A request to a queen

Mercury POV
It had been 4 months and a week since Mercury had left the Varden with the young dragon, and they were currently travelling near Marna, while the sun was starting to set, after having went north towards Du Weldenvarden at the eastern plains and then travelled west at the unsettled land between the Hadarac desert and Du Weldenvarden.

The only time Mercury had encountered any sort of sentient life, besides the dragon he was guarding, was when a raiding party of bandits and slavers had tried to ambush them near the Beor-mountains. Although quite a few of the raiders had tried to escape their unsuccessful raid, and a few had even begged for mercy while trying to surrender, Mercury had left none alive.

Mercury' clothing had become ragged and used during the months, and he had since grown a wild looking full beard, which he had only done because he had lost his shaving kit a couple of months into the trip. His ragged clothing, wild full beard, the grime and dirt which clung to his skin, and his usage of a wooden walking cane made him look like he was an old and tired wanderer and not the young 21 year old man he really was, and to add insult to injury then his beloved watch had broken down as well.

All in all, the entire trip had been rather interesting to say the least. They had been forced to kill the horse, which Mercury had brought along from Dras-Leona, during one of the early winter months to have something to eat. After that Mercury' meals had become more...different, and he now knew that snake did not taste particularly bad, just...strange, whereas crickets tasted almost like chicken if you did not think about it. The dragon had of course been able to hunt, but sometimes the prey were scarce and there had only been enough to keep the dragon sufficiently fed, so Mercury had chosen to dig into his books on the fauna and flora and then eat what was at least edible.

Mercury looked up into the sky and frowned at what he saw: a royal purple dragon soaring at a low altitude. He had eventually learned to control the colour of his scales as a whole, but had yet to even attempt at making sections of his body into different colours, but his current control did come in handy when you wanted to hide a large dragon far enough up in the sky or on the ground.

Hatchling, how many times have I told you not to fly so low if you want to remain unseen, and especially with that colour. Are you specifically trying to get discovered by Galbatorix?, Mercury thought to the dragon, who dived towards Mercury, while emitting a small growl and barring his teeth.

Mercury kept his stance and did not even flinch when the dragon landed directly in front of him with his teeth mere centimetres from Mercury' head.

Would you just call me by my name instead of hatchling, it is demeaning to a mighty dragon, the dragon mentally responded in an annoyed voice, before he in a calmer voice said, besides we are not near any settlements and I did not see any travellers while I was up there.

You are still hatchling to me, at least until you stop acting like it, then and only then I might consider calling you by your chosen name of Kilgharrah, Mercury responded in a slightly amused voice, as it was a conversation they had had many times, before he continued in a more serious voice, did you spot any deer or other wild animals while you were up there?

Yes, they tasted rather delicious, Kilgharrah responded in a gleeful and slightly mocking voice.

Good thing, I found this rabbit then, Mercury said and drew a freshly caught rabbit out from his backpack, before he said in a mock hurt voice, and to think I was going to ask you whether I should cook this for you and eat insects again, but since you have already had your fill...

You can have it, Kilgharrah said, I do not understand how you can survive eating only plants, reptiles and grubs.

They contain a lot of protein and other nourishments, Mercury said while chuckling at Kilgharrah' 'generosity', but I guess that is something a big and mighty dragon will not learn to simply live on, so that is why you always gets first pick on whatever meat is available.

Kilgharrah began to hum at the compliment and eventually lied down near the campfire, which Mercury was currently building. After finishing stabling the wood, skinning, gutting and seasoning the rabbit, Mercury gently bent down to the small stack of wood and gently blew at the centre of the wood, where he had arranged for the small twigs and branches to be. He then let some flames mix into his breath, so that it looked like he was blowing a small gentle stream of flames at the wood, which quickly ignited and build into a proper fire, which he then started to roast the rabbit over.

Mercury had initially begun with spewing flames, because it had been the far most efficient way to start a fire, because of the small and controlled flames, which it provided when he blew gently, like he was blowing on an ember, but now it had just turned into a sort of habit, so whenever he would need fire for something, whether it was to simply light the dark with a ball of fire in his palm or to scare something off, he would always start the fire by spewing the flames at the place he wanted them to be and then contain them there.

After eating his dinner and throwing the last log on the fire, Mercury made to sit next to Kilgharrah' head and started to absentmindedly scratch a spot, which he had discovered Kilgharrah liked very much to be scratched at. Kilgharrah began to hum a deep and content hum, while they watched the last of the fire die out.

I have been thinking about something, Mercury said to Kilgharrah in a thoughtful voice, how would you like it if we stayed near Gilead for a couple of weeks, and then we could fly towards Dras-Leona in time to regroup with the Varden? You would of course need to have Saphira' blue scales on the way, so that if anyone against expectations sees you, they will assume that it is just Eragon and Saphira.

What have made you consider this?, Kilgharrah asked in a curious voice, before he said in a mock angry voice, and what do you mean by 'we could fly', because I do not exactly see you riding on my back on the way there.

