A Tourney
Eragon woke in his bed and laid there for a moment letting his mind run through the events of the night before trying to make some sense from what had happened. He was unable to make heads or tails out of Arya's actions though so he put such thoughts in the back of his mind and turned to the task ahead. Orik wanted Murtagh's head for the death of King Hrothgar but Eragon could not possibly allow his brother and friend to be taken from him again. Murtagh had finally accepted what had happened to him and was coming to terms with his life. Eragon did not want to see him die for something he did long ago and made amends for. He would go to Orik and try to sort out what could be done to appease the dwarf's want for justice. Eragon swung out of bed and began his morning routine. First he performed his exercises and called for breakfast. Once he finished eating he dressed himself and informed Saphira of his plans. She snorted and wished him luck in his endeavors the closed her eyes and slept once more. Winter was beginning to set in and the Dragons spent a lot of time sleeping. He made his way done the castle to the guest chambers. When he arrived he found that Orik had left his quarters. Eragon questioned the guards; they told him that Orik had gone to the training field to practice with some of the honor guard.
When Eragon arrived at the training field he found Orik shooting his urgal bow. Eragon approached him from behind "Surely after all these years you would have to have found a new bow. That cannot possibly be the same bow you had when we travelled to Ellesmera?"
Orik did not turn from shooting "It is I have treated it very well over the years to ensure that it does not grow weaker although I have to shoot it more often or not to keep the spring in it. This will be the last time I bring it out to shoot while here though." Orik said with a sigh
Eragon raised an eyebrow "And why would that be?"
The dwarf snorted "Come now Eragon, you cannot be serious?" When Eragon remained silent Orik continued "Shooting an Urgal horn bow within a league of Urgals is not something I would consider healthy."
"Hmmm I see your point there. Would you care to accompany me on a walk? There is a matter of some importance I would like to discuss." When Orik nodded Eragon waved for the guard's men around them to take Orik's bow and then leave them he started walking with Orik following him. Eragon took in a deep breath and plunged in head first. "What would it take for you to forget your quarrel with Murtagh?"
Orik missed a step but caught himself he continued on for a few steps before he answered "I have thought of it. I do not seek to kill him that would put me in ill favor with you. I'm afraid that I lost my temper when we arrived I did not expect to see that man here though I must confess. You should have let me know when he arrived here though I have every right to demand his life."
Eragon was relieved to learn that Orik would not demand Murtagh's life for the kill of King Hrothgar. Now he was anxious to hear what the dwarf's terms would be.
"Now days the killing of King Hrothgar is just an event in history, I'm far older than most dwarfs and I still remember the day while most weren't even born when it happened. Therefore there will not be much backlash from my decision to let Murtagh live, that being said I cannot just let it slip by. Therefore I have decided to ask that he be exiled from Alagaesia and bound in the ancient language to never return. If he were to come back the dwarfs would no doubt be roused by his presence. While he is out here he is not in front of them and can be ignored. I assume that is acceptable for you is it not?
Eragon did not even think about it but contacted Murtagh with his mind to broach the idea with him; he explained the situation to Murtagh.
"I see nothing wrong with it I do not desire to return to Alagaesia and can see no situation where I would want to I am fine with that agreement by all means go ahead." The red rider responded to Eragon's question. The entire conversation lasted no longer than a few seconds.
Eragon turned to Orik "I agree and I am sure that Murtagh will see no issue with that. He knows that what he did was evil and was willing to accept any punishment. I'm glad that you were willing to take mercy on him." Eragon was very relieved that the situation had been handled and he would not have to worry about it. That did not mean he would be worry free he had another problem to attend to. Eragon turned to Orik "If you would excuse me I have business to attend to and preparations to make."
The dwarf's curiosity had been sparked "Preparation's for what if you do not mind me asking?"
Eragon laughed and winked "Why a tourney what else" with that he turned about and began to walk away.
Orik was left befuddled and confused. What was a tourney he wondered to himself, knowing Eragon it was something that would no doubt surprise them all.
