For three days they travelled across white plains until they gave way to scruffy brown plains and finally the rolling green of the top of Du Weldenvarden. It was early spring but the earth smelled of new life and the branches of the trees were laden with budding leaves. The sights and smells awoke Lyria's half forgotten memories of running through the towering sentinels with bare feet soundless on the needle laden ground as a carefree child. Murtaugh watched as she replicated those memories laughing all the while.
She has never been one to allow herself to get to careworn with her troubles. Rend told him also amused at the eight six year old women giggled as she wove through the trees.
It is not a bad thing. Murtaugh said smiling.
That it is not. Rend agreed before leaping after her friend, catching her in her claws and flying up into the air.
Lyria laughed even more for she knew what was coming next though Murtaugh shouted in shock when Rend dropped her rider from one hundred feet up. He needn't have worried though for at the last moment Rend flew under Lyria and she landed gracefully on the back of the waiting dragon.
I have only seen that foolhardy move once before and it was Eragon in the heat of battle. Why would you do that? Thorn chided them in his deep rumbling voice when they had returned to the ground.
Lyria answered him aloud, eyes dancing "It's fun silly! Try it!"
Thorn through back his head, insulted, he had never been called silly before. Murtaugh couldn't help but laugh at his partners discomfort. "Perhaps a different time, certainly an amusing trick."
"Fine, come on then, west now isn't it?" Exclaimed Lyria hopping back into her saddle.
Murtaugh followed suit and they made there way towards the setting sun.
It was another full day before the party reached the western edge of Du Weldenvarden and they made camp in an area that felt familiar to Lyria though she could not identify why.
The sun had yet to crack the horizon when Lyria was roused by the voice of Rend in her head Come with me. Lyria struggled out of her covers with some difficulty and had to run to catch up with the white dragon who was heading on foot into the woods.
What in the world is it? Lyria demanded as she had to brush a secound spiderweb out of her hair.
I think I was born here. Rend announced sniffing a nearby fallen log.
Lyria stopped dead for a moment and examined her surroundings more closely. You're right! She exclaimed before running off further into the trees and forcing Rend instead to hurry to keep up.
It wasn't long before she reach the clearing she was looking for, it was large enough for Rend to fit in completely. At it's edge stood an oak tree, larger than any of it's nearby companions with above ground roots extending for ten or twelve feet around it before making their way underground. Rend reached her snout out and touched the centre of the tree with her nose, where it touched a white symbol erupted from the centre accompanied by a strange cracking sound.
That's what happened when I came here and found your egg. Lyria told Rend. I didn't recognize it at the time but that is a rune from the ancient language. It means hope.
I had seen it before in your thoughts but is nice to see it with my own eyes. Rend explained, a strange feeling was emanating from her, of longing and sorrow but also a dry sort of happiness. I will be glad when we reach where Eragon is raising the new dragons. I would like to see the others of my kind.
Lyria assured her that they would be meeting her kin soon enough and she would be flying with new friends someday. For a while the pair of them drank in the eerie beauty that was Du Weldenvarden before slowly making their way back to the camp. They had almost reached the treeline when a scent was carried on the wind towards them that made the stop in their tracks, a scent of dragons, but not only Thorn.
Lyria cast a spell of invisibility over herself and Rend and then alone slowly made her way out of the treeline. Sparkling in the new sunlight making its way over the land was a yellow dragon and beside it a man who even at a distance Lyria could tell held himself with a great degree of cockiness. Thorn was a tad small compared to Rend and this new dragon was smaller still and built quite skinny making the breadth of Thorn's shoulders and chest seem even more impressive.
The man was talking to Murtaugh and as Rend got closer in order to hear she realized the stranger rider was an elf.
"What are you doing here Murtaugh, son of Morzan?" he demanded, "You can not have hoped to pass into the empire without notice. You set off warning wards the instant you cross south of the treeline."
Murtaugh held himself stiffly and spoke in a stilted manner. "I made no attempt to conceal myself. I have decided it is time to rejoin people, to make my way to where Eragon now trains the new riders."
His expression shifted for a moment, almost imperceptibly though Lyria doubted that Murtaugh missed it anymore than she did. The elf spoke again "You and Thorn have much to answer for. We had not expected you back so soon but I do not think it wise for such a distinct pair of people travel the empire freely. The people have not forgotten your role in the war."
Fear shot through Lyria, was this elf going to take Murtaugh and Thorn away from her? She would not have it.
Dashing back to where Rend hid, she let go of the magic keeping them invisible and said to her friend Let's make an entrance, shall we?
Rend felt the sense of fun and leaped into the air and roared as loudly as she could into the air before diving straight for where the tiny yellow dragon stood on the ground. She pulled out of it sharply before hitting him and glided for a moment before landing next to Thorn. She rose her head to her full height, trying to look as impressive and intimidating as she could, which was quite a bit.
Lyria caught a glimpse of Murtaugh grinning as she jumped down from Rend's back and walked to look the newcomer dead in the eye. It annoyed her that she did not see fear in this elf's eyes, only surprise though he did swear quite impressively after a moment or two.