I foresee a greater change happening after a certain scene... one that is pivotal to the story... and one that will impact Yomir greatly.
The next day while they were riding, Eragon asked Brom, "What is the sea like?"
"You must have heard it described before," said Brom.
"Yes, but what is it really like?"
Yomir leaned in. "I've seen the sea, I am not sure where but I have seen it. I remember it being green and grey and blue. Smelling of salt and life..." He smiled at Eragon, sharing a warm look with the boy.
Brom's eyes grew hazy, as if he looked upon some hidden scene. "The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't. Do you remember what I told you about how the elves came over the sea?"
"Yes."
"Though they live far from the coast, they retain a great fascination and passion for the ocean. The sound of crashing waves, the smell of salt air, it affects them deeply and has inspired many of their loveliest songs. There is one that tells of this love, if you want to hear it."
"I would," said Eragon, interested.
"As would I." Yomir said.
Brom cleared his throat and said, "I will translate it from the ancient language as best I can. It won't be perfect, but perhaps it will give you an idea of how the original sounds." He pulled Snowfire to a stop and closed his eyes. He was silent for a while, then chanted softly:
O liquid temptress 'neath the azure sky,
Your gilded expanse calls me, calls me.
For I would sail ever on,
Were it not for the elven maid,
Who calls me, calls me.
She binds my heart with a lily-white tie,
Never to be broken, save by the sea,
Ever to be torn twixt the trees and the waves.
With rare beauty, the sound uplifted Yomir and made him smile. "There is much more to that song, the 'Du Silbena Datia.' I have only recited one of its verses. It tells the sad tale of two lovers, Acallamh and Nuada, who were separated by longing for the sea. The elves find great meaning in the story."
"It's beautiful," said Eragon simply. The Spine was a faint outline on the horizon when they halted that evening. When they arrived at the Spine's foothills, they turned and followed the mountains south. Eragon was glad to be near the mountains again; they placed comforting boundaries on the world. Three days later they came to a wide road rutted by wagon wheels.
"This is the main road between the capital, Urû'baen, and Teirm," said Brom. "It's widely used and a favorite route for merchants. We have to be more cautious. This isn't the busiest time of year, but a few people are bound to be using the road."
Days passed quickly as they continued to trek along the Spine, searching for the mountain pass. It was a fun time for Yomir, when not learning the ancient language or sparring, he was enjoying the lessons Eragon was learning. Be they hunting with magic, or caring for Saphira. It was true that no lesson was directed toward and for him, but he didn't mind so much. He knew he was an outsider here, a secondary presence at best. He was just happy for the company, despite knowing he would betray them sometime in the future.
That thought hurt him...
However despite that there were clear fruits of labor to enjoy. Yomir's body, along side Eragon's, had changed considerably. He hadn't had the baby fat too loose like Eragon, but his previously skinny frame was now ripped and corded with powerful muscles that only added to his intense strength. His scars had started to fade, maybe from the good food and constant exercise, leaving him feeling like the past was just that... the past.
Eventually they reached a pass. "This is the Toark," explained Brom. "We'll follow it all the way to the sea."
"How can we," laughed Eragon, "if it flows out of the Spine in this direction? It won't end up in the ocean unless it doubles back on itself."
Brom twisted the ring on his finger. "Because in the middle of the mountains rests the Woadark Lake. A river flows from each end of it and both are called the Toark. We see the eastward one now. It runs to the south and winds through the brush until it joins Leona Lake." The mention of that Lake, the memories of his past weighed painfully on Yomir, making him shudder in discomfort. "The other one goes to the sea."
After two days in the Spine, they came upon a rock ledge from which they could see clearly out of the mountains. Eragon noticed how the land flattened in the distance, and he groaned at the leagues they still had to traverse. Brom pointed. "Down there and to the north lies Teirm. It is an old city. Some say it's where the elves first landedin Alagaësia. Its citadel has never fallen, nor have its warriors ever been defeated." He spurred Snowfire forward and left the ledge.
It took them until noon the next day to descend through the foothills and arrive at the other side of the Spine, where the forested land quickly leveled out. Without the mountains to hide behind, Saphira flew close to the ground, using every hollow and dip in the land to conceal herself.
Beyond the forest, they noticed a change. The countryside was covered with soft turf and heather that their feet sank into. Moss clung to every stone and branch and lined the streams that laced the ground. Pools of mud pocked the road where horses had trampled the dirt. Before long both Brom and Eragon were splattered with grime.
"Why is everything green?" asked Eragon. "Don't they have winter here?"
Yomir nodded. "It's more mild, this place is far warmer all year long then anyplace near the Spine. The Mist and Warmth keeps the world green and lush." He wasn't sure where that came from, but the words had just spewed forth.
Eragon and Brom turned to him, with the elder asking. "How did you know that?"
