Chapter 36. Consolidation of Power or Chaos?
CP owns Eragon.
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Arya came to the double doors, which sat at the beginning of the long, natural hall that made up the Throne Room for the King of the dwarves. She paused, and bowed slightly to each of the two groups of seven dwarves, fourteen in all, who stood at the seven-crown bejeweled door. "You are late, my Lady," the chief dwarf said, holding his mattock at ease. As Ambassador of the Elven nation to the Varden, King Orik had extended an invitation to her to come to hear his decision on the fate of the assassins.
"I realize as much," Arya responded. The knurla bowed as the others opened the doors, slowly; its long, heavy forms nearly shook the ground before them. When the doors opened halfway, Arya stepped in avoiding the dwarves on the other side. She lightly graced the long room with its stalagmites and stalactites, dimly lit by the sparse crimson lanterns, which echoed throughout the hall that lay before her. As Arya hurried to get to the place assigned to her, she glanced at the people already in the hall.
Arya noticed twelve clans had seven representatives each, only Dûrgrimst Az Sweldn rak Anhûin was absent. The dwarves stood on one side of the room because Eragon had tried putting a ward up, which would block whatever was happening with the dwarves from affected Elva. Eragon had insisted on it, and Arya had reluctantly agreed, seeing, after a long discussion, Eragon was right in doing so. If the ward failed, then he would know he could not cast the spell that would act as a counterweight to the curse that he had spoken over her, when he didn't know what he had done.
Standing at the front, on the other side, were Nasuada and Fredric, who accompanied her as guard; King Orrin of Surda, who denied the chance would be the utmost foolishness; and Angela, Elva, and Solembum. Eragon and Saphira attended as well, but they were here as members of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. Elva shifted uneasily where she stood, but Arya could not tell why she was fidgeting. Four dwarves held their mattocks at the necks of the two assassins, though it was unlikely they would try anything, as there was nowhere for them to go.
As she passed the clans, they bowed before her, though some angry, some neutral, and only a few positive towards her. She passed the statues of the dwarven kings who had gone on before, and noted a huge block of granite already placed in position where it would soon resemble Hrothgar. As Arya arrived in her place, she glanced up to see Orik on the throne, a picture of authority. Of course, he now sat on the throne carved forty-two kings ago, and had the history on his side. However, his authority hung by a thread and today would determine how strong or weak Orik, and Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, would go forward into the future. Personally, she noticed gray starting to show in his beard, however the gold helm lined with rubies and diamonds fit well on his head, and made the gray look regal.
Arya examined the modality before her. The two dwarves whom had attempted to assassinate Nasuada had no indication of repentance. In fact, they were defiant. Arya wondered which clans they represented. She straightened herself as Orik rose, placing the head of Volund, his mighty war axe, in his left hand.
Hello, Arya Svit-kona, Saphira said.
How do you think this will go? Eragon asked.
Arya did not move, but mentally sent back to both Saphira and Eragon, Hello to you both. You know better than I do how this will go.
I do not know how this will go, Eragon stated. Saphira swished her tail, and Orik glanced over at her, then shrugged. Then he slammed Volrund into his hand.
"Vor Orikz korda!" half the dwarves in the room shouted out ("by Orik's hammer"). The other half were silent.
I know one thing, this will determine how strong or weak Orik's power is, and whether we will have the dwarves against Galbatorix anymore, Arya strongly commented.
You will always have members of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum! Eragon stated fiercely. Saphira growled, an act which surprised everyone present. Arya thought about smiling, but decided this was not the time.
"Grimsborithz, jok is frekk dûrgrimstvren?" Orik thundered ("Clan chiefs, do you want a clan war?").
The answers varied from, "Oeí!" ("yes") to shouts of, "Eta!" ("no").
A disgusted Orik said, "Werg!" ("ugh"). Then to calm the increasing cries of outrage, he thundered, "Vrron!" ("enough"). The dwarves instantly calmed down, with a few whispered cries of disgust. "Fild rasta ongl?" Orik asked, directed at the humans, and elf that stood before him ("who passes here?").