No, but you could carry me in your talons if we are about to be late, like we have done before, although that is not particularly pleasant, Mercury said and slightly shuddered at the memory, before he continued, and the reason for my saying so is that I would like to visit Gilead and see the elf queen and the elves in general.

That should not take more than a few days, why would you need a couple of weeks to do that?, Kilgharrah asked confused.

I do not plan on using my real name or my title as your guardian to get an audience with the queen, as I want to watch how the elves treat regular humans, Mercury answered.

Then how exactly do you want to get an audience with the two-legs-pointy-ears' queen?, Kilgharrah said, while he lazily eyed him with one of his great grey eyes.

By being patient, Mercury said, before he in a jesting voice, and with a small smile on his lips, said, perhaps you could learn something from it.

Kilgharrah tried to start growling, but Mercury's continued scratching made it impossible to do so, so he settled with blowing a small cloud of smoke into the face of Mercury, which made Mercury cough and laugh at the same time, before they both shortly after went to sleep.

The next morning Mercury was getting ready to walk to the gates of Gilead, while Kilgharrah would stay behind and explore the surroundings, but right before Mercury started to leave, he turned around and looked at Kilgharrah with a stern look while saying, and I can trust you not to reveal yourself to some unlucky farmer or traveller, and to only be high in the sky or camouflaged on the ground?

Yes, hen mother, Kilgharrah said with the dragon equivalent of a sigh, but what do you mean by unlucky farmer or traveller? Anyone who sees my splendour should count themselves lucky.

Good, I needed to hear you say that, Mercury said with a small sigh of relief, before he said in a serious tone, and I meant they would be unlucky, because if anyone saw you, I would have to track them down and kill them, before they could tell anyone.

After that exchange of thoughts, Kilgharrah launched himself into the air, while his scales took on a grey colour, which fitted with the grey clouds above, and Mercury immediately after started walking towards Gilead.

When Mercury reached Gilead he noted how the front gate was guarded by two elf sentries on the ground and several sentries patrolling on the wall. Mercury had already decided to leave his sword and all his other weapons and possessions at the agreed hidden campsite, which Kilgharrah had found while flying around, but he did still have his walking cane and a small dagger, which was hidden on his person.

When he finally reached the first of the sentries at the gate, the sentry reached for his sword, while he shouted in a beautiful and musical voice, "Who goes there? State thy business and thy name".

Mercury quickly decided to adopt an old Irish accent, but just when he was about to answer the sentry, he found that he could not speak, which made his head look like a confused fish, and that combined with his clothing and wild beard, made him look like a crazy hermit to the sentries.

The reason for Mercury's inability to speak, was that he had not spoken out loud in more than 4 months, and that had left him momentarily forgetting how to speak. He tried several times to form sentences, but every time they came out, they sounded distorted and unrecognizable, which made the normally composed elves look warily at him.

Finally his mouth seemed to remember how to speak, and he was able to start talking, although it was hesitantly and certainly not in his usually composed voice or in the Irish accent, which he had tried to adopt, "My...my name is Ensom...Ensom Vandrer...my business is to request an audience with the...que...queen of the elven people. I have travelled long and for many months with neither men nor women for company".

The sentries stopped looking at him like he was a crazy person, but remained with a stoic and emotionless expression, while the first sentry said, "the queen does not have time at the moment to give audiences to every visitor, who wants to see her".

"I see", Mercury said, "then I shall wait for her majesty to have the time, but can you please tell me where I might buy some provisions, as my own have run out and it is difficult to hunt near a major city?"

"I would not recommend waiting, as the queen is very busy and will not have time anytime soon", the sentry said, "but I believe you might buy some provisions from the marketplace in Gilead, although it will mostly be fruits and vegetables".

"A fruit would indeed be a sight for sore eyes after so many months in the wilderness", Mercury said thankfully, before adding, "and you will come to learn that I am a very patient man".

Mercury then entered the city and went to the marketplace, where he, with the money he had salvaged from the dead raiders, bought supplies of fruits and vegetables for several days. While he was walking down a narrow alley, a thief tried to steal his gold, but Mercury grabbed his wrist, and as he looked at the thief, Mercury started to growl menacingly, which surprised both the thief and Mercury, so much that Mercury let go of the thief's wrist and the thief immediately after ran away.

Mercury looked at the direction, which the thief had run at, for a few seconds, while he thought about why he had started growling. I have been spending way too much time with Kilgharrah as my only company, Mercury ended up concluding.

After that incident, Mercury headed out to the gate, where he sat down close to it and started to meditate. The sentries shifted during Mercury's meditation, and after a quick explanation to the new sentries, as to why he was here, Mercury resumed his mediation. When dusk finally fell, Mercury had not spoken a single word to the new sentries, besides the initial conversation, and he started to rise up and leave for the agreed campsite, where he hoped Kilgharrah would be waiting, and that he would not have to track someone down and kill them.

