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Fundor was angry. He was also confused. The excitement of battle had come to far too abrupt an end. Although he was glad Candasar was safe, part of him, a huge angry part wanted to have ripped the second one, from end to end as he had the first. He regretted that in his clumsy leap from the cliff top the ineffective way his wings slowed his decent caused him to fall too swiftly upon the neck of the first attacker, breaking it instantly. He could only hope that in the final firing synapses of death the disembowelment could still be felt. He suspected the end of such pain had come far too quickly. Fundor had wanted him to feel his rage, and watch him die slowly.
As for the second, it was frustrating that he had died with the elf's arrow in his skull, instead of by his own claw. His crushing jaw. The elf, of course had done what he could not do himself. Fundor had cursed his inability to swim fast enough to keep up with the water dragon as it had fled the cliff side pursued by Candasar. The elf had sprinted around to the point faster than he had been able to swim the much shorter distance. He had watched helplessly as the big male had taken Candasar by the throat, unable to reach them in time.
He could not fly and he could not swim. Only here on land did he have any chance of success, but only by using a word of a language that he also had borrowed from the elf. Unfortunately the use of it required a power that he had in short supply. He would have to make a point of asking the elf about that shortage very soon.
Now as he circled slowly and carefully through the wood attempting to gain an upwind position on an unsuspecting deer, he could still feel the fire of his fury smoldering for blood and death. He would show Candasar that he could supply her needs as well as protect her. This reversal of their roles, without even pausing to consider it, seemed right and necessary to him.
Reaching the optimum point of attack, he jumped from behind the cover of the tress, the pounding fury of his legs and the utterance of the magical word of holding united in the swift attack. The deer did not even begin to move as the dragon broke its back at the end of his charge. Fundor did not stop to savor the moment. Devouring the broken body of the deer, he did not even bother to lick his face clean before starting off again in search of more blood.
After gorging on a second kill, it occurred to him that he had never felt full before. It was a good feeling. He intended on having it often. It was if deep inside the availability of food in this quantity had turned the key of some invisible lock giving his body permission to change and grow.
He could feel energy coursing through him. Suddenly he let out a roar, surprising himself. He quickly looked around, considering the danger of discovery. Eragon had gone to great lengths to hide all evidence of the killing of the first water dragon. He didn't think the elf would want him attracting unnecessary attention to the area, but somehow, at this moment, he didn't care. He could feel the energy the red meat provided him and considered whether he held enough power to use the word of holding again. He didn't want to incapacitate himself. He considered heading back. He didn't think he would have much chance of sneaking up on another deer while he was making so much noise.
Finally his desire to impress Candasar by bringing her a fresh kill won the debate. As quietly as he could, he began circling in ever widening arcs through the forest.
"Definitely a third" he chuckled to himself moving even deeper into the woods, completely oblivious to the female elf that silently stood back shrouded by the darkness of the trees, watching with great interest as he eventually moved off and away. When he had gone, she too vanished, fading silently into the forest, like a swirling gray mist.
As gently as she could, Candasar grabbed the elf's body in her mouth and pulled him out of the water and up onto the narrow shore. Laying him down in the driest place she could find, she was relieved to feel his heart faintly beating in his chest. Reflexively he coughed, before setting into a rhythmic breathing pattern, the ribs slowly rising and falling. Not yet dead then, but what had happened? She pushed his body with her snout. It still did not move. There were no answers. She would have to wait for Fundor's return. Candasar sat alone in the darkness but as close to the elf as she could. It was the least she could do to try and keep him warm.
Sometime later, the still water of the lagoon was broken by the thrashing body of Fundor returning with a deer in his jaws. He seemed exhausted, staggering to the narrow beach with shaky legs. Dropping the deer, he stared at Candasar curled up next to the elf in surprise.
"What happened?" he asked in confusion. "Is he dead?"
"Not yet, but soon I think" she replied. "He healed my neck, then just fell down. I had to pull him from the water"
Fundor nudged the unconscious elf with the end of his nose. He did not stir. Candasar looked at the body of the deer that he had dropped in the shallow water.
"Is that for me Fundor?" she asked licking her lips
"Yes", he said distractedly. "Take as much as you want. I have eaten." "But after you have finished, I want to try and find the body of the other male that attacked you. It was important to Eragon that we try and hide it. He will get into a lot of trouble if it is found."
"It looks like he won't have to worry about that now" Candasar replied sadly.
"But we still do" Fundor replied quickly. "Besides, I don't think he is going to die. I think he is unconscious because he used up all his magical power."
"What do you mean?" she asked, between huge bites, her head twisting around from the carcass of the waterlogged deer to make eye contact with Fundor.
Quickly Fundor explained to her the way in which he was able to hold a deer from bolting by using a word of power. A word that originally the elf had used on him the first day they had met.
"The use of this magic takes away some of my energy." he said finally. "I think the elf might have used up his trying to heal you"
"Very interesting" said Candasar at last. "I felt his energy flowing into me. We wrestled for it. I pulled it from him. It felt so good Fundor, I didn't mean to hurt him!"
"Perhaps we can put some of it back!" said Fundor suddenly. "Can you remember what word he said when he started to heal you?"
"Of course I can." the dragoness replied, taking a deep breath. "The word was... Heill"
In her mind's eye Candasar saw the blue light arc from her and land on Fundor.
"NO! Not there!" she thought causing the light to snap and crackle like a bolt of lightning as it engulfed the body of the prone elf with a shimmering glow. She fed the flow trying to push back slowly and gently, some of what she had taken. She stopped, severing the link only when the elf began to stir, groaning and rolling onto his side before rising to his feet in a crouch. His eyes were wide in surprise. Leaning with his arm upon the cavern wall, he climbed to his feet. Looking at the two dragons just a few feet from him, Eragon finally spoke.
"You two are definitely more than I expected" he said silently, the sound of his thoughts entering pleasantly into both their minds.
"Eragon, I would like you to, at last, meet Candasar" said Fundor.
"We have met." he replied smiling.
Candasar only nodded in reply. Her thoughts suddenly turning inward as she took stock of something internal, tragic and unexpected. Not only was she no longer in heat, but the simmering flame of one of her unborn and unfertilized ovum flickered and went out. Her mind could see the darkness begin to settle upon it as the fragile life potential it bore was stripped of the magical energy that had made it so. Now only three remained. Trying to remain calm she returned to the half eaten deer and began again to feed. She took hold of the meat of the deer in great gulps trying to replenish some of the energy she had so quickly spent. Despite herself, Candasar could feel a deep groaning begin inside her and in spite of her efforts to suppress it, soon it sprang forth into a full fledged wail. Fundor, as he watched her seemed confused and he looked toward Eragon for answers. Walking down to the water's edge, he touched her flank, speaking softly so that only she could hear.
"Thank you for returning my life dragoness." he said softly.
"And thank you for saving mine, earlier today" she replied stiffly. "If you had not killed that male, he certainly would have snapped my neck"
"It only cost me a couple of arrows." The elf replied, "But I think you have paid far more, this time"
"I have returned payment for your life with only a dream, elf. A dream that was never meant to be." Candasar said finally, looking down on the little brown man.
As if finally understanding at last, the elf sniffed the air.
"Candasar" Eragon replied, "If I am able to have anything to do with it, I will try to see to it that the rest of your dreams come true."