Chapter IV: Banquet

Were it not for the fact that she was sore beyond belief, Ilia might have enjoyed the fact that she was having her first real banquet in a long time. The one at Ellesmera had been small so she hadn't counted it; this was going to be more like she was used to. Her father had been a good leader, and his people respected him. His subjects were few in comparison to the vast numbers in the greater parts of the Empire, but still it was of no mean size. When it came down to it, they could host over a hundred people in the Great Hall. As a child Ilia had adored those moments; the music and the laughter and the general feeling of mirth had done much for her. It was here that she was allowed certain liberties; extra sweets, staying up late, wandering around without telling her parents where she was at every moment. They had been her favourite nights.

Now though, it was gone. As her fingers carefully and expertly wove her hair into intricate braids she allowed her mind to wander. She hadn't grieved for her family in such a long time. Instead she'd wrapped her heart up in bitterness and hatred for all things imperial; it was easier that way. It was easier than facing the pain of her loss, especially now. It had been a few years, and to truly heal she knew that she would have to rip open the scars that had only crudely healed over. Sitting there in solitude as she was, she could feel the pain rising to the surface and threatening to break through. At first it was like the throbbing of blood behind a very painful bruise, but she knew it would break through in a torrent. Over the past year she'd had Luan to help her, and a part of her did recognise that without him she would not have lasted this long. It was his strength that sustained her now, for Ilia knew she wasn't strong. She was mature enough in herself and in her pain to know that she needed to change –she was turning into a bitter harpy and it would only get worse –but it wasn't enough for her to do anything about it.

'It's time, Dove.' Luan's thoughts tore straight through her pain as they always did, pulling her from the brink of nothingness not for the first time. She was closer than she had been in quite a while and it caused her to come back with a sharp gasp, fingers dropping the last few strands of hair she had been working on. She didn't fault him for it though; the one person she couldn't stay angry at was Luan. On occasion she wondered if this was what it truly meant to love; to know someone so intimately and fully that things like true anger were not even in the question.

Her reflections were halted however as she knew it was time to go. 'I'm coming…give me a minute.' She knew that he knew what she had just been going through, and so their interaction was subdued and halted there, but she could still feel his presence. He was carrying her through it, leading her gently back to reality in a way that she could cope with. His kindness filled her with different emotion, and often it was enough to threaten a breakdown into tears.

Finally then, she was ready. Her golden hair was mostly down, falling around her shoulder in gentle waves. Some of it had been pulled back and woven into delicate plaits, revealing the stark, emerald colour of her eyes. The dress she'd chosen was simple yet elegant, though she hadn't worn anything this extravagant since her family's death. The colour matched her eyes, accented with silver to match Luan. It was fitted until her hips where it flared out, the gossamer skirt falling to the floor in a beautiful cascade of silver and green. The stitching was divine and intricate, the silver thread so fine that she wondered if it might be real and not merely dyed thread. Whoever had made this dress was gifted indeed…for the first time she truly matched her dragon as the two of them glinted magnificently in the moonlight.

When she finally met him she smiled softly, and the look in Luan's eyes and the gently up-curling of his lips told her that he was impressed. 'You look good…the best I've seen, I believe. You should wear a smile more often,' he said gently and rather seriously, then after a pause, 'the dress is nice too.'

Ilia rolled her eyes, but she couldn't get mad. He was right…she felt much better than she had even if she couldn't explain why. Perhaps it was because they were finally out of the Empire, a place she'd so despised for so long now that she'd forgotten how to feel any other emotion. Without that ire though it left room for other things –things she didn't necessarily wish to deal with right now –but that was for later consideration. Right now she would enjoy this banquet, because apparently it didn't happen often. It was in honour of the new riders and for the purpose of introducing them to much of the wider population; otherwise life moved on as one might expect it to in any other town.

'Come on, then, we should go. I've made us late enough,' she returned softly. The fact that there was no rise from her at all was a bit of a surprise to them both, but Luan knew better than to push it. Carefully she climbed on his back, both to protect the dress and also because she was still quite sore.

Their flight was gentle, as to avoid ruining her carefully done hair, and when they landed only a few strands had fallen out of place. It wasn't enough for Ilia to care much about it, for the fine blonde hairs merely framed her face in a more delicate way now. From where they were she could hear the music and the murmur of voices, though it didn't seem as though things had gotten started just yet. The banquet was outdoors in order to accommodate the dragons, though they generally seemed to stick to the perimeter as their Riders milled around together. There was the odd dragon amongst the crowd, and Ilia thought there must be almost fifty people there in total, plus their dragons. Magic was literally in the air as the area was lit up by a series of floating lights, and all of the party decorations seemed to carry a distinct ethereal quality that could only have been set by a caster. The atmosphere was light and it put the girl at ease; maybe things wouldn't be so bad. For all the training she'd done earlier, it also looked like these Riders were not against having a bit of fun.

