Chapter 28

The next sunrise broke upon the glistening, white form of Evaríncel soaring high over the rippling waters of Leona Lake. Having been unable to sleep the entire night, Thane had finally resorted to packing so that they could be off before sunrise. To fly even a straight line from Sunvarda to Daret would take four full days of flying assuming the wind was on their side and they encountered no bad weather. Realistically, it would take at least five if not six. However, as Thane and Evaríncel would be searching for the wandering tribes as they flew, they would be navigating a serpentine pattern above the Central Plain. Should they miss the wandering tribes, it would be a good eight days before they could hope to end up near Daret.

Since the wandering tribes were rarely in one place for more than a week, there was no way of knowing exactly when or where they could be found. The Central Plain, though smaller than the Hadarac Desert, still covered roughly a third of Alagaësia. This meant that they were, quite literally, searching for several tiny needles in a very large haystack. What was worse, the wandering tribes were known to cover their tents and carts with woven grass nets to hide them from enemies, which meant that Thane's eyes were utterly useless. They would, instead, be relying on Evaríncel's gaze to pick the small, moving figures out of the constantly waving sea of grass. To that end, they would simply have to fly a zigzag pattern above the plains, slowly making their way north, until they finally found one of the tribes.

Though all this wandering seems like a waste of time. Thane grumbled to himself.

Evaríncel snorted with something close to annoyance. "You saw the map. It would take at least a day to scout each of those territories. If we stay on this trajectory, we will pass through three separate tribal territories and, if we are lucky, we should be able to spot something."

The map he was referring to was little more than a rough drawing that had appeared on Thane's doorstep this morning. He could only assume that Tarehlak had made it, as the dwarf knew the tribes better than just about any other outsider. Nortavog had been quite impressed. It was unusual for Tarehlak to do anything but smith during his few days off. The fact that the map had been created and left on his doorstep meant that the dwarf must have left the forge for at least 20 minutes. As far as she knew, it was the longest he had ever left the forge short of a mission.

Gareth had also sent his regards through the enchanted mirror. He had left the morning after Thane's arrival to return to his duties ferrying the unhatched eggs around to each human city. He and Rok were currently working in Carvahall, Eragon's former home and the main trading hub in Palancar Valley. As it seemed he had contacted them specifically to speak to Thane, the young Rider had felt quite a bit of pride. Nortavog had later explained that Gareth and Rok took great pride in watching the growth of riders they had discovered. They were in a unique position. They got to see both the beginning, the initial bonding of dragon and rider, and the end result, a well trained team ready to take on fully Dragon Rider duties.

At Evaríncel's words, Thane once again pulled out the crudely drawn map and studied it. There were two proper towns on the Central Plains: Moranon and Huranine. These had been constructed after the wandering tribes had become more warlike. Traders in the north now feared that passages to the south would be completely blocked. Certainly, the Ramr River could support some commerce, but crossing the plain was the quickest way to get to Dras Leona and Bellatona. To this end, two trading towns had been constructed in the small corridor that ran between the tribal territories. These towns, which were generally populated by humans, urgals, and the odd elf or two, were primarily responsible for ensuring that the trade route stayed clear. They were composed mainly of a few houses, a tavern, an inn, two or three small farms, and the city barracks, where the unmarried soldiers slept. Both Moranon and Huranine were quite small compared to the major trading cities like Tierm and Gil'ead.

"Not that there was ever any real chance of the tribes cutting off trade between the cities." Evaríncel's words were almost scornful.

It was a sentiment that Thane could understand. Though the official reason for the formation of the cities was to ensure the safety of the trade route, those who were more politically savvy knew that there was never any real danger of the route being cut off. The real concern was that the tribes might start to demand a fee for crossing their lands. The trading companies didn't want to risk part of their profits. Thus, they had petitioned the King for protection and, with no one to represent the wandering tribes at court, the petition had been granted. But those cities were not his major concerns. If he and Evaríncel had to make a stop in either of them, it would be because something had gone wrong. Thane was more focused on the outlined territories and the brief explanation scribbled beneath each area.

There were six major tribes on the Central Plain. They were reportedly comprised of deserters from the desert tribes, moved west in search of more fertile lands. The first territory they would pass through was that of the Uwuula Tribe. They were one of the most civilized and frequently welcomed travelers into their camps. It was this group that Thane was hoping to encounter. If he missed them, their current flight path would take them through the territory of the Duwah, who were decidedly more warlike. They held the smallest stretch of territory, having been forced out of the vast majority of their land by the third, and farthest north, tribe: the Raheiya. Though less friendly than the Uwuula, the Raheiya were equally civilized. Most outsiders were not welcome, but Tarehlak had written that he frequently traded with them and that they would welcome a dragon and rider.

Thane had actually opened his mind to ask Yismora if she had any extra information about the wandering tribes before he realized that she was still in Sunvarda, having elected to remain behind rather than accompany them. After traveling with her from Vrenbana, it was strange not to feel her consciousness emanating from his saddlebags. The emptiness was somewhat sad. He had grown accustomed to her insights and, even more so, to her stories. Yismora was a natural story teller, and it did not hurt that she could often improve her stories with mental images of the places and people that she described. As it was, she had developed a fast friendship with Stenfeon, who, it turned out, was her full-blooded sister. Wild dragons cared little for blood relations excepting parents and children, and even that lasted only until the fledglings were old enough to survive on their own. Bonded dragons, however, often took a keen interest in their bloodlines. It was yet another strange quirk that came with the magical bond between them and the other races.

