Chapter 10
Time seemed to stop for Eragon. Everything around him slowed and became inconsequential. Nothing mattered and nothing else existed except the wound in his mind. He involuntarily dropped to his knees as his legs gave out beneath him. Beside him, Arya did the same.
Saphira.
Her absence left a void that could not be filled. Sure, they had been separated before for prolonged periods of time but, in the back of his mind, he could always feel her, sense her, presence. Now, it was as if his mind had lost the frequency of hers and, no matter how hard he tried, he could not pick it up again.
"They aren't really gone, though, right? I mean…they aren't…" Nala couldn't quite get the words out but her meaning was crystal clear.
"No," said Eragon at once. "They aren't dead; we would know if they were. We just can't feel them anymore." He knew his words to be true – for certain they would have felt the deaths of their bonded partners – but there was always a bit of doubt that plagued him, always a chance he was wrong, no matter how small.
"Aye," breathed Arya, her cheeks sparkled with fresh rivulets of tears. She was visibly trying to regain control of her emotions, her voice and her limbs shaking.
Eragon placed a hand on her shoulder and she laid her palm on the crook of his elbow.
"We will find them." He said. "Nosu weohnata finna Saphira un Firnen."
Saying the words in the ancient language made him feel markedly better and it appeared to have the same effect on Arya. They both stood and, giving his arm a gentle squeeze, she released him and he withdrew his arm. It did not escape his notice that Nala sidled closer to him defensively, looping an arm through his. Eragon felt a little lucky his body blocked Arya's view of her actions; he was upset enough without having to discuss his new relationship with his old crush.
"So what do we do?" Nala asked again.
"We can't go looking for them yet. It would take us months to navigate that terrain on foot." Eragon talked as if he were thinking to himself, though everyone listened with rapt attention. "And we can't go alone. Whatever, or whoever, is doing this must be extremely powerful to overcome two dragons…We need to get to Hedarth and send word to Orik. Maybe he can lend us some horses and some warriors."
We will lend our strength and knowledge as well, Eragon. You and Arya are not alone in this.
It had been so long since Eragon had heard Glaedr speak, the golden dragon's voice startled him.
Thank you, ebrithil.
Aye, thank you, Glaedr-elda, added Arya.
Eager to distract himself, Eragon manned an oar, relieving Haleth, and set a pace the other Elves were hard pressed to match, even with the added strength of the Eldunari. He hadn't felt this hopeless since before his back had been healed during the Agaeti Blodhren, the festival celebrating the pact forged between the Elves and Dragon, making it possible to bind a Rider to a Dragon. Every passing moment only exacerbated his distress. He wanted to do something, anything, to find Saphira and Firnen. His inaction, though forced, felt like a betrayal to Saphira and it was almost too much to bear.
The sky began to clear and the snow finally abated. Though it got markedly colder as the night deepened, Eragon refused to relent. After many hours at his fevered, crazed pace, before the night turned into early morning, Nala knelt beside Eragon's oar seat and tried to coax him into giving up his spot.
Her hand was soft and gentle on his knee as she whispered, "Come, Eragon. You must rest. You cannot be of any use to Saphira when we make port in Hedarth if you cannot even stand. Come. My brethren and I will handle the ship."
"I am tired of making everyone do all the work for me!" he spat from between clenched teeth as he ignored his sore muscles, pulling the oar through the water with all of his might.
"You are doing no such thing. We help you because we all respect, and love, you. We love you, and Saphira, for what you have done to help not only our race but the Dragons and all of Alagaesia. We help you because, even if it is in some obscure way, it feels like we are also helping everyone else. We abandoned our homes, twice, because we believe in you. We help you of our own free will. If you understand nothing more of us then, at the very least, understand that."
She spoke firmly and, after her words had a chance to sink in, Eragon knew he had offended her. He immediately felt guilty for snapping at her. He banked the oar and cringed when he flexed his cramped, blistered fingers.
He averted his eyes from Nala's and said, "I apologize. I did not mean to offend you. I was…am…upset and I spoke badly."
Nala grabbed both of his hands with her own. Eragon had never noticed it before but, compared to his hands, Nala's seemed small and pale. She spoke a word in the Ancient Language and his hands were instantly soothed by a feeling like ice cold water running over his skin, healing his blisters.
"Apology accepted, Eragon-elda."
Haleth took Eragon's place at the oar while Nala led Eragon to the spot at the stern of the ship where their makeshift galley was located. Arya was there, seated on an empty, upturned barrel, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. Her eyes were blank and Eragon was sure she didn't even notice them approaching.
