"Good morning, Master," Staria said as she walked up to Shaiku. Sinta and Adura had just taken flight to go to the Stone of the Broken Eggs. Staria felt again that Adura was hiding bits of her training. They must be dragon secrets! she realized. Today, Shaiku had her meditate in the glade, read some more of the Ancient Language dictionary, and practice a particularly hard spell. The spell had a double meaning, and Staria wasn't too good at it since she lacked the concentration to direct two forces at once with the same spell wording.
The next day she sparred with someone called Noshu-tari-sun and got beaten, but only by a little bit. Shaiku was waiting for her at the Crag's of Telnair. They did the Rimgar and Shaiku had her meditate again, but this time on a log. She had practiced a lot, and this time prevailed in knowing what every creature in the clearing was doing at once. Then they worked on her ability to identify and eliminate poisons, and practiced making fairths.
Days passed and Staria began to forget her spar with Nariyok. Before she could forget completely, however, she overheard him and another student talking to one another. She crept closer to hear better.
"…Eragon betrayed us…Yes, I'm serious about considering joining Rasib…No! And promise in the Ancient Language that you won't tell anyone what I told you."
Staria heard a voice she didn't know promise in the Ancient Language. She had to tell Shaiku what was going on. This Rasib they were talking about wasn't in the Order. Snap! A twig snapped somewhere in the direction she was heading.
"Someone's here!" Nariyok yelled. "Look over there!" Nariyok headed in the right direction, but his companion didn't. Staria tried to hide but Nariyok saw her. He raised his hand; the gedwey ignasia glowing white hot.
"You will not speak of what you heard!" Nariyok said.
Frightened, Staria promised in the Ancient Language.
Nariyok vanished into the growing darkness.
The next day, Shaiku asked, "Are you feeling all right? You don't seem to be yourself."
"I…I can't tell you," Staria said haltingly.
"Could you speak with your mind about it?" Sinta, his dragon, asked.
Staria tried and found she couldn't. But then she had an idea. "Get me a pigmented slate. Actually, get me as many as you have."
Shaiku came back with a cloth bag. He handed her a tablet. She concentrated, and she made a lot of fairths.
The first one showed Nariyok and the other guy talking, though you couldn't really tell who was who. The second and third showed the faces of Nariyok and the other guy who Shaiku recognized as Noka-sun-onoh.
"Could you tell us who said what?" Shaiku asked. Staria shook her head.
Then could you allow me access to your memories? Adura asked.
"Yes!" Staria cried. She opened her mind to allow Adura access to her thoughts, feelings, and memories.
After a few minutes, Adura said "It was Nariyok who spoke of Rasib." She projected her memories of Staria's memory, and Shaiku shook his head, looking troubled.
"I must warn his mentor, Sokar. You are dismissed from today's training."
Shaiku went into the hut and Sinta crawled to the clearing and took flight.