Chapter 11: Surda

Author Notes: Mwuhahahaha!!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inheritance series. Just the charries that come from my mind.

*Three Weeks Later*

"No!! No, no, no, a million times NO!!" Eldrey prowled around his room like a caged panther, a snarl on his face. Kida sat quietly in a chair by the window, a look of tried patience on her face.

"Why not? You have to meet him someday."

"Because I said no, ok?!" Eldrey growled. He came to a wall and turned, resuming his pacing. "I will not go and that is final!!"

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Eldrey shuffled Kodamar's reins from his right hand to his left a week later and surveyed the castle before him. The Surdian Castle in Aberan. Kida's home. How in Alagaësia Kida had convinced him to come, he wasn't sure. He sighed. There was a problem when you couldn't stay firm in your decisions, he decided.

Brom and Aurora had left for Doru Araeba and Rider training three weeks before. Eldrey had watched them leave and felt the pleasure of finally being away from his brother's dragon. Vervada made him uncomfortable, like she knew something about him he himself didn't.

Then Kida had wanted him to come to Surda with her. He had argued with her for several days, coming up with several good arguments as to why he didn't want to go but in the end Kida had won. He still wasn't sure how, but she had. He shook his head. Maybe he was letting her get to close to him. He couldn't remember a time when someone besides his sister or mother had won an argument with him.

"Ready?" Kida came up beside him on her mare, Windswept. The mare had the same arched neck and dished face as Kodamar, but she was much smaller and a lovely chestnut color. She snorted as Kodamar tried to sidle up to her.

"No, but let's go. Kodamar, stop it!" Eldrey yanked on the stallion's reins to the right, away from the mare. Kodamar snorted but turned away. Kida laughed as Kodamar turned around in circles, Eldrey trying to make him obey him.

Kodamar had been nothing but trouble since about the third day of traveling. He had tried to throw Eldrey several times and more then once had purposefully held his breath so the girth was not tight enough. Eldrey cursed at the horse and threatened to chop him into tiny pieces every time the stallion had given him trouble. Kida had just laughed and said that all the Surdian Merlions, Kodamar's breed, were testy until they decided that they liked their owner. Eldrey had retorted that Kodamar was determined to be a pain in the rear and he was lucky he didn't have another horse; otherwise Kodamar would have been dead a long time ago.

"Come on Kodamar. Stop it," Eldrey growled as he struggled to get him under control. Suddenly Kodamar stood stock still and lifted his head, sniffing the wind. Then with a whinny of welcome, he took off full gallop towards the castle. Eldrey hung onto the reins and pulled back with all his might. Suddenly, the white stallion pulled up short. Eldrey wasn't ready for that and went flying over the horse's head, landing with a smack on the hard packed earth. A sharp pain ran up his right arm then his world flickered and went black.

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"Eldrey? Eldrey? Can you hear me? Eldrey?"

Eldrey's mind slowly started working again. He recognized Kida's voice and struggled to open his eyes. He managed to open them and flinched when the hot Surdian sun struck his eyes.

"Eldrey, thank the gods." Kida's face appeared in his line of vision, blocking the sun from his face.

"What…what happened?" he croaked. Kida smiled hesitantly.

"Kodamar bolted on you. Then he stopped and you went flying. And here I thought you were a good rider."

Eldrey groaned and struggled to sit up. He leaned on his right arm and gave a cry of pain, falling back on his back.

"I would be careful with that arm if I were you." A man appeared behind Kida. Eldrey flinched when he saw his dark features. He didn't need the golden band around the man's head to identify him. Ajihad, son of Orrin and Nasuada, king of Surda.

"Let me help you up," Kida offered, gripping his left arm. Eldrey leaned on her as he sat up and looked around. Kodamar stood not three feet from him, his head down, reins on the ground. Eldrey narrowed his eyes when he saw the horse.

"I'm going to kill that horse," he growled. Ajihad laughed, a pleasant sound. Eldrey flinched again. His head hurt like he had a hangover.

"Do not mind Kodamar. He is simply following his instincts. Had you been able to stay in the saddle, Kodamar would have feared you, for few people, elfish or human, can stay in the saddle when a Merlion decides he does not want him there." Ajihad held out his hand. "I am Ajihad Orrinsson, king of Surda. It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Eldrey Calebsson."

Eldrey started to lift his right arm then dropped it when the pain started. "Wais heill," he spat out. Green energy enveloped his arm and the pain left. Kida smiled at Ajihad's stunned expression.

"You forget Papa, Eldrey is elf kind. He has magic." Kida smiled at Eldrey, who was concentrating on healing his other wounds. Ajihad frowned then quickly changed his expression.

"Yes. Well, welcome home daughter. And Eldrey, welcome to Surda." He gripped the younger man's hand and pulled him up. Eldrey nodded to the king and gathered up Kodamar's reins, muttering to himself about stubborn horses that had to much intelligence for their own good. Kida laughed and found Windswept's reins. Mounting, the three rode a little towards the castle and found Ajihad's guard waiting for them. The guards fell in behind the king, three men with their helmet visors down. Eldrey looked around nervously. Kida smiled and reached out to put a hand on his arm.

"Papa never goes anywhere outside of the castle without guards. He is a little paranoid about assassins." She smiled affectionately at her father.

"Oh. That is…interesting," Eldrey said, trying to be pleasant. In his own mind, he was cursing himself for presenting such a foolish image to the Surdian king. A great first impression he had given, lying in the dirt.

The castle was so much different from Tialdarí Hall, Eldrey just stood still for several minutes, trying to examine it all.

"Come on, let's get settled." Kida led Eldrey out of the courtyard and into the castle. Eldrey allowed himself to be dragged since his head was still a little fuzzy from his fall. Kida led him to a pair of large carved doors.

"These will be your quarters. My rooms are just around the corner. Get cleaned up and I'll be back in about an hour to take you to dinner." Kida kissed him on the cheek and left him to get dressed. Eldrey looked around and sighed. This was going to take some getting used to.