Nasuada stepped forward. She stated, "Nasuada Nightstalker, grimsborith rak az Varden, grimsborith Orrin rak Surda, Hrethcarach Eragon rak Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, Angela, Elva, oén Solembum, az Nagrtezyn. Wharn, az vanyali-carhûg Arya. Né oc Grimsborith Orikz grimsbtbelardn" ("Nasuada Nightstalker, clan chief of the Varden, clan chief of Surda, Shadeslayer Eragon of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. Angela, Elva, and Solembum the Werecat. Also, the elf-courier, Arya. We are Orik's hallguests").
Orik answered, "Ilf gauhnith. Come, let us speak in the human tongue, for there is one here who does not understand our native tongue." The dwarves mumbled, some agreeing with Orik, others in disagreement. "Now, let us be about the business, which has brought us together, though it is grave. But first, we must hear from Dûrgrimst Ascûdgamln on another matter, which requires immediate attention. Orrin, this is only the second time you have come to Farthen Dûr, and the first as Grimstborith of Surda. Gerûtz," Orik relinquished the floor.
Gerûtz stated with asperity, "Grimstborith Orrin, you have acquitted yourself well in dwelling in Tronjheim. However, the 'nobles' who came with you are in our business even when we ask them not to be. In fact, they will not desist even when we demand it of them!" The rest of the dwarves gathered in the throne room agreed with his assessment.
Gerûtz was grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ascûdgamln, the clan native to Farthen Dûr, which first invented the 'fists of steel'. Arya noted Dûrgrimst Ascûdgamln was second only to Dûrgrimst Ingeitum in power related to the clans who resided in Farthen Dûr, and third in power related to all clans, behind Dûrgrimst Ragni Hefthyn, which guarded the Az Ragni, or The River.
King Orrin stepped forward, bowed, and responded, "I apologize for their actions. From now forward, they will confine themselves to the small part of Tronjheim, which the Varden previously occupied, or else I will force them to leave Farthen Dûr and return to Surda. Is this situation agreeable to you, Gerûtz, grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ascûdgamln?"
"Aye," Gerûtz answered. The rest of the dwarves made loud noises of agreement. Orrin bowed again, and stepped back in line next to Nasuada. Arya approved of Orrin. Perhaps her opinion of him needed adjustment. She had looked upon him as young, barely a man, who inherited the throne from his father, but would just as likely hide in his lab for most of the day. "Yet, he graciously made the exact answer they needed," Arya reflected. "Now we shall see if he carries the rule out." If he successfully did that, then Arya would change her opinion of him; however, not until.
Orik banged Volund on the floor once more. As the dwarves became silent, he stated, "Elva, you are the one who speaks for Nasuada, since you were the one who brought this scheme to light."
Arya glanced at Elva, who curiously had her eyebrows furrowed, while looking straight at Arya. Arya drew back compulsively, wondering what she had done to pique Elva's interest in her. She felt Elva's violet eyes poring through her soul, and finally Arya turned away. Only then did Elva turn and face the two captive dwarves.
"I was eating in a room adjacent to Nasuada's study," she began. The dwarves in the room all experienced shock at the voice coming from the seven-year old girl in front of them, which sounded like it should have come from an older, wiser woman. "When I detected two dwarves determined to assassinate Nasuada. So, I ran into the study and stopped them."
Dwarves began to murmur at a furious rate. "Vrron!" Orik bellowed, and silence filled the throne room. "Were you able to determine why they would attempt to assassinate Nasuada Nightstalker?" he inquired.
"They no longer wished to support the Varden," Elva said calmly.
"Blasphemy!" a dwarf named Bervodoz shouted. "It would make sense," Arya considered internally. She felt someone directing his or her eyes toward her, so he or she saw Arya at the level that went beyond externals. "Elva," she thought. Arya turned to watch Elva observing her, and she did not look away nor change her position. Arya clinched her hands, disconcerted to her core.
