Chapter 38

"I never thought anything could be worse than searching for the Dawn Drinker flower, but this . . . this is infinitely worse." Nikkal's voice was hushed, but carried clearly over the gentle breeze that blew across the plains. Thane glanced over at her before stepping away and letting the branches he'd been peering through snap back into place. They had been searching the area where they had found the tracks for nearly 3 days without success. The most they had discovered was another set of tracks on the bank of a small stream. Evaríncel was growing increasingly irritated by the day. Dragons, Thane knew, fancied themselves to be the greatest hunters in existence. Yet even his partner had been unable to determine the location of the creature. It appeared that, in addition to its unusual appearance and size, this particular beast had inherited a trait that hadn't been seen in any other mutated animal: it possessed a muted scent.

Twice, Evaríncel had managed to pick up what he described as a faint scent of decay, these he had blundered onto by accident. It was a completely unanticipated problem. Thane had been confident his partner would be able to sniff out the beast. This inability meant that the three of them were reduced to searching by foot and wing. Still, the three days hadn't been a complete waste. The direction of the prints found on the second day confirmed what the first had made him suspect: the creature was not a plains dweller. Hunting on the plains would be easier thanks to the open areas. It meant plenty of room to stalk prey and open grassland in which to run it down. The most logical conclusion was that the creature lived up in the foothills and only came down to hunt.

They were currently inspecting the closest and lowest of the foothills before gradually making their way northwest into the larger ones. Nikkal gave another growl of frustration and, in an effort to distract her, Thane spoke up. "What's the Dawn Drinker flower?"

"It's an extremely rare flower that grows along the edges of the elf forest. They call it Dawn Drinker because it blooms only at sunrise and with comparable colors." She explained. "It's very useful in healing teas as it brings down high fevers and the smell can sometimes awaken people who have fallen unconscious. That's why I was looking for it. The Magician's Guild wanted to study its properties in greater detail, so they sent three of us apprentices to the forest under the instruction of a senior magician to find it."

Thane frowned at her words. The elves were notoriously suspicious of the Magician's Guild. They remembered, all too well, the human magic-users who had opposed them during the great Rider War. Humans, they believed, were more easily corrupted than the other races. So short were their lives that they were prone to doing anything they could to better them in the time they were given. This meant they could be easily swayed by means of achieving money, love, or power. Magic users, due to their abilities, were believed to be particularly susceptible. Thane couldn't imagine that the elves had been pleased to see so many young magicians show up on what was essentially their doorstep. "I can't imagine the search was easy."

Nikkal gave a mirthless laugh. "It was awful, for various reasons. The first is that, as I mentioned, the flower is exceedingly rare. We suspect that they bloom abundantly within the forest, where the elves' magic is strongest. However, they are almost never seen on the outskirts of the forest where we had to search. That was the second problem: the elf barrier. In an unfortunate incident nearly 100 years ago, one of our number tried to break into the forest. His home village was being ravaged by a plague and he believed that elf-medicine could cure them." She shook her head. "He arrived unannounced and the barrier refused him entry. Angered, he tried to smash through it, demanding to speak with one of the elf leaders. When his request went unanswered, he responded by setting fire to the forest next to the barrier. He fancied himself a strong fire mage, but the flames soon got out of control and he perished in a fire of his own making. Four acres of forest were consumed by the blaze before the elves arrived to put it out."

Evaríncel groaned and even Thane couldn't keep a sigh from slipping through his lips. Elves loved their forest homes almost more than life itself. They were intimately connected to every living being within their domain, especially the trees. For the elves, burning a section of Du Weldenvarden would have been comparable to a slaughter.

"Since then," Nikkal continued, "the elves have refused to even treat with us. Going near their domain is a strict taboo within our order. They outnumber us human magic users and could easily destroy us if given the provocation."

Thane opened his mouth to refute her claim, but then thought better of it. Of course he knew that the elves wouldn't murder human magic-users out of cold blood, but given the right situation, a fight would be inevitable. The elves had risen against Galbatorix when they perceived his threat. To this day, humans told whispered tales of how the elf army had swept across the land like a flood, beautiful and terrible, killing all who opposed them. If pushed too far, it was not inconceivable that the elves could wage war on the Magician's Guild, especially if the rumors about the King's slipping control over the school go magic users were true. More importantly, if this notion had kept the Magician's Guild from doing anything that might even irritate the elves, then it was a notion that he could get behind.

