Sorry everyone! I know that it's been a while since the last update. Been busy lately.
Enjoy!
The silver dragon circled over the tree tops as her Rider waited for permission to enter the city. When she was allowed in, the dragon sped towards Tildarí Hall where the elf queen was living. She hadn't been informed of the Rider's coming as they had no time to send word ahead of her.
"Just a little longer, Evarínya. Then you can rest."
"I won't be able to rest until your mother and Kuldra are home again."
"I know. But you need some sort of rest. There's the hall. Land in front of it. You remember this place, don't you?"
"A little. Did I spend much time here?"
"I think so. When we land, I want you to go to the Crags of Tel'naeír and rest. I will meet you there."
"Won't the queen put you up in one of the houses here?"
"I'd rather be in the house my mother made with her own hands long ago."
"I understand." Evarínya landed and Queen Arya rushed out of the hall, her nobles on her heels. She immediately noticed that the silver dragon was tired as Delinnëa unsaddled her. Once she was free of the saddle, the silver dragon took flight towards the Crags. Arya turned to her best friend's daughter.
"Delinnëa, this is unexpected. Is the Golden Rider coming?"
"Majesty," the younger Rider said, "I must speak with you in private."
"Uncle, please let me by. I need to talk to you." Oromis and Glaedr hovered outside the mountain range that hid the palace and the dragons within the valley. There was a barrier he hadn't been aware of before and was wondering if it was new.
"You may enter." Eragon's voice sounded tired as he gave his nephew permission to enter the valley. Glaedr surged forward and Oromis felt the barrier close behind him, hidden once again. In moments, Glaedr landed in front of the palace where Saphira and Eragon were waiting. "Why have you come back, Oromis? Your training with me is completed."
"That wasn't the reason you sent us back." Oromis challenged. Young Riders looked up at his words. None of them had ever dared to talk to Eragon, their master, in that manner before.
"Come inside." Eragon said. "Glaedr, go with Saphira. She has some food for you." The bronze dragon nodded and padded after the ancient dragoness while their Riders retreated into the palace. Eragon pulled Oromis into a study where he placed wards against eavesdropping. "What's happened? You're right. You and Nëa weren't done with your training, but I knew you were needed. I tried contacting Florina to see if she was going to bring any new Riders soon as I had a feeling some might hatch or have hatched. But I couldn't contact her and I wasn't able to scry her either."
"She's been taken. Father says that Uncle Murtagh is controlled by blood magic and that he'll try to get that magic to control mother."
"Barzûl," Eragon cursed. "This is what she was afraid of and I was too stubborn to listen. She told me she felt the blood magic still there and that she was afraid someone would recognize her as queen. She was afraid that it would be Murtagh. But I convinced her otherwise and she kept her invitation open."
"What do we do? Will you come back and fight?" Oromis asked, hope in his voice. Eragon was silent as he remembered Angela's prophecy.
"You will leave Alagaësia and never return." She had said. He looked out the window at the new Riders. He knew that Florina was stronger than him. She always had been. If he were to go out and fight her to bring her back and instead died, there would be no one to protect the valley. "I can't." He finally said. Oromis's shoulders sagged. "Where your mother was tasked with leading the Riders, I have been tasked with teaching them. I cannot leave the valley and leave them unprotected. But I will help however I can. Are the elves marching to war?"
"No. Nëa went to Queen Arya to ask her help in breaking the blood magic's hold on Mother and Murtagh. Elva and Edan and Jade and Kilana have been sent to Ilirea to warn the queen and to protect her should Mother and Murtagh attack before the elves find the answer we need."
"I see. Glaedr is exhausted and it'll take him a couple of days to recover. During that time, you will continue your instruction and I will prepare a method of speaking with Queen Arya."
"Thank you."
"We're family, Oromis. Family looks after each other."
"Queen Nadara! Riders approach!" Nadara looked up at the call. She was currently in a meeting with her advisors about the rumors of rebellion in the south. Surda had never been happy with the decision made at the end of the war long ago. The first of them to become a Rider was named Edan, one of the princes. Nadara looked at her advisors.
