Chapter 13. About Urgals

Arya goes to Eragon's tent in disguise as Eragon, when she enters the illusion melts away in a wave of light goung down her body. They kiss, "What is this business of you wanting to fly to Ellesmera after the coronation?

Eragon smiles, "Saphira and I need to see Glaedr and Oromis…I have a few questions and then I need to visit the Menoa Tree…"

Arya sighs and they touch foreheads, "Be safe…"

Eragon nods, "I will…"

"I mean it Eragon…Az Swell Rak Ahunin will try something…"

"Don't worry…I will contact you when I reach Bregan Hold…" Eragon puts on the invisibility spell and sneaks out of the tent.

("I can see still see you little one…") Saphira says raising her head.

Eragon hugs her goodbye and runs through the camp. It is midnight so few people are up and it would be easier to hide his foot prints. Eragon pauses as a sentry walks by then he leaps across the stockade to the open planes. He runs for a mile and finds Nar Gharzvhog waiting for him on a log. The Urgal sniffs the air as his ears flick, "Shadeslayer?"

Eragon becomes visible, "How did you know?"

"We Kull have good ears yes…And a good sense of smell…Besides most spell casters forget about the smell of their bodies…"

Eragon smiles, "I will remember that next time…Lets go!"

Eragon runs at a pace that allows Nar Gharzvhog to keep up. They run all night and all day the next. When the sun fades Eragon stops to rest and eat. They eat bread and dried meat. At sunrise the next day they are up and running again. In just one day and a night Eragon and Nar Gharzvhog have covered over sixteen miles. By the third they reach the Beor Mountains without a word shared between them. "I go hunting…" Nar Gharzvhog says when they stop.

As the Kull walks away Eragon gathers up some wood for a fire, "Brisinger!" The wood bursts into flame and then Eragon sits and meditates. An hour later Nar Gharzvhog returns with a deer. He removes a wooden board from his pack and a rolled up piece of leather of some kind. Eragon watches as Nar Gharzvhog skins and guts the animal while humming a tune.

"What are you humming?"

Nar Gharzvhog looks up, "A bitty my mother use to sing to me as a Une…"

"An…Une?"

"It is how you say child in Urgralgra…"

Eragon nods and looks up at the stars then he looks at Nar Gharzvhog, "When I was in your mind I…Well that is I cannot remember if you have any brothers or sisters…"

By now Nar Gharzvhog has finished cleaning the deer, "I am the eldest of my brewed kin…My brother Ghuzax died at the hands of a rival from another clan…They were rivals for the same mate…My other two brothers died in Tronjheim…My sister is Herndal of our clan after my mate never returned from Urubaen…Her twin Neeva just chose a mate from our clan…He died in the forest of DuWeldenvarden when the Red Shaman Durza hunted the Elves for Saphira's egg…"

A wolf howls somewhere and Eragon casts his mind out to find the beast, "Do you have any children?"

"My only son…Ghour he lives with my sister…My mate was carrying our second child…"

Eragon lowers his head, "I am sorry for your loss…"

Nar Gharzvhog looks at Eragon, "I thank you for those words Shadeslayer…"

That is when Eragon notices Nar Gharzvhog's feet, "You have seven toes…"

He wiggles them, "It is how Unghaul the mighty made us…"

"Dwarves have seven toes as well…"

Nar Gharzvhog grunts, "We share no kinship with the bearded folk of the Beors Shadeslayer…Ahno the trickster stole magical rocks from Unghaul father of all gods and Urgals…Then the trickster used them to create two Dwarves a female and a male…In his wrath Unghaul made his mate Rahna cry…He took the tears and made the fair folk the Elves…To avenge his son Svarvok god of war made Dragons, humans, and Razac…"

"Sorry I did not mean to offend…"

Nar Gharzvhog laughed in his throat as cut a huge portion of meat for Eragon then he took the rest for himself. "I am not offended…If I were Shadeslayer we would be fighting…You need not make conversation for my sake…We Urgals are hated above all…"

Eragon sighs, "I…I am trying to understand your people that is all…During my studies with the Elves I read how both Riders and Elves forged peace with the Urgals…But those peace treaties were broken on all occasions by Urgals…"

Nar Gharzvhog nods, "We love war and battle…More than any other…"

Eragon smiles, "Saphira may disagree with you on that…"

This time Nar Gharzvhog made a belly laugh, "I concede to that point…Anyway…the females of our kind will not consider an Urgal for a mate unless he has proven himself in battle against an enemy or another Urgal…Time and time again the young gather and make war on each other or against humans, Elves, and Dwarves…"

Eragon took a sip from his wineskin, "I have a suggestion if you wish to hear it…" He nods, "Why not build an arena…Then young Urgals can challenge each other without risking war with other races…"

"You are not the first to make such a suggestion…It was made by Vrael and his predecessor…And by Queen Taminora…Actually my Herndal is pushing the issue before the elders…"

The next day the two ran and ran. As they did Eragon learned many things about the Urgals he did not during his time in Ellesmera. One night Eragon and Nar Gharzvhog came upon a Urzhad or cave bear fighting a group of Nagra. The Nagra were defending its young from the cave bear. When the bear killed one of the adult Nagra the others ran off. As the bear feasted it watched Eragon and Nar Gharzvhog with a bloody mouth.

"Here I leave you Shadeslayer…That symbol marks the territory of the Ingeitum…Bregan Hold is not far…"

Eragon offered his hand. Nar Gharzvhog stared at it for a few seconds then he interlocked arms with Eragon. "It has been an honor…"