memories of previous banquets soon flooded her mind, making a small chuckle rise from her chest. Queen Nasuada was known for her hospitality towards riders and if she arrived in time for supper, she was sure to be well fed. Below them, the arid plains slowly gave way to lusher, greener valleys as they inched closer to the capital. Gharza kept her gaze mostly on some distant cloud; she had overcome her fear of heights slowly and though at the present she was relatively at ease with flying, she hated looking downwards while aloft.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and it was only when the outskirts of the city could be seen in the distance that either Gharza or Maelor stirred. The sun was near the horizon, casting copper highlights upon the slate roofs. After years of rebuilding, the capital has almost erased any signs of the battle in Urû'baen. The crater from the explosion Galbatorix had caused had been rebuilt and one could only know it had happened if one searched meticulously. When they flew over the streets, the people cheered and waved and Gharza waved back, a big smile illuminating her face. Maelor glided as close as he could to the rooftops, relishing the welcome the residents of the capital gave him and his rider. Ahead of them, Nasuada's castle rested at the top of a hill, and the many paved road of the city all branched out from it, like veins and arteries from the heart. Maelor landed in the grassy courtyard that lay behind the castle. The palace had been rebuilt using a mix of elven and human craftsmanship, with sturdy towers of rock and dainty halls made with trees using the magical elven singing. Before she was out of her saddle, a few dignitaries rushed to greet her. They were wearing long robes of varying colors, from purple to bright orange. A man with a great silver necklace and many wrinkles upon his face walked up to Gharza as she dismounted, the girl in her arms.
"We were not expecting you, Gharza! The Queen is delighted by this surprise." He said in a booming voice.
"I come here with urgent news. I need to speak to the Queen and the court magician as soon as possible." The she-dwarf said in a hurried tone as she made her way to the tall glass door that lead inside the castle.
"Who is this person you're carrying? Is he hurt?" the man asked, as he walked next to the rider.
"It's a she and I cannot tell. She is the reason of my visit." Gharza said as she spared a quick glance down at the girl. The cloak had fallen past her eyes and her hair was tangled under the fabric, effectively hiding all her feminine feature. The rider pulled the cloak under her chin so the man could see.
From the corner of her eye, Gharza saw the man intercept a young lad and send him forward at great spend, warning the Queen of her imminent arrival. The walk to the throne room was speedy, Gharza walking with short but brisk steps. The dignitaries hurried around her and she could hear the jangle of their many jewels as they rushed to keep up with her.
When they arrived at the desired location, Gharza couldn't help glancing at the structure of the room. Though she personally didn't appreciate the elves architecture, she had to admit the many trees woven together with stone pillars and stained glass was awe-inspiring. At the very end of the hall was a small platform carved of pale granite on which rested the throne. It was made of varying types of wood and at the top of the back, a magical pale gems rested in a socket. Next to the throne there was a low pedestal on which rested a burgundy pillow. A fat orange tabby cat lay on it, seemingly very content and sound asleep. The queen's traits seemed pulled, and her eyes showed she hadn't slept well in the last few days. Gharza carrying someone in her arms didn't bring any relief to the aging monarch.
"Gharza, I dearly hope you bring good news." She simply said as she slightly leaned forward.
"I bring news neither good nor bad." The she-dwarf replied "As you might know, there was a strange disturbance in the land that occurred not 3 days ago-"
"My wizards felt it. It has worried all of us dearly." The queen interjected, "I hope you bring enlightenment on the issue" she added. Gharza could hear the fatigue and worry in Nasuada's voice. "But please, continue." The queen added with a small wave of her hand.
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, Queen Nasuada. When Maelor and I felt the disturbance, we immediately went to investigate. As we headed south, the humming stopped as suddenly as it had begun. We continued our journey hoping to find clues along the way but we stumbled upon an unlikely pair. Murtagh and his dragon Thorn seemed to have made it to the epicenter of the disturbance and brought back what they believed to be the cause of it." Gharza recounted.
She saw the Queen tense up at the mention of the red rider and his dragon. She had placed a hand gently on her arm, over an old scar most probably. Gharza swallowed difficulty and a renewed hate for Murtagh swelled up inside her. King Killer and Queen Torturer, she had though somberly.
"What they told seemed unbelievable, but neither I nor Maelor felt any lies upon their tongues. They said that this human was encased in a crystal on an island far out at sea, south of the Surda coastline. We took her from them and we have brought her here for your magician to study and to find out what exactly happened." Gharza finished as she opened her arms so the queen could get a better look at the girl.
Nasuada seemed to sink in her thrones, deep in thought. Not too long after, the court magician entered, hair pulled back into a grey braid and dark circles under her eyes.
"You called, your majesty?" she said in a low voice that reflected her old age.
"Yes. We seemed to have found the source of the disturbance you and your colleagues felt a few nights ago. Gharza, please repeat to Merelwin what you have just said."
While Gharza retold her story, Merelwin seemed deep in thought, nodding every now and then. Her interest seemed to peak when Gharza mentioned details about the girl's state.
"I can take the girl and try to pull her out of her sleeping state, but I will need time if we wish to be as careful as possible. If she is in fact responsible for what we felt, she may have powers that we do not know or yet understand. I will personally overlook the operation." She said in a low voice as she brought her fingers to her chin.
She snapped her fingers and a few man and woman dressed in white robes with complex embroidery of varying colors walked through the same door she had arrived from. She gave them a few orders and soon one woman was gently taking the girl from Gharza's arms.
"We will treat this operation with the utmost caution, your majesty. You can sleep soundly tonight."
Gharza looked at the small crowd of scholars leave with Merelwin at their tail. She would've enjoyed seeing them in action but knew her duty was elsewhere.
Many leagues away from Ilirea to the North, Murtagh stood at the border of a small forest. He had not said it to Thorn yet, but part of him, not matter how small it was, was wondering how the girl was doing and if they had managed to pull her out of her vegetative state. He couldn't deny he was curious about the whole affair but he knew that getting involved was not an option. It had drawn the attention of too many people and he didn't want to deal with Eragon's riders, the Queen, or the elves.