'Over there,' Luan mentioned, motioning with his nose to where the other five new Riders were gathered. They seemed to be sticking to themselves, and it drew a smile from her lips to see that even the elves looked a little uncomfortable amongst the wider crowd. They'd been so haughty to begin with…now it seemed that they'd been knocked down a peg or two. Sorren was the one who looked most at ease, and she could see that he had broken away from the group slightly and seemed to be flirting with an older Rider. Ilia noted that the woman seemed only amused instead of impressed –he was young, though, and likely needed his ego deflated a few times before he would get the picture. With a gentle touch of Luan's nose Ilia left him, deciding that she may as well join the others.

Ilia moved effortlessly through the crowd, making a point of avoiding the gaze of anyone who looked at her and all but running away from anyone who looked like they might try and talk to her. When it came down to it, she was simply afraid. In her father's court she had been comfortable, but only because of the association that she carried. Everyone knew who she was, and they respected her. Not only that, but she was in a familiar place and one that she knew so well she could vanish if she felt the need to; here she was open and exposed, and she didn't like it. The fact that she'd even left Luan's side was quite a big step indeed.

When she did reach the group she felt much more at ease, even offering a small smile before her greeting. It seemed to stun the others, who for a moment were speechless. It was Narqa, dressed in her people's traditional garb, who broke the silence and returned the greeting.

"We're just not used to seeing you smile," she said when things seemed to relax, which caused Ilia to think to herself for a moment.

"Is it really that bad? I mean…am I really that bad?" she asked tentatively, though not sure that she wanted to hear the answer.

Slowly the urgal nodded, a grim smile on her lips. "We know it's tough…we all had to leave our homes and families behind. But whatever happened to you, it's not any of our faults, you know?"

Ilia felt bad…she realised she hadn't been treating anyone with even the slightest amount of respect. The urgal was right though, even if her assumptions on her behaviour were wrong. Ilia even found herself humbled enough not to correct the other, which was a first. Maybe…maybe she was being a little harsh about it. It wasn't like they'd chosen to be here either, and she hadn't even considered that maybe they had their own issues too. It wasn't enough for her to change her ways completely, but it was a start.

"I'm sorry. I…I didn't even think. My…issues just go so much deeper than what we're dealing with here, but you're right. I shouldn't be taking them out on everyone." She wasn't admitting that she was wrong on all accounts; the Empire still had a lot to atone for after all. But Narqa was right; that didn't mean she needed to hate everyone.

Her admission drew a smile from the other, who for the first time was completely convinced that Ilia really wasn't all that bad; just confused. Counting her transgressions as forgiven the urgal gave the human a pat on the back, not realising that her strength was so much that she practically knocked the wind out of the girl. "No harm done, just know that we can dish it back. Or at least I will." Because they were friends now, and that's what friends did.

While the new Riders were getting used to their new surroundings, Eragon was catching up with a few of the others. Up until the arrival of the new recruits he'd been preparing for it, which meant that he'd not had much time for personal matters. Though, it wasn't like he had much to deal with personally anyways. Eragon had distanced himself from the Riders, asserting himself as their leader and master, and nothing more. The moment that he and Saphira had taken off from the familiar soil of Alagaesia he had left everything behind. Family, friends, the very way of life that he'd known. Eragon had done much maturing over the years, and he'd come to understand just how lonely this position could be. Saphira was now his only true friend; oh, he trusted these Riders with his very life, and he knew that someday some of them were bound to surpass him in strength and valour, but for now he kept his distance. There were those that he was closer to, and he did have a council consisting of some of the very first Riders that surrounded him on a daily basis, but it wasn't the same.

Underneath it all, he missed his old life. Not the strife and the uncertainty, but he missed those he'd had around him. Roran and Katrina. Brom, King Orik, even Angela and Solembum. And Arya…he missed them all greatly. He wondered how they were faring; he got word now and then, but it was never enough. Many of those whom he missed had passed on, which was something he tried not to think about. From time to time Eragon wondered what he wouldn't give to just go back once more. To see the legacy that Roran had left behind. He would even settle for a visit from Murtagh, who had only made the journey once…that was fifty years ago. His brother had, as far as he knew, managed to escape binding himself to the Empire. Were it anyone else Eragon would have insisted, but he knew Murtagh never would. The Red Dragon and his Rider had become legend; from time to time the recruits brought stories they'd heard of this mysterious being that wandered the expanses of the land and those beyond it, never seeming certain whether he was real or not. It was one secret that Eragon would take to his grave; he would never implicate his brother. Surely the Empire would not appreciate a rogue Dragon Rider, especially not one so powerful as Murtagh.