A thought struck him suddenly and he asked, "And the man's village?"

"Hm?"

"The village that was struck by the plague? The man's birthplace? What happened to it?"

"The same things that happens to all towns when a plague hits. It was quarantined until the disease had run its course. About 300 people died, but it was a small price to pay. The plague didn't spread anywhere and those who survived began to rebuild the town. It was Moranon, which you likely passed on your travels. As you can see, it's thriving now."

Thane sighed. The worst part of the story, which Nikkal had no way of knowing, was that all of the magician's efforts had probably been in vain. The elves had figured out the secrets of some illnesses, how they were caught, how they spread, and how to treat them, but plagues remained an enigma, even to the most talented healers. They usually came on suddenly and were gone before any extensive research could be done. Also, the elf or human healer had to be willing to risk catching the sickness themselves and being unable to cure it. It was unlikely that the elves could have done anything to help the town anyways. All the tension between the two groups of magic users had been for nothing.

I wonder if the situation between us and the Magician's Guild is the same.

"Unlikely." The prompt assertion startled Thane and he glanced over at his partner before continuing to search the surrounding grasses.

What makes you say that?

"The misunderstanding between the Magician's Guild and the elves is born of misinformation. They take the elves silence as aloofness and hatred. That might be true for individual elves, but as a race, they are generally reserved, if not withdrawn. The Magician's Guild chose reasons that supported their own preconceptions, as opposed to actually discovering the source of the elves behavior. The Dragon Riders are not so naive. Eragon has done his best to understand the Magician's Guild, including maintaining contact with a few, trusted magicians. He has confirmation of what they are."

Eragon is not infallible. Nikkal seems alright. Thane was growing more annoyed by the moment. In the past few days, he had come to regard the female magic-user highly. Her companionship was a welcome distraction on such a demanding mission.

"Eragon had lived far longer than either of us. You cannot ignore that there is wisdom in most everything he has done thus far. Why should this matter be any different? As for the girl, I will admit that she is talented and not unpleasant to be around, but do not read too far into it. No organization can be judged on the merits of one member."

Thane frowned to hear his own words thrown back at him in such a way. When he had used that argument, he had been discussing Galbatorix with Master Maira. Still, he supposed the statement worked both ways. Just as a single bad member didn't represent the whole organization, neither did a single good member. His partner was presenting a logical argument. The young rider took a deep breath, forcing himself to let go of his anger. Perhaps you are right.

The white dragon shook himself. "I think this search is making us all irritable. It's a good thing that . . ." He was cut off by Nikkal, who had moved to Thane's side while he was distracted.

"I don't know about you but I need to freshen up."

Thane blinked, startled by the sudden introduction. "Excuse me?"

"Freshen up?" At the look on his face, she cocked her head to one side. "Spruce myself up? Primp? No?" When he continued to look puzzled, she slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "I need to go bathe, Thane. Do Dragon Riders not do that?"

Heat suffused Thane's cheeks as he gaped at her for a moment.

"Some less than others." Evaríncel commented innocently.

I'm starting to regret the fact that you can talk. Thane flashed an annoyed look at the white dragon before spluttering. "We do! I mean . . . yes, we shower like everyone else. We've just been trained to wait. Bathing is a vulnerability. The water dampens sound, and removing clothing means that you have no weapons and armor on you. Also, people tend to space out while they bathe, making them easy targets."

"That's right. Ramble, I'm sure she won't think that's strange." Evaríncel was enjoying himself far too much for Thane's liking.

Ignoring him, the young dragon rider continued. "According to our maps, there should be a suitable stream a couple hundred yards north. You can bathe, but Evaríncel and I will have to keep watch?"

She raised an eyebrow. "And what, pray tell, will you be watching?"