"I think I asked Durza that when we were traveling. He was cold and cruel but he liked to teach me..." The words felt oddly true. "He was a good teacher, cruel but effective. I learned a lot... I mean I am literate, which is saying a lot."
"You can read?" Eragon asked, sounding shocked.
"Yes, both the Human tongue and a little bit of the Elvish. Not too much to be honest, but enough to get through a few paragraphs."
Brom seemed pleased with that. "That will be helpful... Eragon, can you read?"
"No, I cannot."
"Damn, that will put many things behind us. I cannot believe Garrow never bothered to teach you."
"Garrow knew?"
"Of course he did." When evening fell, they set up camp in the driest spot they could find. As they ate, Brom commented, "You should continue to ride Cadoc until we reach Teirm. It's likely that we'll meet other travelers now that we are out of the Spine, and it will be better if you are with me. An old man traveling alone will raise suspicion. With you at my side, no one will ask questions. Besides, I don't want to show up at the city and have someone who saw me on the trail wondering where you suddenly came from."
"Will we use our own names?" asked Eragon.
Brom thought about it. "We won't be able to deceive Jeod. He already knows my name, and I think I trust him with yours. But to everyone else, I will be Neal and you will be my nephew Evan. Yomir, you can pick your own name but you do not look like us. It might be better if you stay with Saphira. You barely seem human, especially with your hair getting longer. "
Yomir nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, besides, I have no idea how strong my bloodlust will be surrounded by so many humans... it would be best to stay with her."
Brom actually smiled before turning back to his fellow Dragon Rider. "If our tongues slip and give us away, it probably won't make a difference, but I don't want our names in anyone's heads. People have an annoying habit of remembering things they shouldn't."
Happily ignoring the rest of the conversation, Yomir turned his attention inward. 'Master, he is a rider... how would or should I proceed?'
Durza's presence hummed through his mind. 'I want you to keep your eye on the Dragon... see if you can feed on her. Her blood might have some incredible effects on you... hmmm you will need to study her entirely. You were created to mimic the connection between a Dragon and Rider as it is, seeing the similarities between you and the dragon will be educational... hm... I will restore your power to extend your thoughts, do not abuse this privilege.'
Cold might washed through his mind, and he felt an expansion, as if his mind was no longer being held down by something... and with that he felt more... himself. The fire was brighter, the air was warmer... everything was more real.
His mind instantly expanded outward, reflexively brushing against Eragon, Saphira and Brom, making all three of them jump in shock. "Sorry, something seems to have... worked in me. I can expand my mind. Maybe it was the memories coming back to me, but I feel more myself.'
Durza laughed coldly, amusingly in Yomir's mind. 'I stole your true name, and I have restored the majority of it. Prove yourself worthy and the rest will be restored. Magic will always be beyond you, your too inhuman for that... but what you can do it quite remarkable. You were my greatest experiment, never forget that.'
'How could I?' He replied back to his master before turning his attention to his friends. "I can feel your thoughts now and wow... your... Saphira, your so fierce." He realized, passively, that Saphira felt more like him them anyone else. Just as primal, powerful and simple. Just as proud.
Her thoughts radiated a sense of power and purpose that even Brom lacked. "I always wanted to speak to you. How are you handling your new ability?"
"It's freeing... something just shifted in my mind, I cannot explain it.' Turning his attention back to Brom, he offered the suspicious man a smile. "I felt something shift in my mind, I cannot explain it past that. Everything just made sense and a weight lifted from my mind... I can feel everything, like the world is made right."
"I could feel a surge of something, magic I presume, around you... what were you feeling?" Brom leaned forward, looking curious as he was worried.
"Happy... I think, content at the least. Something that felt right." He smiled kindly at the older man, trying to dissuade his aggression and suspicion. "My mind lifted and I felt... right. Everything fell into place and I was whole... more whole. My mind feels lighter now, as if it was in a box of led before. Heavy and weighty, but now a part of me is free... really free."
Eragon actually laughed. "I felt the same way when I first connected with Saphira, like a part of me had shifted and opened up to a wider world then I ever thought possible. It's an amazing feeling, isn't it."
"It is."
""
Brom cursed his son's naivety, his innocence while sweet could be quite frustrating. He suspected nothing from the sudden change in Yomir's power. He was too attached the other boy, and that could prove dangerous. Durza's presence was infused into every aspect of the boy, no matter the reasons it made him suspect as far as Brom was concerned. The ease by which is son ignored the potential problem was... frustrating.
Still, if the boy's words were true then he too was as confused by the change in his status...
'What did you do Durza, that this boy would change so rapidly... damn you for leaving him in such a confused state...'
Was the boy a threat, was he a monster or was he just a victim of one of the greatest monsters of them all...
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was fun, powerful and exciting.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.