"Gentlemen and Ladies, I am afraid that the presence of Riders is more important than these trivial matters. Call for the king of Surda and I will talk with him personally. I must go and greet the Riders that come." Nadara stood and hurried to the courtyard, which had been expanded to give the dragons room, and watched as a jade dragon and a maroon one descended and landed on the stone. The Riders dismounted their dragons and Nadara immediately saw similarities between her father and the Jade Rider, including the dark skin. She had heard rumors that one of her family had been chosen, but she had been skeptical.
"Queen Nadara," the Jade Rider hailed. Nadara nodded her approval for them to move closer. "We need to speak with you alone. It's a matter of great importance." Nadara recognized the grave look in the eyes of the Riders and felt fear in her stomach.
"This way." Nadara led the two Riders to one of the green towers in the courtyard and up the stairs. Once in the room, the Jade Rider locked the door and placed wards before turning to the queen.
"Nadara, I am Elva and this is Edan. His dragon is named Kilana and mine is Jade."
"Enough with the pleasantries. Why have you come?"
"So much like your father. Very well. There is a situation concerning the Golden Rider. I have been authorized to tell you what I can so that you can understand the cause of worry we have."
"What situation?"
"I'm sure your grandfather told you about the war his mother, Queen Nasuada, led the Varden through." Nadara nodded. She was named after her great-great-grandmother. "During that war, the Golden Rider was captured by the Black King and brought to Urû'baen as it was known in that time. The Black King is the Golden Rider's birth parent. Once he found this out, he used what is known as blood magic to bind his blood to the throne, meaning the Golden Rider."
"But Nasuada was given the Golden Rider's blessing to take the throne." Nadara countered. "So there is no need to worry."
"There is need to worry!" Elva snapped. The young woman before her was not taking the threat seriously. "The blood magic did not leave the Golden Rider as it was believed. When she came to visit my grandmother, she almost killed my father while he was still an infant. She is tied to the throne through blood and she has been stolen away by another who is also under the control of the blood magic. He plans on bringing it to the surface in the Golden Rider and letting it control her and her dragon. If he succeeds, then the rest of us are doomed. They will fly upon Ilirea and kill all who oppose them. That includes you, Nadara."
"But she promised Nasuada her friendship."
"The blood magic has no bounds. You are in the way of her throne." Elva could see that Nadara was finally grasping the severity of the situation. "Nadara, I volunteered to come because you are family. Edan and I are here because we don't know how long it will be before they come to Ilrea and someone needs to be able to fight them."
"But you just said, and everyone knows, that the Golden Rider and the Red Rider are ancients, born in Galbatorix's time."
"I know. But the only ones who may be strong enough are the elves and Lord Lifaen has them looking for a way to prevent the blood magic from taking control."
"Elva," Edan said suddenly, "the Golden Rider was the Black King's only child. If I am right, the blood magic won't have gone into all of the children, just the eldest."
"What are you getting at?"
"Which of the twins is the oldest?" Elva paled as she realized what the younger Rider was suggesting.
"You are sure of this?" Arya asked the dark Rider. Only the leaders were able to contact Eragon and of those, only Florina and Arya were the ones comfortable to do it often enough.
"Yes. A throne is passed from the parent to the oldest child, normally. We fear that the blood magic will react in the same way if the Golden Rider is taken by it."
"I see. Have you used Nadara's mirror to contact your master?"
"No. We felt that it should come from you, being one of his closest friends. We haven't told Lord Lifaen either. It might be best if Delinnëa goes to the valley and make sure Oromis is okay and then Eragon keep them there."
"And keep them prisoner when we need all the help we can get?"
"What help will they be against their own mother?" Elva countered. "And with Oromis as the oldest, if something happens to the Golden Rider, the blood magic will take over him and Glaedr and Delinnëa may be the only ones who can keep him with us. They can do research from there and train some more." Arya sighed.
"I will talk to Lifaen and see what is too be done." Elva nodded and they broke the spell. Arya turned and reached for her sword. Delinnëa was standing in the door, looking at her. "Nëa, you scared me."
"Why didn't you tell us about that possibility?"
"We weren't sure. But I'm going to talk to your father and see what he wants done."
"Don't. Don't tell him." Arya looked at the daughter of her closest friend. "Just tell him that I've gone back to the palace to train more. I will tell Eragon and Saphira what has happened. And Oromis. He will understand." Arya nodded and the young woman walked out.
i had had a different idea for this part, but Delinnea is the youngest and she needed to be the oldest for it. it might still work later. but, thanks for reading and please review.
again, sorry for the late update.