"I just made some tea. Drink and recover. I think we shall arrive in Hedarth by early afternoon."
Eragon nodded and found Nala facing him, standing very close. Before he knew what was happening, Nala wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes, drawing him into her. His heart raced with anticipation as her lips closed the remaining distance and brushed against his. They remained locked in their intimate embrace for what seemed like a blissful eternity before she pulled back.
"We will find Saphira. I promise." She whispered.
Eragon didn't answer. He just nodded his head, struck dumb by their first kiss. His lips tingled where hers had just been, feeling suddenly cold in contrast to her warmth. She smiled at him and he watched her walk away and join the other Elves. His heart was still racing and he felt a sudden surge of happiness. He was still worried and stressed about Saphira's and Firnen's well-being but his anger and pain was somewhat tempered by Nala's affection.
Still reeling from the kiss, Eragon poured himself a mug of tea and joined Arya, sitting on a wooden crate across from her. A single torch stuck upright in the rail above Arya's head offered a faint pool of light, unneeded due to their superior ocular acuity but still welcome on a cold, dark night. She still stared out at the horizon and Eragon was silently grateful she hadn't witnessed his and Nala's moment together.
He let her sit in silence for a bit so he could sip his tea and warm his hands. He drew his cloak tighter around his shoulders as a particularly chilly blast of air swirled around them. Arya remained perfectly still however and Eragon began to worry about her. Her cheeks and nose looked like they were severely wind burned and her eyes were bloodshot. Eragon had never seen her this distraught.
He stood and removed his heavy cloak. Moving slowly so as to not startle her, he draped the cloak around her shoulders. She jumped a little and looked at him with tear glazed eyes.
"I know." He said.
"If anyone understands it is you." She relaxed a bit and pulled the cloak tighter about her. "Thanks."
"Of course." He sat back down and, using a spell Lara had taught him to conjure the blue flame, started a fire between them, shaping the blue flames until they were large enough to bathe them in heat and keep the biting wind at bay.
Arya took a deep breath and said, "It's just so hard, being away from him. This is the longest we have been apart since he hatched." She wiped a fresh tear from her cheek.
"I wish I could tell you it gets easier but it never really does. You will always worry about someone you love whether you are apart or not. All we can do is believe that they will be alright until we see them again."
At this, recognition flashed across Arya's face, like Eragon had struck a chord within her. "That is true."
She gave him a once over and said, "I keep thinking back from when we first met, to our time in Farthen Dur and then Ellesmera, to after you defeated Galbatorix. And then when you left…" she paused in her reminiscence and appeared to choke up a bit, the words stuck in her throat. Eragon crossed to her and knelt beside her. He wasn't sure what to do as he had never seen her like this and he didn't want to offend her by doing the wrong thing. He wanted to comfort her so, in the end, he gently put his arm around her shoulders, lending her his companionship. She took a deep breath and continued.
"You have changed so much in such a short time and I didn't think it was possible but, just since the last time I saw you, you have grown even more. I never thought the Eragon from before would be offering me words of solace." She laughed a little. "This is kind of a weak moment. I apologize; a queen should be stronger than this."
"You are the strongest person I know." Said Eragon. "Everything that has happened since I first met you I have only been able to do because you were with me. You pushed me to be better and focus on our cause and I would never have been able to accomplish half of those things without you. All of your subjects see that strength and fire in you too. There is no shame in your distress; it only means you are capable of love. I think that a Queen who can love is the Queen you want leading your people."
Arya tenderly caressed his cheek. "You have grown wise, Eragon-elda."
"Oromis taught me many things, not the least of which is the power of the mind. If we believe it, we can make it so." He squared his shoulders to her and placed his own hand on her cheek, mirroring her position. "We will find them and they will be alright."
She leaned forward. Eragon did the same until their foreheads met and their eyes closed. They stayed thus for a few moments and then, softly, Arya muttered, "Eka elrun ono."
"Your welcome."
Eragon opened his eyes and saw Arya looking at him. She was so close, her skin so soft, the smell of freshly cut pine needles was so enticing. Her lips parted slightly and she came closer, her hand on his cheek pulling him, guiding him closer to her. In his head, he knew he should pull away but he couldn't. He wanted to kiss her and he couldn't stop himself. Her lips were so close he could feel the heat on his own, so inviting…
"Arya Drotning. Eragon. Come quick!"
The shout jarred them apart and they looked at each other sheepishly, painfully aware of how close they had come.
They stood and looked around. Thankfully, all of the Elves had their eyes on the high wall of the ravine above them and not on Eragon and Arya. Eragon followed the gaze of the Elves and saw, there above them, three small figures on the backs of Feldûnost .
