The next morning, Nari mounted Saphira. With her, she brought her mother's journal and Du Grind Eom Hûgin. For the first while, Nari and Saphira flew with their minds melded. When they separated, both felt at peace, the rift between them from their argument healed.
I was afraid for you, Saphira stated, the closest that the proud dragon would ever come to an apology.
I understand, Nari soothed. Keeping her mind wide open to Saphira, Nari opened her mother's journal and began to read.
7977 AC
A new man came to Carvahall today. He was passing through on the King's business. He was tall and strong, with dark hair and shining armor. He was strikingly handsome, with fine clothes. I thought him a Lord until frightened whispers from others told me the truth. It was his eyes that struck me the most, though. One blue, one black, they seemed to see right through me. An awe-inspiring man. I hope he passes through here again, though the chances of that are slim.
Eager to learn more about this man, who might be her father, Nari flipped to the next page.
7977 AC
He came again! He took me aside, and told me that he thought I was beautiful. He has inquired about me, about my likes and dislikes. The way he treats me, like I'm more than just a broodmare, like I have brains in my head, like I have some other purpose in life. It's thrilling! We talked for hours, never running out of topics. He has a castle nearby, he tells me, and hopes to visit often. The king, though, may have other need of him, he says, but he hopes to return to me soon! Me! A small, farm girl from Carvahall. This is excellent! The only downside is that I cannot tell my parents or Garrow about him. They would not understand. I dare not mention his name, even here, for fear that they would try to prevent me from seeing him again.
7977 AC
I was on my way to trade for a new hoe when I bumped into Horst. He doesn't understand why I am not as warm to him as I was, and I cannot explain. I do not wish to hurt him, but how do you tell someone that you cannot care for them when marrying them means living a life of tedium? How do you tell them you'd prefer to be with someone who would not ask them to become something they are not? Horst is a good man, not a cruel or undeserving one. But compared to HIM, Horst is... well, he is ... boring? I feel guilty to insult him so, but it is the truth
Feeling slightly ill, but still wishing to find out about this man, Nari turned the page.
7978 AC
It has been so long since last he visited me, but finally he came again! He wants to take me away from here, he says! He wants to show me the delights of the King's court! He wants me to live with him in his castle in the Spine! Finally, things that I've dreamed of for years have begun to take shape, have begun to feel possible, instead of like castles in the sky. He plans to bring me away from here soon, so I have begun to stow small things away in my room. I cannot wait!
Nari turned the page, but the next entry was different. It was a letter to Garrow.
7978 AC
My dearest brother,
I'm sorry for leaving in the middle of the night, without a goodbye. Know that it pained me to do it. I was so excited to leave this small town, to see the things that I've been reading and writing of for years. But when it came right down to it, I had to say something. I couldn't just leave you without a word. Please know that I am happy, and that I will be safe. How could I not be safe, leaving with the man that I did? If anyone could protect me thoroughly, it is him.
Yes, dear brother, now that I am safely away, I will tell you who he is. This man who I was so afraid to tell you about. This man who I love. I will meet a real dragon tonight, brother, feral though the rumors might say it is. The red rider, Morzan, is just as awe-inspiring as the rumors say, but with little of the violence that people whisper of.
Nari swallowed bile, lowering the book
Morzan, Nari whispered to a silent Saphira. Her dragon's mind was churning, rage and confusion and grief. But no words. Saphira was as stunned as Nari, the only word running through either of their minds being the name of the man most likely to be Nari's father, the man who had helped destroy the dragons and Riders.
Suddenly, an annoying buzz filled Nari's ears, and she became aware of a strange pressure on her mind. She shook her head, trying to get rid of it, but the tension only grew stronger. Brom's words about how people could break into others' minds flashed through Nari's head, and she frantically tried to clear her thoughts. She would not let whoever was trying to spy on her find this weakness, nor would she let them peruse her thoughts at will.