Meanwhile, the dwarves had erupted in a multitude of heated conversations and arguments. Orik let them go for a moment, and then when he decided enough, he raised Volund and struck the ground. Every dwarf in the place became silent. "Is there any indication they were acting in collusion with the Black Hand?" he asked.
"Nay," Elva answered forcefully. The dwarves again started crying out, some for the assassins, some against. Orik struck the ground with Volrund, but it did no good. They were beyond reason, and devolving into a mob. Orik had to act fast, or he would lose any authority he had based on the fact he was Hrothgar's successor.
Suddenly, Saphira spread her wings and loosed a mighty roar, which echoed throughout the hall, cascading on the stalactites and stalagmites. The result of knocking off parts of the heads of the stalagmites and the impact on the stalactites shook many of them and hurtled them to collide with the dwarves below. Silence filled the throne room as the whispers of the roar vibrated throughout all of Tronjheim. Some of the dwarves jumped quickly out of the way, a few suffered injuries, and the rest became silent.
Orik thundered, "Saphira Brightscales is part of Eragon Shadeslayer, and he is part of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum!"
"You only say as much to consolidate your power, Orik!" Bervdor argued.
"Maybe that is so," said Ûndin, chieftain of Dûrgrimst Ragni Hefthyn. "However, let us not forget Orik was the one who pointed out to vanyali-carharûg Arya in one hundred years of life, she believed in fate, and that is as much a belief system as our gods."
"Aye," Eragon agreed. Arya then had to contend with every dwarf and human in the place regarding her, including the one who saw beneath the surface. Arya steeled herself, knowing that her reaction could sway the dwarven opinion one way or another.
Eragon said he observed Orik changing your mind, Saphira informed Arya.
Then it is true, Arya commented back to Saphira. She straightened herself up and faced the dwarves proudly. "Yes, it is true, Orik pointed out I believed in wyrda just as you believe in gods," Arya stated. The dwarves let loose with a flurry of voices. Arya glanced at Eragon, who had a queer look on his face. "I will not be able to argue with Gannel for a long time, probably for an eternity," she thought.
Gannel heartily stated, "You see, the 'muttering into the air for help' is the same as her belief in 'fate'." Arya internally scowled, and it took everything she had, and then some, to not cry out in thunderous disagreement.
Arya considered there were two aspects to her argument with Gannel. The first, she decried their believing in gods as the source of life. The second, she argued they kept much of what they had for themselves, not caring about people who could benefit from their wealth. But she then considered her own people. They had fled to Du Weldenvarden, save a few, instead of helping humans. After all, they were not lacking in anything, and if they were to help, by singing to the human's crops, then there would not be as much suffering as there was now. Arya scowled, though she managed to keep it internal, because she realized she held the dwarves to a double standard most of her life! The revelation shook her to the core, even more than the distress the Varden now faced with the dwarven politics descending into madness.
Ûndin stated, "There, Arya Svit-kona, a title which denotes wisdom in her culture, has admitted it to be true." Most of the dwarves agreed with his assessment of the situation, but a few did not, including Bervdor, of the Dûrgrimst Nagra clan.
Orik banged Volund once more against the stone floor, the sound resounding in a way that echoed Saphira's earlier roar. "Volfild oc sheilven, jok is oeíf Elvaz argtzgûl nav jok is frekk dûrgrimstvren?" Orik challenged (all who are cowards, do you affirm Elva's testimony, or do you want a clan war") .
Arya braced, and noted in her mind she could feel Eragon and Saphira strengthen themselves. Now would come the answer to Orik's authority or whether he had none, and if the latter was true then Eragon and Saphira would come down hard on those clans who did not recognize Orik as king. Arya looked at Nasuada, who shook, Angela, who considered, Solembum, who was busy cleaning his tail, and King Orrin, who stood there not understanding what was happening.