When he arrived back at the hidden campsite, he found Kilgharrah to be waiting for him, and after Mercury had eaten some of his provisions, Kilgharrah asked what Mercury had been doing so far. Mercury then showed Kilgharrah his memories of the day, which Kilgharrah found to be a boring day, and when Mercury asked about what Kilgharrah had been doing, he said that he had been flying over the lake Isenstar, and that no boats had been visible, but that he had retained his grey scales as a precaution, which Mercury awarded with some scratching.

It would be so much easier if you just let me drop you into the keep of Gilead, Kilgharrah said in a tempting voice, the queen of two-legs-pointy-ears would know that you should be granted the audience, and none of the elves would ever tell about me to the mad-black-egg-breaker-king.

The elves might not, but Gilead is not an elven city, but an occupied human city, and therefore Galbatorix would have lots of spies in there, Mercury responded tiredly, besides, if I can show you that patience sometimes pays off, then it would be well worth it, even if I have to spend three weeks sitting in front of that gate.

I am sufficiently patient, Kilgharrah said defiantly.

The most patient you have ever been, was when you waited for half an hour to get a deer out of a cave, so that you could catch it, Mercury said with a small grin.

I am a dragon, we are creatures of action, not waiting, Kilgharrah responded.

Well if you want proof that patience can pay off, then just look at yourself, Mercury said and directed his attention to one of Kilgharrah's great grey eyes, you are a wild dragon, and from what I learned from Saphira, not many wild dragons ever knew how to communicate in words and sentences, but I still managed to teach you to do so, although it took a great amount of patience to do so.

Yes, yes, can we just go to sleep, before you decide to teach me more of that two-legs stuff, Kilgharrah tiredly said, as he yawned.

But I thought you liked that, Mercury said in a mock hurt voice, besides, we would not be here if I had not tried to teach you to read a map, where you then decided that you wanted to see all of it.

I had already seen the Spine, most of the southern two-leg-country, the Beor-mountains and the eastern plains at that time, so why should I not see the great-forest-of-two-legs-pointy-ears and the Hadarac desert?

Yeah, I should have never shown you that map, Mercury said with amusement in his voice, who would have known that you could be so persistent.

Kilgharrah started to rumble with laughter as he said, any dragon could have told you that.

After that, they both lied down to sleep, and when dawn came, Mercury headed back to the gate, where he greeted a new set of sentries, before he resumed his position near the gates and waited until dusk fell, where he once again returned to the hidden camp.

It continued like that for two weeks, where Mercury noted that there were a total of 6 different sets of sentries with three shift rotations per day. The sentries would occasionally ask Mercury questions, and he would then ask them questions, and in the process he came to learn each and every one of their names.

The sentries would often try to dissuade Mercury from his attempt at getting an audience, but Mercury always simply stated that he would wait until the queen had time. Mercury noted that the sentries started to treat him with some slight admiration and respect, which he suspected was because he had demonstrated a patience typical for elves, but not for most humans.

Some humans of Gilead had at a time tried to mock and taunt Mercury, but Mercury had simply ignored them, and when they tried to physically torment him, the sentries would do their duty and make them stop.

During the end of the two weeks, one of the sentries by the name of Laurali had told Mercury that the sentries had not even informed the queen about his request yet, so there was no reason to keep sitting there, but Mercury had simply said that then he would just have to wait until they told her, and then wait until she found the time.

Laurali POV
Laurali was walking towards the queen's meeting hall in the Gilead keep. He had just finished his shift, where the strange Ensom Vandrer had continued to simply sit and wait outside the gate, despite being told numerous times that his quest was a futile one.

Laurali along with most of the other sentries had actually become slightly impressed by the human's patience, as it was very rare for a human to be content with simply waiting for two weeks for an audience, without constantly trying to improve their chances of getting it or making the request again and again.

Humans really are a strange breed, Laurali thought to himself, sometimes they are as impatient as a squirrel looking for acorns to store for the winter, and sometimes they can be as patient as an elf or as stubborn as a dwarf.

Laurali quickly reached the meeting chambers, where the queen sat with her closest advisers, and after the initial greeting, Laurali spoke, "My queen, there has been a human requesting an audience with you".

Queen Islanzadi looked up and met the sentry's eyes, which unnerved him a little, but he did not let it show, as she said in a clear but cold voice, "I am too busy for every human, who wants to meet me. Why have you brought me this request?"

Laurali lowered his head a tiny bit, as he responded, "the sentries thought so as well, but he made the request two weeks ago, and since then he has simply been sitting in front of our gate and waited, despite our numerous attempts to dissuade him. He has not spoken to us unless spoken to, and he only ever leaves the gate at dusk or when he buys more supplies in the market, but he always returns in the early morning hours".

"I see", queen Islanzadi said with a bit of curiosity in her voice, "such patience is rare among humans. Tell this human that he shall have his audience tomorrow at noon, for I have grown curious as to know what his motivations behind the audience are".

With that queen Islanzadi dismissed Laurali, and he quickly went down to tell Ensom Vandrer, who simply thanked Laurali for informing him with a traditional human bow, before he disappeared into the direction, which he always walked to at every dusk.

I never actually wanted to write chapters about what happened in the wilderness, as I find it more entertaining and far less boring to simply make small hints and references here and there.