When Eragon left Orik he headed for the blacksmiths workshop in the castle. When he arrived the old blacksmith was standing over an anvil and slamming a hammer down onto a breastplate fixing a dent in the armor. Eragon approached the man and announced his presence by ringing a bell that had conveniently been placed on the front door frame.
The old black smith looked up from his work and when he spotted Eragon he smiled wide. "Ah mi lord what can I do for you on this fine summer day." The blacksmith hobbled forward on only one leg, his other leg stopped just below the knee and continued on as a wooden peg.
Eragon couldn't help but laugh "Vulcan its late fall not summer, when was the last time you outside for any length of time."
The smith scratched at his beard "Eh I knew there was a reason me leg was bothering me. Bout the outside thing I can nah remember be out longer than was needed. Now there must have been a reason for you to pay me humble self a visit. Twas surely not to allow your eyes to grace my pretty visage now was it."
Eragon smiled at the smith's antics "No it was not I came to inquire about that armor I had asked you to make."
The smith rubbed his hands together in anticipation "I got it in the back." He called to one of the apprentices in the shop "Oy boy come ere and finish up this breast plate. I'm sure you can handle that now can you." He motioned Eragon to follow him to the back of the shop. At the very back there was a door locked shut. The smith produced a key from a chain around his neck and unlocked the door. He opened the door and as it turned on its soundless hinges to reveal a poorly lit room. Both men entered the room and the smith lit a lamp that lit up the room. In its center stood a sheet covering a large structure, the old smith limped to its side and grasped the sheet. With a twinkle his eye he pulled down the sheet to reveal a suit of armor that was so black it seemed to suck up any light available. "I present to you one of the finest suits of tourney armor I ever did make."
Eragon was in awe of the suit it was a pure black that he had never seen before it was beautiful but did in a deadly way. "Magnificent I must admit."
"Oh you haven't even see da good part yet mi lord." The smith walked over to a shelf and took down a helm that was even more stunning then the armor. He set it on the table for Eragon to admire. The base of the helmet was an oval shape big enough to fit over Eragon's head. The helmet tapered out ward as it rose but the front of it was more pronounced then the rest of it to the point where it looked like the lip of a jug. There was a plate of metal that curved from the back of the helm to just short of the front. It left a little slit for the person wearing it to see out of but only if the person tipped his head foreword. Atop the helm was the sculpture of a rearing dragon with wings spread wide. The amount of detail that was on it was amazing each scale had been carved out and there were veins in its wings that could be seen it if you looked closely enough.
Eragon finished admiring the armor and nodded "Yes this is exactly what I needed it will serve excellently. Have someone take this to the lists and ready it for tomorrow." Eragon turned to leave but stopped at the door "I have arranged for you to sit with our visitors during the tourney to explain to them the rules and what is happening. I trust that you are fine with this."
The smith's mouth opened and closed for a few heart beats before he responded. "There would be truly no greater honor mi lord"
Eragon smiled "I am glad it would be a shame if they did not know what was happening."
Later that night at dinner in the main hall Eragon, Orik, and Arya were in the middle of a conversation about the status of Alagaesia when Wolf rose from the table and cleared his throat all conversation died away. "I am pleased to announce that a tourney in honor of our guests will be held tomorrow at noon. Anyone who has the means to enter and the courage to are welcomed to." With that he sat down and continued eating. For a few minutes there was not a sound in the hall and then without warning the entire hall was shouting and cheering. The roar of dragons could be heard also in the background.
Arya and Orik both turned to Eragon. "Eragon what exactly just happened." Arya asked him.
The lead rider just laughed "In honor of your arrival I decided that we should celebrate."
Orik was just as confused but he was thinking about Eragon's preparations. "What exactly is a tourney?"
"Why my dear friends it is a tournament" now if you will excuse me I am needed elsewhere. A tournament doesn't just magically appear. He rose from the table and left the hall."
Both of the dignitaries turned to look at Wolf "Will you tell us what is going on?" Orik asked him.
The man just looked at them "If my lord wanted you to know then you would." He smiled at them then, a smile that to Arya looked predatory. "However I can tell you to look forward to it."