Divisions among the dwarves remained. Although less than before, they were concrete enough to start a battle among the clans. Arya strained to think of something, anything she could do, but no answer came to her. She was as helpless as a newborn infant when it came to dwarven politics.
"Here me," Orik thundered. "Eragon is a member of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum. He is also the first of a new age of Riders, one that will bear us no harm, if we choose to continue the battle against Galbatorix. He comes from a human background of growing crops in fields, a good and hard labor. Yet, you see him now before you, as an elf. So I ask you to consider this; in Eragon we have humans, dragons, elves, and dwarves coming together. That is more than we could ever have dreamed in our wildest imaginations. As Grimstborith of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum and all the clans, I say that we, knurla, must recognize what our god, Helzvog, has done for us."
Internally, Arya scowled, but externally she stayed calm, focused on Orik and the other dwarves. Chaos ensued. Fights between the different dwarven clans broke out, and even between members of the same clan. Arya pulled out her dagger, for she had not brought her sword to this meeting, and she glanced sideways to see Eragon doing the same with his hunting knife. Saphira whipped her tail violently from side to side. Nasuada backed up, caught between King Orrin, who protected her on the front side, and Elva, who moved behind her. Angela produced the hûthvir, which she had won from Dûrgrimst Quan.
Gannel saw Angela do so, and he cried out, "Eoítz knurlagz rak Dûrgrimst Quan nûr az hûthvir! Is barzûln míhtz vor bílgûl az hûthvir ugínhal!" ("Only members of Clan Quan use the double-bladed staff weapon! You curse us by bringing the weapon here!")
"I won this double-bladed staff-weapon fair," Angela argued. "You cannot blame me if some of your clan members are dull as dillweed!" The confrontation between Gannel and Angela set off an explosion of dwarves fighting other dwarves, and fighting Angela, who wielded her staff-weapon skillfully, just hard enough to do damage but weak enough not to cause serious harm. "Leave it to Angela to break the fragile peace!" Arya reacted with some animosity. She glanced at Solembum, who deftly sidestepped two dwarves fighting, and went back to cleaning one of his paws. Eragon set up a defensive perimeter around Nasuada. Saphira bellowed, but the sound did no good this time. Thankfully, the dwarves guarding the two accused knurlz held steady, ignoring the general mayhem around them.
Arya slowly backed up against the wall, avoiding a stalagmite, which blocked her way. She knew if she became involved it would reflect poorly on her position as elven ambassador to the Varden, and disgrace the name of Queen Islanzadí. Arya felt the chance of peace for the dwarves and power for Orik, and Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, fast slipping away. She leapt sideways as two dwarves tumbled past her, both of them armed with war axes, neither of them yielding.
She then became aware of someone piercing through her inner core again, laying bare what had made her late for the meeting. Arya scrutinized the area around her, before she realized Elva had caught her once again. "At least the ward Eragon cast is working," she thought, before turning to gaze at the one who knew her deepest concerns. Elva stood watching her, not moving her eyes, nor blinking as appropriate. Arya felt immobilized by the unnatural strength of her penetrating gaze. Arya fought the desire to scream in protest, instead she violently sibilated so all could hear. But her hissing could not overcome the war, which was now fought within the throne room of the dwarves. The outcome of this could determine the course of years to come!
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I appreciate reviews.
Whew! This chapter took longer because it wass a hard chapter to write. Not only because I chose to use the dwarf language (some of which I made up, and listed below), but also because I had to decide how exactly I wanted to tell this part of my story: the dwarves— obvious; Arya's lateness—not so obvious. I hope you liked the way I chose. If you didn't at least feel some discomfort with the dwarves and wondering what will happen next, then I have failed. Write a review and tell me if that's the case.
+Dwarven language (I made up): Nagrtezyn – Werecat; oeíf – affirm; argtzgûl – testimony; eoítz – only; nûr - use; míhtz - us; bílgûl - bringing; ugínhal - here