Still, in spite of his sadness at her departure. Thane couldn't suppress a shiver of delight. This was his first mission as a Dragon Rider. Riders usually had to wait months, even years, before they were allowed to go on their first solo mission. Admittedly, he wondered if his receiving this mission spoke more to his credit or detriment. On one hand, it could have meant that they trusted him more than most, to give him such a dangerous mission so early. On the other hand, it could simply have meant that he was simply the one who would be least missed since he hadn't formally begin his regular assignments. The latter was certainly a little less desirable than the former, but did it really matter? This was his first mission.

"And it is a glorious morning to fly." Evaríncel added. It was true. The sky was nearly cloudless and, as the sun rose above the horizon, it revealed the vibrant blue that signaled a day of good weather. There was a faint breeze blowing from the south, which sped them along their way. The breeze would, hopefully, keep them cool as the summer sun rose higher into the sky. With luck, it would also mean that the tribes would be out of their huts, enjoying the last few weeks of summer before the weather began to turn chilly.

They flew for hours, leaving the glistening waters of the lake behind them as they entered the Central Plain. The moment the vast expanse of water was behind them, Evaríncel angled off to the east, his bright eyes scanning back and forth across the land as he searched for any sign of movement. The monotonous scenery soon lulled Thane into something akin to a trance. He barely noticed as the hours slipped by and his partner banked back and forth, still searching for any sign of human passage.

The sun was low in the west and Thane was already beginning to contemplate how they would set up camp for the night when Evaríncel spoke. "There!" Thane bolted upright in the saddle, his eyes scanning the darkened landscape for any sign of human movement. Of course, he was unable to find any. "Look through my eyes." The dragon said. "They are just ahead of us and to the east." Thane did as he was bid and, sure enough, he could see three human figures running through the grass below. As he watched, the halted, heads turning in the direction of the Dragon and Rider. Though they each immediately drew their bows and fitted an arrow on the string, they did not fire.

Evaríncel landed thirty paces away and, as the wind from his wings died down, Thane called out to the men. "Hail friends, we are well met by sunset."

By the time he had unstrapped his legs and climbed out of the saddle, the men had lowered their weapons and were approaching cautiously. Now he could see them with his own eyes. Their skin was tanned, the color of light coffee, a testament to their mixed heritage between the dark-skinned desert tribes and the light-skinned people of Alagaësia. The one in the lead was tallest by a head. He wore hunting clothes that looked as though they had been made out of wolf skin. The grey fur was still attached and the beast's head hung over his shoulder, as if to sink its teeth into his flesh even in death. He bore a long scar down the left side of his face and he had bright, brown eyes that shone in the dying sunlight. It surprised Thane slightly than the man looked completely unfazed by their sudden appearance. But then again, Tarehlak had said that the wandering tribes were used to seeing dragons in the skies.

The man touched his forehead with two fingers, then his lips, then spoke. "Well met indeed, Dragon Rider. You are not Tarehlak, but you are most welcome."

Thane nodded formally, "I thank you for your kind words. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"I am Duad, son of Arad, and hunter of the Uwuula." The man extended a hand to gesture to the two men who stood at his shoulders. "This is Na'im and Shafiq, they are hunters-in-training." The two men were younger, maybe only 19 or 20. They wore clothes made of deerskin and, in spite of their attempts to look unconcerned, Thane couldn't help but notice the nervous glances they kept casting at Evaríncel.

He bowed, "My name is Thane and this is my dragon, Evaríncel. We have been searching all day for you."

A faint smile curved the edges of Duad's mouth, "For me specifically? Or for the Uwuula in general? Either way, it seems you have found what you sought."

"It certainly does." Thane laughed. "In truth, we were simply looking for any of the wandering tribes, though we hoped to find yours most. We received word that a terrible creature has been haunting these lands. The leaders of my order bid me come and investigate and, if necessary, slay the beast."

At his words, the eyes of the younger two men went wide and Shafiq blurted out, "You've come to kill the Night Stalker?!"

Duad, however, showed no expression. "We have sent many good hunters against him and they have either returned without finding him, or not returned at all." He sighed, "Still, it is not unlikely that a Dragon Rider should have better luck." He turned to Na'im, "Return to camp and inform them that we have a dragon and rider visiting with us. Have them prepare suitable accommodations." The youth nodded and dashed away, running lightly through the waving stalks of grass.

"You need not send him." Thane said, "Evaríncel and I do not need much."

Duad smiled, but this time, it was almost a grimace. "It is not for you that I send him, but for us. Dragon Riders are always welcome amongst our people. Still, it is lucky that we found you. I fear that some of our members have been . . . less than friendly of late. I did not wish for there to be any issues when you arrived in camp. To that end, it was best to inform them in advance, so suitable measures can be taken."

"What do you mean?" Thane asked, taking care to avoid a particularly large clump of cow poo. "I've always heard that the Uwuula were fond of visitors. Their hospitality is near legendary."

Daud nodded. "You are right, in general. Travelers always have something to trade, even if it is nothing more than stories. We have all that we need, and we never shirk from our duties to house and feed those who ask for our aid. Yet our latest guests have proven to be more of a problem than we had anticipated. Our law dictates we cannot expel them, but neither are we completely comfortable with their presence."

Evaríncel snorted. "What guest could be so undesirable as to have the Uwuula wish them gone?"

When Thane repeated the question, Daud raised his eyebrows, "I assumed that you already knew. After all, they came asking about the creature as well."

"Who?" Thane asked.

Daud spat into the grass, "The only group who could wear out their welcome so quickly: the Magician's Guild."

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