A very loud, very gruff voice yelled, "Hwatum il skilfz gerdumn! Hear mine words! Identify yourselves!"
The three figures brandished weapons. It was difficult to tell due to the darkness and swirling mist, but they looked like spears. One of them held a drawn bow.
"Rïsa." Eragon muttered under his breath, in his mind, "rise" meaning the volume of his voice. Then he said, "My name is Eragon, son of Brom. Shadeslayer. Kingkiller. Leader of the Riders. With me is Arya, Queen of the Elves, Shadeslayer and Rider as well Nala, Lára, Haleth and several of the Alfakyn. We seek Orik, King of the Dwarves and my foster brother. We are in need of his help."
His voice echoed loudly off of the ravine walls and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arya wince slightly and cover her ears. He cut the flow of magic and said, "Sorry."
"Barzuln!" Yelled one of the Dwarves. He said many more fleeting things in Dwarvish and one of the dwarves, the one with the bow, saluted and rode away on the Feldûnost .
"Around the next corner. Make land. We meet you there." And they rode away.
Eragon ran to the bow, stood tall and said, "Bank the oars and trim the sails."
Excitement flooded through him, his awkward moment with Arya forgotten. The Elves did as he commanded and Eragon closed his eyes.
Glaedr, ebrithil, please assist me.
I am here, Eragon.
Eragon felt the mind the dragon's consciousness envelop his own and could also sense the vast energy stores of the Eldunari. The energy thrummed and vibrated in his mind, almost as if the energy wanted to be used.
"Gánga."
The ship shuddered once, then twice. The third time, Eragon felt the ship rise out of the water slightly. He funneled the energy into the spell, burning it without heed. He felt the wind whip through his hair and sting his face, but the cold would not stop him. Saphira's plight was the only thing in his mind and he was so close to getting what he needed to find her.
The ship careened wildly around the bend in the river and, with his mind, Eragon sensed a clearing in the landscape. The ravine walls dropped and a bare stretch of sand and silt led up into a grassy hill and into the dense forest that draped the Beor Mountains in its greenery.
"Blöthr." The ship slowed steadily to a halt.
"Rïsa." The Elves gasped as the ship rose, this time completely out of the water, and Eragon eased the ship up onto the shore and away from the fast flowing water of the river.
"Hold on." he said aloud, so the Elves could prepare for when he lowered the ship.
He slowly, gingerly, released his hold on the magic and the ship bumped into the soft sand, jarring them all.
"As fun as that was," said Lára. "A little warning next time, Shadeslayer?"
"Of course, Lára-svitkona. My apologies."
Eragon heard the footfalls of the Feldûnost and the two Dwarves burst out of the forest and onto the sand.
"Argetlam." They said, bowing. "It is really is you." Eragon saw that both of them bore the mark of the Ingeitum, a hammer surrounded by twelve stars.
"Aye, it is good to see friendly faces, especially those of my adoptive clan. It is a pleasure to meet you, brothers."
The Dwarves dismounted and Eragon found himself clasping forearms with them, made all the more awkward due to the vast differences in height.
Arya jumped down and landed next to Eragon, startling the Dwarves.
"Kvetha Fricai. Atra esterni ono thelduin."
The two Dwarves bowed solemnly to Arya, and said, "Welcome, Queen. Please, follow us. King Orik will be awaiting for us at Hedarth."
"Wait, Orik is here?" Eragon asked.
"Aye, Argetlam. He was made aware of your return some weeks ago and he wanted to be here to greet you. If you will let us, we will guard you and escort you all to meet with him."
"Please." Eragon said. He turned to the Elves and said, "The ship will be fine here. Come, friends. We shall have a hot meal and, tonight, we will sleep on dry land."
They cheered and bowed, saying, "To hear is to obey, Shadeslayer."
Nala gave him a warm smile from her perch on the ship and Eragon returned it. Arya, who had been watching him, gave him a curious look but said nothing.
All of the Elves joined them on the sand and fell in line behind the Dwarves, who bustled about, buckling packs onto the backs of the Feldûnost, muttering in Dwarvish.
"Come, the sun will be up soon and the King will be awaiting our report."
The Dwarves patted the rumps of the Feldûnost and they began to trot.
Eragon found himself with Arya on his right and Nala on his left. He smiled to them both and, not knowing how to deal with the awkwardness of his situation, followed the Dwarves into the dark forest knowing that, in just a few short hours, he would be able to commence his search for Saphira.
I am coming, friend-of-my-heart, sending out his thought like a silent prayer.