A/N Okay, I don't usually do these but I was away and therefore didn't write for a while and I'm sorry. Shoot me later. Preferably wait to make that decision until after you read this because I made it extra-long just to show how sorry I am. Hope you like it!
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I followed Enari through what at first appeared to be a forest with very large trees. They were shaped a bit funny and we walked on what appeared to be a simple path, but out of the corner of my eye I would occasionally catch a glimpse of what looked like a hand or a bit of fabric, even feet, and very, very seldom there came pointed ears. At least that was what it looked like to me. They were all so blurry that I was unsure if my mind was playing tricks on me or I truly saw these things. At one point I saw a whole figure pass by an opening in a tree and I had to blink several times because the hole in the misshapen tree looked suspiciously like an intricately carved doorway to me. Blinking a little more, I noticed smaller holes that looked a bit like windows, and I finally realized why the tree seemed so odd; it was a house.
Lili, look! The trees are houses!
She turned her head toward me and, her eyes glittering, she said I am aware, young one, as I have been for quite some time now. You forget, my eyesight is far superior to your own.
I rolled my eyes. Thank you for informing me then. I'm sure you could sense my lack of realization and confusion while I was staring at those stupid tree-house-things.
Despite the annoyance practically oozing from my pores, she did one of her toothy dragon-smily things. Little one, there are some things which you must see on your own, else you will never learn.
Thanks for the zen crap, oh great dragon-sensei. Seriously, though, when did you become all wise and mighty.
Despite what you may believe, I always have been, though experience has sharpened my wisdom. Clearly, though, it has not benefitted you in the same way.
Hey! Did you just insult my smartness?
What do your sadly unsharpened senses tell you?
I glared at her laughing eye, since I could only see the one, What happened to zen Vanyali? I want her back. She didn't insult my intellect.
Too bad, this is what you get. If you don't like it, tough. No refunds, no exchanges.
But I didn't pick you in the first place.
No, I chose you, and sometimes I wish there was such a thing as exchanging riders.
Oh! You did not just say that! I can not believe I was just burned by a dragon who is sixteen years younger than I am.
That was nothing. Check back in a few months.
Why? Will you have gained the gift of wit by then?
No, I find that it is you who is lacking in that area. However, in that period of time, I shall be able to breathe fire and then truly burn you.
Ah! You wouldn't dare.
Try me.
No thanks, I think I will pass on that one.
You are smart in that respect, Little one.
Well, I do believe that is a compliment coming from the high-and-mighty dragon herself. Thank yo- "AHH!" While we had been talking, I'd been too absorbed in the conversation to notice Enari stop in front of a tree that by comparison was larger than the rest, its roots making up an intricate hallway, and so I slammed into him.
After a bunch of apologies on my part, he turned toward me with a slight smile on his face, "I wanted to take this time to explain a few elven customs to you so that you gain some favor from the Queen and her nobles. It would serve you well."
"Why do you care?" I asked, confused.
He grinned, "Everyone has their reasons. Now, do you want to learn?" Then, without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Good. Alright, let's start with greetings." And he spent the next half hour teaching me elven customs. He was also a little surprised that I already knew a few from my lessons, though I didn't tell him that. I wasn't really ready to let them know who I was just yet. Honestly, my fear was that should I reveal who my supposed father was, they might just decide to chop me into little pieces, taking out their anger at the King on me. Like the concept of a whipping boy. Yeah, that would be a really, really bad idea.
When the half hour had gone by, he led me into the tree-building, into a large room with elven lords and ladies seated around and also the Queen of the elves, Queen Islanzadi. She looked very regal, her long black hair flowing down her back. Immediately I reiterated the greeting that Enari had just taught to me. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she kept her composure quite well, not that it would be that much of a shock, but it was only a subtle sign. She completed the customary greeting, then spoke, "So, Rider Katari, what brought you to our home here in Ellesmera and how did you find it without an elf guide?"
"Well, you see, about that, ummm.....I wasn't exactly conscious at the time, and we weren't looking for it exactly, and anything else on the subject you are going to have to ask Vanyali."
"Who?"
"My dragon."