The next morning Eragon woke finished him morning routine scratched Saphira's eye crest as he drank his tea. When he had finished he left his chambers and went to the stable. Eragon saddled his horse and rode out. He headed to one of the plains next to the rivers. As he crested a hill he stopped to look down upon a structure. It was oval in shape and almost as large as small keep he rode to and entered the structure. As he entered the building he smiled to himself he was looking forward to this. He approached the man who was in charge of building "Leonardo how is it coming along?"
The builder took off his hat and scratched his head "Well it is done mi lord and now we are just finishing decorating should not be much longer till it is ready to compete."
Eragon nodded "Good and my quarters?"
"Just as you asked mi lord, your box is ready for quests also."
"Very good, carry on" Eragon led his horse away. He led his horse across a field that stretched the entire length of the building to a man sitting at a table. The man was old and frail; he was hunched over a pile of parchment and was scribbling on another parchment. "How goes it so far Veon?"
The man looked up from his parchment "So far the competitors are all the same as last time except for one." The scribe shuffled through his papers until he found the one he was looking for. He pulled it out and showed it to Eragon. "Here is a new competitor, his sigil is a solid black background it appears this time we have someone who wants to remain anonymous" on the parchment was a picture of a shield with a solid black background. Eragon smiled to himself everything was going just as he planned now he had other preparations to make.
Meanwhile back at the castle things were very hectic. The serving staffs were preparing that night's feast and most of the guardsmen were preparing their arms and armor. This left Orik and Arya with almost nothing to do. They were in Orik's room chatting when a knock interrupted their conversation.
"Come in" Orik called to the door.
A very large man limped in. Arya noticed that he was missing part of his left leg just below the knee. He had very broad shoulders with a bald head and a large gray beard.
"Mi lady, mi lord. My name is Vulcan. Lord Eragon instructed me inform you of the traditions and rules of the tourney." The man gave an awkward bow.
"Could you tell us what exactly a tourney is perhaps?" Arya questioned the man who had just introduced himself.
"A tourney is a competition between groups of warriors that compete in several activities that prepare them for battle. The main event in the tourney is the joust. Tis a way to practice the mounted lance charge. Two men clad in armor charge each other with blunted lances and try to unhorse each other."
Orik was slightly surprised by the description it seemed like something that could kill. He voiced his question "That is dangerous is it not?"
The bearded man nodded "True tis slightly dangerous I believe you could say." He scratched his bald head "We haven't had anyone die in a long time I believe, not with all the magic users around here." Lady Arya was sitting in a chair and did not look at all surprised by his explanation, in fact she looked bored. The elf made his missing leg tingle. There is more to meets the eye to this one I do believe he thought to himself.
"Who is competing in the tournament?" the elf finally spoke.
"Of that I am not sure but you will get a chance to see when it starts. It is almost noon now so we must head to your box. I will be accompanying you to answer any questions you might have." The man turned and left the room.
Orik looked at Arya before following the man out the door. He led them through the castle to the stables and there they mounted horses and exited out the east gate. The rode for a short while before cresting a hill and at the bottom of the hill nestled in a valley was a stadium that was bustling with activity. There were boys leading horses around and men carrying armor. There were a circle of tents on the north of the stadium. They were many different colors and had pennants flying from their tops. One of the tents was a solid black and had no pennant. Arya was curious as to what purpose they had "What are those tents for?"
Vulcan turned in the saddle and looked at the many tents. "Those are where the competitors ready themselves for the events. The solid black one means that there is someone who would like to remain unknown. This will be a very interesting tourney indeed." They arrived at the stadium and Vulcan led them to a stairwell, the group dismounted from their horses and headed up the stairs. When they arrived at the top they came to a booth that overlooked the stadium. In the middle of the stadium there was a fence that stretched from one end of the stadium to the other.
"What is that fence in the middle of the field for?" Arya asked Vulcan.
"That is used to keep the horses that are charging at each other from colliding. We call the field down there with the fences the lists." Vulcan explained to her.