Thane's mouth had already opened to respond before he fully registered her words. He gaped for a moment, unable to properly formulate a response as the blush in his cheeks worked its way upward, intensifying until his ears burned. It wasn't until he noticed the corners of her mouth twitching that he realized that she, too, was teasing him. He turned his back on them both, walking away with as much dignity as he could muster.

Evaríncel's sharp nose picked out the scent of running water very quickly and, within minutes, they were standing on the banks of a waist-deep stream. It cut through the grassland in a serpentine pattern, flowing out of a spring somewhere deep within the Spine. After several moments of awkward negotiations, it was decided that Evaríncel would standing between Thane and Nikkal, keeping watch on both banks while the woman bathed. Thane was certain that if Nikkal knew exactly how intelligent dragons were, she wouldn't even have allowed this small concession so, for once, he was glad that he had neglected to tell her.

After their recent disagreement, he and Evaríncel had lapsed into a comfortable silence. That was the best part about his partner. They got angry at each other, just like all families did. But, because they shared a mind, it was much easier to understand each other's feelings. Moreover, he trusted that Evaríncel wouldn't be spiteful or selfish. It meant that problems between them were pretty easily solved. It also meant that apologies didn't necessarily have to be voiced. They were usually just understood. One or the other acknowledged that they were in the wrong, and that was the end of it.

"You like the magician girl, don't you?"

The question caught him off guard. What? Well, I mean yeah. She's pretty cool.

"No, I mean that you are attracted to her."

Thane's cheeks blushed again, but this time he allowed himself to look at the situation, forcing himself to confront how he felt. I suppose I am. She's pretty. And she seems to have a good personality. But, I barely know her. I guess this is what I'd call a crush.

Evaríncel was silent for a moment, then said, "Be careful where you emotions pull you. It could be that this is just what the Magician's Guild intended."

That had never occurred to Thane, who felt a twinge of unease bloom in his chest. Do you think so?

"I'm not sure." The white dragon admitted. "But I will think that it may become part of the plan if it isn't already. You wouldn't be the first man in history to be taken in by a pretty face." He glanced over toward where Nikkal stood in the water. "Still, I don't think that she's trying to draw you in, not right now anyways. Her actions seem honest enough."

But things are never as they appear. Thane grinned. It was a favorite saying of Halastair.

Evaríncel's amusement radiated over their link. "We're getting paranoid, Thane."

And we aren't even old yet.

A shudder ran down his spine. The smile died on Thane's face. Do you feel that? Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He felt a prickling on the back of his neck and, deep in some corner of his mind, alarm bells were ringing.

Evaríncel's entire body had tensed at almost the same instant. "Yes. Danger is near."

Thane wasn't sure whether it was their Dragon Rider training, or some innate, sixth sense, but he and his partner had always been exceptionally adept at sensing danger. Even amongst the Riders, their amount ability had been considered unusual. It was this ability that served them well now. Trying to keep his voice as level as possible, Thane called, "Nikkal?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to get out now."

He heard a faint edge of irritation in her voice as she responded, "I'm almost done. Give me a moment."

"No Nikkal." He was struggling to keep a note of worry from entering his voice. "You need to get out now. Like, right now."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

There was silence for a few moments before Evaríncel growled, "She needs to get a move on."

"Nikkal please hurry." The sense of danger hadn't gone away, so Thane was certain that the threat hadn't gone away either. That was the one downfall of their gift. They could sense the danger, but not where it was or what it was. The threat could have been something as simple as an enemy magic-user. But Thane wasn't willing to take any chances, not here. Besides, he had never felt the sensation so strongly before. The feeling in the back of his mind bordered on sheer panic. It made his pulse quicken and he felt the trembling of his extremities as adrenaline flooded his system.

A moment later, Nikkal appeared striding quickly around the white dragon's bulk. Her hair was still dripping water and she held a bundle of dirty clothes in her hand. At first, she looked irritated, but when she saw the look on his face, her expression shifted to concern. "What is it?"

Thane shook his head, turning his back to her and his partner so that he could scan the underbrush. "Something's wrong. Stay close to Evaríncel." His hand had already dropped to the hilt of his sword. To his partner, he asked, What should we do?

"I'm not sure. I don't like this, Thane. Earlier, I was going to tell you. Maybe we won't be able to find the beast by searching for it. But if we leave enough of a trail, it will most certainly find us."

