Leaving Uru'bean
I took off my bag and then took everything out of it to make room for the white heart of hearts and the black dragon egg. I got out a smaller bag made of leather (which had once been used to store fish) and put the white dragon in, so that its glow wouldn't show as I tried to escape. I put that in the bottom of my bag. Next, I put in the dragon egg in and all of my other stuff on top of both. After making sure I hadn't forgotten anything, I sprinted for the door while yelling out the new password. I ran down the passageways of the castle, amazed at how fast I could run, and how light my bag felt in spite of the extra weight. I soon started to get that feeling that I was missing something, so I stopped to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything back in the chamber. I checked through everything; bag, sword, utility belt (which I had bought from a shop on the way here), money, healing herbs (incase my magic was somehow depleted), and for some reason, it suddenly occurred to me that it would probably be safer if I had bought someone along, but I ignored the thought and continued my inspection. It looked as if I had everything, but I still felt that something was missing, but I just pushed the thought to the back of my mind and continued running. Suddenly, it came to me; what I was missing was my "pull." That one thing that had been guiding me the entire journey had just disappeared as I had found the chamber, I had just been way too preoccupied to notice, and now that I was calm, its lack of presence was realized. I reached the end of the long corridor and came to a fork in the path. Up to this point, I had simply followed this corridor that for some reason had no other paths going out from it. Due to the fact I hadn't bothered to try and remember the path, I had no idea where to go. I pondered on which one to go down. I knew that one lead out, and the other probably deeper into the castle, but I didn't know which was which. I tried to think backwards, but I couldn't remember seeing this fork. I must have run passed it as I came in.
"Go left" said a deep voice. I turned around; frantically looking for whoever it was who had said it, before I realized that it was the dragon. I replied with a simple "thanks" and ran down the left corridor and let the dragon guide me through the castle, simply because there was no other way to find my way out. At one point, after a full ten minutes of running through the corridors, the dragon lead me through a door which was the only entry (and exit) of a long corridor with thousands of swords hung up upon the wall. I stopped abruptly. What was I doing here? I had no idea, and in that moment I realized how stupid I had been in trusting a dragon! Galbatorix had probably taken over his mind already; I was being led to my death! I began to turn around just as the dragon began to talk.
"These" the dragon told me, "Are all the swords of every dragon rider that has ever been captured or killed by Galbatorix. He collected them all and put them here, so that when one of the eggs hatch, the new rider could have a rider's sword."
"Ok…So what am I doing here?" I asked him.
"These are the strongest most powerful swords in all of Alegaesia!" He yelled at me angrily; having heard my thoughts, he was offended, but he didn't say anything about it. "This is a chance too good to miss, so choose one and then leave the city."
I scanned the wall. They were in millions of different colors, about as diverse as the hearts of hearts had been, and all different sorts too. Some were broad, others, not so broad. Some were long, others short. Some you used with one hand, others with only one, and some, can be used with one, or both. I looked on the wall, looking for a sword that I could use and trust for the rest of my life, but none that I looked a seemed right for me. When I held them, they just didn't feel as if I could own them. They all seemed to reject me, telling me that they didn't want to kill, or fight, and just sit up on the wall. You're probably thinking the same thing most people do; how can a sword reject you? Well, its quit simple, a rider's sword is magical. It isn't made from your average iron and copper, but from some kind of metal that fell from the sky thousands of years ago. It's very hard and strong, and also very hard to mold, and thus, to make it, the blacksmith must use magic, which the metal absorbs and then gains a bit of consciousness; it chooses who uses it. If you want a good rider's sword, you want one that chooses you, other wise, it'll place doubt in your mind, and you will never fight to the best of your ability. So I walked down the corridor, scanning the wall for any sword that I felt wouldn't reject me. But they all did, and I soon got bored. I decided to look in another section of the corridor and began to run down the corridor. I skidded to a stop as I felt my pull come back. I turned around and followed it back to a particular sword that was on the wall. It was black, as black as the dragon egg that was now lying at the bottom of my bag; so dark that I could barely see it in this light, even with my new eyes. I took it off the wall and began to swing it around, to see how it felt like. I gasped in amazement. I couldn't believe my eyes. This sword was a replica of the one that was currently swinging on my hip. The only difference was the type of metal the sword was made out of, oh, and the fact that the rider's sword had an onyx on the helm. Even the scabbards were similar; black with thin gold wires decorating it with the most elaborate patterns. All the swords in the corridor came with their own scabbards, and one would be expected to trade their scabbards for the ones on the wall, but I didn't want to let go of mine. You see, when I was about thirteen, my father bought me my scabbard as a present. I had made my father get me sword fighting lessons, and before I tell you this story, I should tell you how the lessons work.