She concentrated on one of Saphira's scales and forced herself to ignore everything else. The pressure faded for a moment and then returned, greater than ever. A sudden gust rocked Saphira, and Nari's concentration slipped. Before she could marshal any defenses, the force broke through. But instead of the invasive presence
of another mind, there were only the words, What do you think you're doing? Get down here. I found something important.
Brom? Nari asked, relieved.
Yes, he said grumpily, get that oversized lizard of yours to land. I'm here. . . . He sent a picture of his location. Nari quickly told Saphira where to go, and she banked toward the river below. Meanwhile, Nari packed away her mother's journal and strung her bow, drawing several arrows.
If there's trouble, we'll be ready for it.
Yes, said Saphira fiercely.
When they reached Brom, Nari saw him standing in a clearing, waving his arms. Saphira landed, and Nari jumped off her and looked for danger. The horses were tied to a tree on the edge of the clearing, but otherwise Brom was alone. Nari trotted over and asked, "What's wrong?"
Brom scratched his chin and muttered a string of curses. "Don't ever block me out like that again. I told you; it's hard enough for me to reach you without having to fight to make myself heard."
"Sorry."
He snorted. "I was farther down the river when I noticed that the Ra'zac's tracks had ceased. I backtracked until I found where they had disappeared. Look at the ground and tell me what you see."
Nari knelt and examined the dirt and found a confusion of impressions that were difficult to decipher. Numerous Ra'zac footprints overlapped each other. Nari guessed that the tracks were only a few days old. Superimposed over them were long, thick gouges torn into the ground. They looked familiar, but Nari could not say why. She stood, shaking her head.
"I don't have any idea what . . ." Then her eyes fell on Saphira and she realized what had made the gouges. Every time she took off, her back claws dug into the ground and ripped it in the same manner. "This doesn't make any sense, but the only thing I can think of is that the Ra'zac flew off on dragons. Or else they got onto giant birds and disappeared into the heavens. Tell me you have a better explanation."
Brom shrugged. "I've heard reports of the Ra'zac moving from place to place with incredible speed, but this is the first evidence I've had of it. It will be almost impossible to find them if they have flying steeds. They aren't dragons—I know that much. A dragon would never consent to bear a Ra'zac."
"What do we do? Saphira can't track them through the sky. Even if she could, we would leave you far behind."
"There's no easy solution to this riddle," said Brom. "Let's have lunch while we think on it. Perhaps inspiration will strike us while we eat." Nari glumly went to her bags for food. They ate in silence, staring at the empty sky.
Nari's thoughts went to Roran. Was he safe? Had he heard about Garrow? Had he married Katrina? Had the king sent soldiers after him? She thought of her dream, of Roran and Katrina curled around a baby, all dead. Would that become reality if she couldn't find the Ra'zac? Or would it become a reality no matter what she did? She felt tears coming and blinked them away furiously. She stared out at the plains, hoping to quiet her thoughts.
When Brom finished eating, he stood and threw back his hood. "I have considered every trick I know, every word of power within my grasp, and all the skills we have, but I still don't see how we can find the Ra'zac." Nari slumped against Saphira in despair. "Saphira could show herself at some town. That would draw the Ra'zac like flies to honey. But it would be an extremely risky thing to attempt. The Ra'zac would bring soldiers with them, and the king might be interested enough to come himself, which would spell certain death for you and me."
"So what now?" asked Nari, throwing her hands up. Do you have any ideas, Saphira?
No.
"That's up to you," said Brom. "This is your crusade."
Nari ground her teeth angrily and stalked away from Brom and Saphira. All of this time, Brom had followed her. Through her suspicions and the danger, he had followed. Still, she often felt small and helpless compared to him. He was smarter, wiser, but still he could not help her with this. So where did that leave her now? Should she and Saphira flee?
Just as she was about to enter the trees, her foot struck something hard. Lying on the ground was a metal flask with a leather strap just long enough to hang off someone's shoulder. A silver insignia was wrought into it. Excited, she picked up the flask and unscrewed its cap. A cloying smell filled the air and she gagged.