As they sat down Orik pointed to a large empty chair next to theirs. "Who belongs in that seat?"
Vulcan grunted "That is lord Eragon's seat I don't know where he is, he's usually here by now." They watched as people started to arrive, Arya or Orik would occasionally ask Vulcan questions. Vulcan would point out important people to them. The booths around them were for the Elder Riders use; all the other seats were for the workers.
Arya was watching the people arrive to the lists when Firnen contacted her "How is it?"
She frowned "This seems like a dangerous sport. It would be a shame if my visit here was marred by someone being maimed or killed" Just as she finished her thought trumpets started to blare. "It's starting I have to pay attention now."
She could feel her dragon snort in amusement "Have fun and let me know what happens I'm going flying with Saphira now. You should also spend some time with Leader Eragon especially after the other night." She could feel his amusement at his joke through their bond. Arya turned her attention to the lists below, a line of warriors flowed in. She was very surprised at the armor they wore; the warriors were totally encased in plates of solid armor. Most armor she had seen was made out of tiny rings of metal welded together. She turned to Vulcan "How can they wear that much armor it should be impossible for them to move."
Vulcan shook his head "There have been many improvements in metal working. We have discovered how to make plates of armor light enough to wear but strong enough to stop almost any blow. Also any armor worn in the joust needs to be strong enough to take a blow from a blunted lance.
Arya nodded eager to learn how they made their armor. It would be very valuable knowledge indeed.
Orik was looking at the warriors filing in when he leaned over to speak to Vulcan. "I couldn't help but notice that there are no dwarfs or urgals among the fighters down there."
The old man nodded "The members of the Honor Guards heavy cavalry are the only ones with the necessary skills to participate. Look there is Commander Wolf his armor was one of the best suits I have made." He pointed to a man that was encased in silver armor, on each of the man's shoulders was a howling wolf. His great helm was shaped to look like a snarling wolf. "When he first asked for suit of armor with those decorations I told him that if a lance hit him in the head it would take his head off. He has always been one for show. If you will look you will see that each man's shield has a different symbol on it. Each symbol is that man's crest; it allows us to identify him on the field and in the lists."
Arya watched as the procession of warriors continued until there was only one last warrior. She noticed that he did not have any symbol on his shield. His armor was a solid black color and the only thing decorative about his armor was his helm, it looked like there was a dragon on it.
Vulcan smiled when he saw the warrior he leaned over to Arya and whispered in her ear. "Any warrior who wishes to enter a tourney without anyone knowing who he is may present a blank shield and he will be allowed to enter."
The black warrior broke off from the rest of the warriors and trotted his horse toward their booth. Orik grunted what is happening?"
The old smith was still smiling when he answered "I do believe that he is coming to ask for a favor from lady Arya here."
Arya was confused "What favor would he ask of me?" She asked Vulcan.
The smith just smiled "You will see, just wait."
When the warrior was just in front of the booth he stopped and raised his lance in salute. Arya was very confused she had no idea what was happing and she did not like that at all. "What do I do?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth.
"Wave to him" Vulcan whispered.
She raised her hand in a small wave. The warrior lowered his lance and trotted away. Only when the crowd burst into cheers did she realize that it had been silent from the time the warrior had approached her to when she waved to him. "What did I just do?" she asked with more than just a little anger in her voice.
Vulcan laugh was very deep "You just gave him your favor."
"What exactly does that mean?" she was growing angry.
The old smith sighed "By raising his lance to you that warrior announced his intent to win the tourney in your honor. When you waved to him you supported his endeavor to win for you. Should he win the tourney he will come to your chambers tonight to collect his favor." The smith waggled his eyebrows in her direction.
She could feel the blush rising to her face as he explained what had just happened. She was at a loss for words something that did not happen often. She heard Orik laughing at her, which made her blush even more.
Vulcan laughed "Don't worry that is an old wives tail I am sure he will not attempt anything like that it is more of a courteous gesture now. Now the first event that we will see is the archery completion followed by the mêlée, and finally the joust. So sit back and enjoy yourself."