When learning how to fight with a sword, there are two types of classes one can go to. One can have private classes with your tutor, where you learned how to use a sword, and there are group classes, where you learn how to fight in a group, and where you get free enrolments in tournaments and learn the 'extras' of sword fighting. But when my father tried to enroll me in some group classes, they wouldn't take me because I was a girl, so he paid for a tutor to give me private lessons, and through three classes a week, I became really good, really fast. By the time I was eight, I was at the same level as most ten year olds in the country, and by the time I was twelve, my tutor said I was better then most eighteen year olds currently working in the army. When I was twelve, my tutor and I teamed up against my father and got him to pay double the usual price so that I could participate in a tournament. I came first and won five hundred gold pieces, and with it, I did what my tutor had told me to do with it; pay for an apprenticeship with the best sword smith in all of Teirm. This was to "gain an appreciation on how a good sword is made and crafted, and so that you know how to fix yours if it is bent or broken." The normal price was about 300 gold pieces for two years learning, and then 1 year's service as a sword smith with him. A total of three years all up, so 100 gold pieces a year. I paid 600 gold pieces upfront for a 1 year apprenticeship because I was a girl. I had managed to save up 100 gold pieces previous to the tournament and so that I was able to pay it. My mother was shocked, but it was my money and so she let me 'waste it' as she called it, but my father was proud of me. Not only had I not wasted his money with the sword tutor, but I had managed to win a tournament and pay for my own highly expensive apprenticeship which would give me a valuable skill in life. By the end of nine months with the swords smith, I knew almost everything about making a sword, and so, as a final part of the apprenticeship, he helped me make my own sword. I planned it, collected the ores, purified the metal, and made the sword under his watchful eye, to make sure the sword was perfect. The day I finished the sword was the day I finished my apprenticeship with him, and as a final farewell, he told me if I came back at any point in the future, I could have a 50% discount on any one item in his store, which includes apprenticeship for myself or anyone I paid for. That day, I walked home proudly with my newly finished sword on my hip, and when I arrived, my father gave me this scabbard as a present. He had saved up all the money he would have spent on my apprentice course, gotten the dimensions of my sword from my master and spent all of the money on this one scabbard for me. It is my most prized possession, and not only highly valuable in terms of money, but it also has a high sentimental value; it was the only remaining thing that can remind me of my father. I was not going to give it up just because I needed a rider's sword. If the sword I had in my hand did not fit into the scabbard, I would not take it. I slowly took my sword, which had served my all these years, out of the scabbard and put in the new sword. As I had hoped, it fit in perfectly. I put my old sword into the riders scabbard and was about to put it up on the wall when I changed my mind. This sword still had some life in it; it would not sit on a wall for the rest of eternity. Sword fighting one-o-one – a sword, like any other weapon, is a tool, and has a purpose. Just like a hammers purpose it to hit, a swords purpose it to fight, so I put it in my bag; I would give it to someone who I thought would need it and respect it and most importantly, use it.
"Interesting," said the heart of hearts, "you seem to have picked an unnamed sword. It was made for a young rider, but he and his dragon were killed by Galbatorix before he could use it, or name it for that matter. So it has remained unnamed and unused."
"I will name you" I told the sword, "but not yet, let me get to know you first, ok?" I had a bad habit of talking to inanimate objects, mainly due to the fact that I had had almost no friends in Teirm. I made sure the sword was secure before I put on my bag and ran out of the door.
In total, the entire return journey, which had taken me hours, had only taken me about twenty minutes. I ran out into the garden to see the sun very close to setting and ran to the gate that I had come in from. Just before I reached the gate, I gained my senses and began to walk. I couldn't just go flying past people like that; it would draw too much attention. The amount of time it was taking me was excruciating. It was like inviting Galbatorix to realize I was here. I really wanted to run, because I knew that as soon as Galbatorix tried to cast a spell, he would realize how depleted his energy levels were. I reached the gate and saw that there was a guard there. Thankfully, it was the same guard as before, so I wouldn't have to have the same argument as this morning.
"Hello again" I said cheerily to the guard. "Would you mind opening this gate for me? I've got another message to deliver."
"Oh…hello," he said nervously; he was sober now. "Were you late for the King?"
"Would you be standing here if I had?" I asked him, and before he could answer, I continued with "but I do have another important message to deliver, and I need to get out."
"Can't you leave by another gate?"
"Well, yes…but I chose to go out of this gate today"
"Why?"
"I do not need to tell you my motives behind my actions!" I yelled at him, "So just be quiet and let me out!" He was too stunned to stay anything. He opened the gate and let me pass.
"Thank you Connor Jadesson" I said, returning to my cheery tone.
"Your welcome" he mumbled. I pretended not to hear and walked away, taking the smaller roads to the front gate. I got there just as they were closing them, and I ran (at a human pace) over to them.
"Hey!" I called out, "Could you fine gentlemen let me out before you close them gates?" I knew how front gate guards work, and threats don't work on them, but flattery and bribes work every time.
"And what would get in return?" asked one of the guards.
"Well," I said, looking innocent, "what would you like?"
"Do you have any money?" another asked.
"How much?" I asked him.
"How 'bout two gold pieces for each of us?"
There were five guards, but ten gold pieces is a lot of money for a farmer, and should be a fortune for a woman.
"Ok!" I answered them, and took out ten gold coins. I handed it to the shocked guard, who wasn't expecting me to be so rich.
"I didn't know you were this rich!" He said, "Another two each!"
"NO!" I said forcefully, "The agreement was ten!"
"Another ten or you don't pass" he said bluntly.
"Let me pass, or I'll decapitate you!" I threatened him. He laughed.
"A girl…decapitating a guard? Ha! You make me laugh!"
I answered by taking out my (old) sword and hitting him with the flat side of it. He fell down unconscious. I took my money and dared the other guards to challenge me. They backed off and let me pass. I gave them their gold pieces as hush money and walked out of the city. They finished closing the gate. Once it was completely closed, I began to run.