She tilted the flask, and a drop of clear, shiny liquid fell on her finger. Instantly Nari's finger burned as if it were on fire. She yelped and scrubbed her hand on the ground. After a moment the pain subsided to a dull throbbing. A patch of skin had been eaten away. Grimacing, she jogged back to Brom. "Look what I found." Brom took the flask and examined it, then poured a bit of the liquid into the cap. Nari started to warn him, "Watch out, it'll burn—"
"My skin, I know," said Brom. "And I suppose you went ahead and poured it all over your hand. Your finger? Well, at least you showed sense enough not to drink it. Only a puddle would have been left of you."
"What is it?" asked Nari.
"Oil from the petals of the Seithr plant, which grows on a small island in the frigid northern seas. In its natural state, the oil is used for preserving pearls—it makes them lustrous and strong. But when specific words are spoken over the oil, along with a blood sacrifice, it gains the property to eat any flesh. That alone wouldn't make it special—there are plenty of acids that can dissolve sinew and bone—except for the fact that it leaves everything else untouched. You can dip anything into the oil and pull it out unharmed, unless it was once part of an animal or human. This has made it a weapon of choice for torture and assassination. It can be stored in wood, slathered on the point of a spear, or dripped onto sheets so that the next person to touch them will be burned. There are myriad uses for it, limited only by your ingenuity. Any injury caused by it is always slow to heal. It's rather rare and expensive, especially this converted form."
Nari swallowed hard. Without warning, a picture of Garrow facing off against the two cloaked Ra'zac appeared in her mind.
"My uncle," she began. "Did they...?" The grim look on Brom's face confirmed her fears. They had used this oil on her uncle, burning him to death. "I wonder why the Ra'zac left it behind if it's so valuable," Nari said quickly, changing the subject.
"It must have slipped off when they flew away."
"But why didn't they come back for it? I doubt that the king will be pleased that they lost it."
"No, he won't," said Brom, "but he would be even more displeased if they delayed bringing him news of you. In fact, if the Ra'zac have reached him by now, you can be sure that the king has learned your name. And that means we will have to be much more careful when we go into towns. There will be notices and alerts about you posted throughout the Empire."
Nari paused to think. "This oil, how rare is it exactly?"
"Like diamonds in a pig trough," said Brom. He amended himself after a second, "Actually, the normal oil is used by jewelers, but only those who can afford it."
"So there are people who trade in it?"
"Perhaps one, maybe two."
"Good," said Nari. "Now, do the cities along the coast keep shipping records?"
Brom's eyes brightened. "Of course they do. If we could get to those records, they would tell us who brought the oil south and where it went from there."
"And the record of the Empire's purchase will tell us where the Ra'zac live!" concluded Nari. "I don't know how many people can afford this oil, but it shouldn't be hard to figure out which ones aren't working for the Empire."
"Genius!" exclaimed Brom, smiling. "I wish I had thought of this years ago; it would have saved me many headaches. The coast is dotted with numerous cities and towns where ships can land. I suppose that Teirm would be the place to start, as it controls most of the trade." Brom paused. "The last I heard, my old friend Jeod lives there. We haven't seen each other for many years, but he might be willing to help us. And because he's a merchant, it's possible that he has access to those records."
"How do we get to Teirm?"
"We'll have to go southwest until we reach a high pass in the Spine. Once on the other side, we can head up the coast to Teirm," said Brom. A gentle wind pulled at his hair.
"Can we reach the pass within a week?"
"Easily. If we angle away from the Ninor and to our right, we might be able to see the mountains by tomorrow."
Nari went to Saphira and mounted her. "I'll see you at dinner, then."
Once they were high enough, Nari spoke to Saphira.
Don't tell Brom about Morzan. Please.
Never would I betray your secrets, Saphira swore.
Thank you, my heart. Beyond exhausted from the secrets revealed, Nari turned instead to the Du Grind Eom Hûgin and began to fill in what she could.
Nari and Brom had their nightly fight when they stopped for the evening, but it lacked energy, as both were preoccupied with the day's events.