"Oh, I see." She turned her gaze to Lili, who met it evenly. With one eye, as usual. I really did not understand why she did that. I made a mental note to ask her about that one day. The Queen looked her up and down, then said, "Well met Vanyali. Your name in and of itself is a description and a compliment. You are indeed magical, not only in your inheritance as a dragon, but in being able to locate Ellesmera without even an ounce of help from your then-incapacitated rider. Though I don't know how much help she would have been to one such as yourself." I truly did not know whether to be insulted or if she was simply praising Lili and I should ignore those little jabs. I chose the latter.
Ah, but I was not looking for this place. I merely stumbled upon it with the help of some elves who I am aware had been following me since I entered the forest. Lili broadcasted her thoughts to everyone present.
Some of the elven nobles looked a little uncomfortable, but the Queen simply said, "You understand that we must protect ourselves from the vile creature that is Galbatorix. We were being cautious of you, as a dragon, since we had no idea who you were or with whom your allegiance lies. Yours was not the rescued egg, which begs another question; where did you find her?" She had returned her attention to me. I fidgeted a bit, trying to fabricate a good story.
"I found her egg.....in....the mountains." I tried.
She still looked skeptical, "Which mountains?"
"The Beors."
"I see." And she launched into a whole mass of questions, many of which I was almost positive she knew the answer to already. Still, she asked them, whether to hide the extent of her knowledge of us or because she really didn't know, I had no clue. I answered her to the best of my abilities, and even had to create a few things when she got uncomfortably close to my past, some pieces of information that I wanted to keep hidden.
When she was finally satisfied with all of my answers, after what felt like hours in a really nice smelling court room-it smelled like flowers and no pollution, a cleanness one can't even dream of in a modern world-she clapped her hands, and the flowers I had been smelling fell from the ceiling. She ordered that a banquet be held in honor of our coming, a new hope, another rider to oppose Galbatorix.
When the banquet was in progress, there was much laughter and joy, and a ton of vegetarian food. Not that I had ever really liked meat, but this was just a teensy bit over the top. The only scrap of meat present was in front of Vanyali, and I noticed that the elves cringed just a little every time they smelled it or happened to see it. Obviously they did not find it as appetizing as Lili did. She was quite content with it.
Although, She commented, It tastes like they haven't cooked any sort of animal in years. It's fairly dry and tasteless for a deer. Oh well, I can always hunt and cook for myself. I can go anywhere from extra-crispy to raw depending on my mood and it would save them the trouble. They clearly dislike it. Wimps. And with that flattering comment, she ripped a leg off of her meal, gnawing noisily on the bone.
At that even my lip curled in distaste. It was not a pleasant sound by any creatures standards, save maybe a vulture.
As the festivities ended, the Islanzadi asked us to follow her and she would show us where to stay.
I ventured a question, "I was wondering, your Highness, is there anyone here that could possibly teach us? We have been learning on our own and I'm not sure how we could do in a fight. The last one I got into led to some problems, and Aramae, with whom I was traveling at the time, compared it to a friendly scuffle."
Without so much as a glance in my direction, and never breaking stride, she answered, "Certainly. We shall deal with that tomorrow, however, as we have arrived at your new accommodations."
She stopped abruptly in front of a giant tree, right next to an even larger one. There were quite a few trees nearly identical to the one in front of me around the much larger tree in a perfect circle.
"This is where riders and their dragons would have stayed in times past", She said, her voice saddened by some ancient grief.
All I could do was nod and thank her. Lili was a tad more articulate in her thanks.
She showed us to a room with very little in it. A simple desk, bed, and closet, what she explained to be a bathroom, a giant window for dragons, a nest as a bed for Lili, and a table with three chairs.
Sleep did not come quickly, and getting there involved a lot of banging my head on walls and a large amount of pacing before the sun started to come up. I eventually willed myself to sleep. Of course, three hours later, an elf was shaking me awake. He had much better luck with me than Vanyali, who would swat him with her tail like a fly, an annoyance. I winced sympathetically every time, and when I was sure he would have too many bruises to count, I offered to take over. He looked grateful, pointed out breakfast and a mossy colored tunic, told me that we were to meet Islanzadi in twenty minutes, and scampered out of the room.