Alright, I'm gonna take a few steps right. Maybe the movement will draw whatever it is out of hiding.

Evaríncel's growl told him that his partner disapproved of this plan. "Just wait. Whatever it is will either attack or leave."

But if it's the creature, this could be our best chance to draw it out. That's why we're here! After a few more seconds, he felt a grudging acceptance through their mental link. Watch my back okay?

"Always"

Though he had sounded completely confident in his plan, it still took all of Thane's willpower to leave the relative safety of his partner's side. His fingers were trembling and he had to force his legs to move. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Each movement took him farther from safety and further into what he felt sure was a kill zone. The entire world held its breath. Even the wind had died down. CRUNCH! His left foot came down on a section of dried grasses.

"THANE!" Evaríncel's warning roar broke the silence like a thunderclap.

The young man's head turned slightly, swiveling to see what it was that had caused his partner so much distress. Time slowed as, out of the corner of his eye he made out a dark shape hurtling through the air toward him. His body had moved even before he fully registered what had happened, lunging forward even as he turned to see what had so upset his partner. But it wasn't enough. The creature was nearing him with every second. In a heartbeat he took in the outstretched claws, gaping maw, and furious, fevered eyes. Every one of those things was now within a foot of his body. His mind went blank. He couldn't move out of the way. It was over.

Then something whooshed over his head, brushing his hair in passing. A flash of white and then the dark figure was gone with a crack. Thane hit the ground, rolling back to his feet and drawing Kveykva. It took a moment for him to grasp what had happened. Evaríncel's tail had struck the beast like a whip, throwing it backward as easily as Thane might swat a fly. Now his partner was standing over him, head close to the ground and his teeth bared in a snarl of fury.

Thane stared at the beast that stood in front of them. It stood on all fours, like a wolf, but the limbs were long, as if they had been stretched to twice their usual length. The shoulders were built up, with a mass of flexing muscles that made the body strangely misshapen. The skin was a mottled gray color and most of it was exposed to the open air with the exception of a few patches of wiry black fur. There was a stripe of fur on each of the forearms and a thick mane around the neck and on the shoulders. Another streak stretched down the back, directly over the spine. But it was the head that drew Thane's attention. It looked almost too big for the body, and the black fury covered the forehead before flowing down the back of the skull to meet the mane. And it was covered in scars. Bubble-like growths of black skin speckled the face and muzzle. In some places, Thane could still see the broken off arrows that were sunk deep into the skin. The area immediately surrounding the glowing, mustard-yellow eyes was pockmarked with scars.

He had a few moments to register these things before the creature attacked again. Evaríncel drew his head back, opening his mouth wider and hissing. This time it was Thane who stepped forward against the attack. In comparison to the first, breathtaking rush, this second strike was manageable. As the claws of the right paw skated off Kveykva's blade, he ducked to one side, drawing his sword across his chest in a horizontal swipe. The body passed inches over him. When he next turned to face the beast, Kveykva dripped blood onto the torn earth.

The beast screamed, shaking its head angrily. The back, left leg was pouring blood onto the ground from a deep gash that looked to have nearly severed the muscle. It made to come toward them again before stumbling on its injured limb. The head snapped around to survey the wound momentarily before it turned tail and fled into the brush. There was a sound of footsteps and Thane put out a hand just in time to stop Nikkal from sprinting after it.

She looked incredulously at him. "We just found it! Don't let it get away!"

Thane shook his head, reaching down to grab a handful of dried grass and wiping his sword clean. "There's no need to chase him. We can find him at our leisure now."

"What do you mean?" Now she sounded more puzzled than angry.

Sheathing his blade, Thane pointed to the ground. She followed his gaze and he saw her eyes widen as they noted what he had already recognized. Aside from the pool of blood that saturated the ground where the beast had been standing, there was a trail of blood spatters leading off in the direction it had vanished.

Evaríncel's rumble of satisfaction was clearly audible. "Blood doesn't lie. Blood I can track."

Thane grinned up at him before turning his attention back to Nikkal. With a bow, he gestured toward the trail. "Well, shall we turn the tables?"