Perfect Plan: Chapter 21
The guard stared at them before answering. "So let me get this straight, this boy left something in your office and you need to retrieve it?!"
"Yes, that's exactly right." Joed said.
"And what of her, what is she here for?!" the guard looked suspiciously at Kiara for a minute. Women never entered the castle very often so he was quite interested to hear their response.
"She is Evans fiancé. Mary just felt like accompanying him tonight, that's all." Joed was hoping the guard would fall for the trick seeing as he was half drunk.
"Fine. You may enter, but do be quick. And do not cause trouble."
"Thank you." The guard grabbed the coins offered to him greedily. He stuffed them in a pocket and walked away.
The four of them walked down the cool damp hall of the castle. Torches were their only means of light along the way. They continued down a long corridor before stopping abruptly.
"We're here!" Joed stated. He took hold of the handle and slowly turned it. Nothing happened. Cursing under his breath he said "The door is locked."
"I figured that much. Here," Brom went to the door, "let me try" Brom raised his arm to perform magic. Instantly the door opened with a creak. "Alright, get inside quick."
The room was lined with bookshelves overflowing with scrolls.
"How are we ever going to find anything when there are so many scrolls?" Eragon said in awe. He had never seen so many.
"We need to first find the shipping records. From there we look for the Seithr Oil and write down who bought it." Joed made it sound so easy when in reality it was very difficult. Eragon could barely read the tiny print on the parchment.
"Need help Eragon?" Kiara asked as she saw him struggle.
"Help would be nice." He answered back. "I am having trouble reading, the words are sloppy and tiny."
"I know they are. Here," she handed him a different scroll, "this one is easier to make out."
Eragon switched his with hers and found that she was right. "Thank you"
"You are most certainly welcome"
After about fifteen minutes, they were on a roll finding and writing down information. Suddenly Eragon looked up to find a small boy sitting on the window sill.
"What?! Who are you?" He found that he was the only one who noticed this boy and wondered if he was just seeing things. He turned to look at his scroll then back to the window.
He was still there. "You know perfectly well who I am, Eragon."
"Solembaum?!" A bewildered Eragon asked.
A small smile stretched the boys face. "Yes. I am here to help you. That guard who let you in is headed this way. You had better finish what you are doing and get out of there."
"Alright." Solembaum left right after his response.
"Joed, Brom, Kiara, we need to hurry. The guard is coming this way."
"How do you know this?" questioned Joed.
"I..." his voice dropped. Footsteps were now audible.
"He's right!" Brom whispered. "Quick, put those scrolls away."
In a rush they put the scrolls back and headed out of the room. Brom locked the door shut as the guard came around the corner.
"Hey you! What do you think you are doing?!"
"Oh! Hello again. We lost our way back and wound up here." Joed said as innocently as possible.
"Sure." Placing his hand on the door handle, the guard realized that is was locked. "Since this door is still locked, I am allowed to let you go free."
"Thank you."
"Yeah, now git."
The guard led them out of the castle. "If you need something, wait till morning."
"Sure thing."
Out of earshot of the guard Eragon let out an exclamation.
"Hush, wait until we are back at Joeds to celebrate." Brom hissed.
"Sorry." He said.
Kiara looked at Eragon and smiled. She too was excited at their feat. In the past she usually ended up getting caught, but not this time. This time her plan worked.
Eragon took Kiara's hand in his and smiled back at her. "I am glad that your plan worked" he whispered.
"I can see that. I am too."