I shouted Lili's name at the top of my mental lungs, sure that would get her, but she swatted me away as well. I instantly felt bad for the poor elf, worse so than I had before. After fifteen minutes of struggling with her, Vanyali finally cracked on eye. Obviously having a death wish, I poked it. She roared, and jumped to her feet, pinning me in the blink of an eye with her claw.
"Payback", I choked.
She snorted smoke in the general direction of my face, leaving me coughing as she let me up.
Five minutes later we had made it to the Queen. She stood waiting for us looking as regal as ever in a blood red dress, with a cape of gold, which I was pretty sure was gold leaf.
She led us out to a cliff overlooking some mountains that she informed us were known as the Craigs of Tel'Nair. I was about to respond, but she held up a hand to silence me as she, along with the rest of the elves, looked expectantly off of the cliff.
Just when I got bored of waiting and could not figure out what they were waiting for, there came a great thud, so massive it shook the ground and rattled my bones. I had to clamp my jaw shut to keep my teeth from slamming together.
Thud.
There it was again.
Thud.
Lili, what do you think-Thud-that could be?
I think it is....
Thud.
Before she could answer, a massive golden head, that of a dragon, appeared above the edge of the cliff. It rose higher and higher, until the whole dragon hovered above us. There was also an elf perched on it's back.
His deep voice rattled through us, Katari, Vanyali, what an unexpected surprise.
He inspected Lili before pronouncing her a wonderful specimen. I felt her gloating all too well through our link and resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Again the deep voice emanated from the great gold dragon, My name is Glaedr, and my rider is Oromis. Welcome. Katari, please get on Vanyali and follow me.
I complied just as his giant wings beat downward and he turned, going slowly to allow Lili to keep up. She took off and followed.
After a few seconds, she asked, Catie, have you noticed his leg?
What leg?
Exactly my point!
I don't follow.
He is missing his front leg! How did you not see?
I-I don't know. I was too focused on his head, and, I don't know, his teeth! Seriously, I think those things are as big as me. They may even have a few inches on me!
Oh, stop it, he won't take a bite out of you.
You're right. I'm probably bite-sized just the way I am.
She growled.
A few seconds later, her feet touched the ground, and I jumped off of Lili as Oromis leaped gracefully from Glaedr. He walked over to where we stood, and said in a very, very calm voice that had to have been practiced for hours on end, "My name is Oromis, and this is my dragon, Glaedr. However, in this language you shall refer to us as Master, and in the Ancient Language, as Ebrithil. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Oromis."
Yes, Master Glaedr.
I rolled my eyes as I realized where her mind had gone and wandered off to. She had never seen another of her kind, and she was fascinated, if not infatuated. This would be a fun topic later. Oromis clearly noticed her answer as well, because he cocked an eyebrow. Then he motioned for me to sit on a large stone, while he sat opposite on another. We sat there in silence, my mind so full of questions I was surprised that smoke wasn't coming out of my ears. Still I stayed quiet, though that was due in part to Lili going on and on about Glaedr like the obsessive high school girl she had become. So we sat. And sat. And.....wait for it....sat. And after another few hours of-guess what?-sitting, my whole body began to ache and I started to fidget from discomfort, not to mention my stomach rumbling. And we stayed there until the sun had gone all pinkish.
Only then did Oromis speak, "You have learned the value of patience well. That is good to know." I could have laughed. I had only been able to hold everything in because I had been talking with Lili. He continued, "It is late and you are probably hungry and tired. Go, and return here at six tomorrow morning."
No sooner were those words out than I was telling them good night and had Lili flying back to our tree. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the pair going off somewhere else, but I supposed I shouldn't find that odd because how could they live in that little glade with nothing much there but a few rocks and a bunch of not-house trees.
When we made it back, I took a fast bath and fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow. There is nothing like sitting on your butt all day to really take it out of you.
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Again, sorry guys, I know that it has been a few weeks, but I was out of the country, so sorry. Again. Hope you liked it!