In effect, he had also not pursued any kind of relationship that went beyond a simple friendship. As leader he felt that it would be a distraction, and wryly he would often think that he now understood Arya more than ever. She had distanced herself from him on purpose, likely knowing that this was how it was going to be. He had been young and foolish then, and looking back he was somewhat embarrassed at how adamant he had been. She was one-of-a-kind, though, and perhaps part of his issue was that no one had come close to affecting him in the way that she had. Truth be told, if he ever came across her again, Eragon wasn't sure how he would react since he wasn't convinced that he'd put her fully out of his mind. A hundred-odd years away from someone was a long time, but that long in relative solitude also gave one the time to think and dwell on the past and the could-have-beens.

The master himself was dressed in relatively casual clothing, though he certainly didn't lack any elegance. The silk shirt he wore was a deep blue in colour, draping loosely over his frame and tucked into a pair of black pants. The black boots he wore were polished, obviously recently so, and he seemed to take care not to soil them too early on in the evening.

When the area was sufficiently full, Eragon decided that it was time to greet the recruits before formally opening the banquet. He was getting hungry himself; he imagined that the others were as well, considering many here had spent all day out in the training fields. Excusing himself from his present company, he made his way over.

Needless to say, Eragon wasn't quite expecting the sight that he was greeted with. Overall it was to be expected; they were nervous and uncomfortable and he couldn't blame them, since they too had been pulled away from everything they knew and loved in order to come and train with him. Largely the others left them alone, though it was rather amusing to see that the young human male had took it upon himself to make a few new friends of his own, and it did not escape his notice that they were all of them female. The rest were dressed in formal clothing suitable for the occasion; some of it had been brought while others had been picked while being here.

What caused his step to falter a moment, however, was the sight of the human girl. Honestly, he hadn't even expected her to come. What he'd seen in her mind earlier that day was something so ugly he knew they both had a long road ahead of them, so the change now was drastic. She was conversing rather easily with the urgal woman, which did surprise him. It wasn't just that though; she was rather beautiful. No, that was too restrained…she was stunning. It went without saying that no human had ever affected him so, and if he were speaking honestly he'd say that he never expected one to. Her golden hair had been expertly done and it framed her face perfectly. The dress that she wore was a perfect complement to both her figure and her complexion, its silver highlights shifting effortlessly with each tiny movement she made. It was the look on her face that got him though. It was gentle, pleasant, and now and then she even gave what seemed to be a soft laugh.

Approaching them he did his best to cover it up; it was simply a fleeting thing and he couldn't dwell on it. What he couldn't deny, however, was the light feeling in his heart when he thought of how he was later on going to announce that she would be spending much exclusive time with him. It was a feeling that had to be quelled, of course, and as quickly as possible.

"I'm glad that you're all here. We are about to get started, if you would take your places. You'll be sitting with me, at the head table over there." He pointed, though it was rather obvious which table that was. To accommodate the numbers the long tables were arranged parallel to each other, with the exception of one at one end of the clearing that was perpendicular to the rest. At it were eleven seats, and it was rather clear where the five of them would be seated since those appointed to the council had taken up one side already.

"You are our guests of honour tonight, so enjoy yourselves. Once the formalities are over the true fun can begin." There was a smile on his lips; he seemed to be looking forward to this.

Against his better judgment, Eragon turned to Ilia. "Come, let's sit. Ilia, take the seat next to mine, if you will." He was announcing her as his trainee, after all, so it only made sense. At least, it was what he would tell himself and everyone else.

At this instruction the girl blinked; surely she was the one that he'd want farthest from her…unless he felt that she was going to cause the most trouble. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, hm?" she offered as she fell in step beside him, though since she'd already been put at ease it was hardly a defensive comment.

It went without saying that this caused a slight ripple through the small group of new recruits; why her specifically, none of them knew.

"You are hardly an enemy, though I do admit I'm a little worried about what you might say to some poor, unsuspecting Rider. Generally those who come here want to be here, but that does not seem to be the case with you." He was speaking lightly, knowing that he was treading on delicate ground. The last thing that Eragon wanted to do was to send up those defenses that he knew firsthand were incredibly strong.

Instead, Ilia gave a small grin. "So I need babysitting. Well, I suppose I should take pride that you've decided to do this yourself instead of sending another to do it. It's either a compliment or an insult, and I haven't decided which."

They had reached the table, and he pulled out a chair while raising an eyebrow at her, "Please clarify."

She sat. "An insult because you don't trust me, and a compliment because it must mean that you believe me too capable of wrongdoing for anyone else to handle, which mean that I must in fact have some degree of strength."

This girl was far more perceptive than he'd first given her credit, and it caused a grin to slide across his own lips. "It isn't that I don't trust you…think of it more like you haven't given me any reason to believe you won't try to sabotage our lovely little gathering here."

"Meaning I've given you reason that I would, because I don't believe anyone else has given you reason to think anything at all about them."

The grin on his face only grew, but he wasn't looking at her anymore. "Well, I suppose it's time to get things started.

Ilia huffed, but found that the defenses she knew all too well were not flaring up. In fact she almost got a light feeling from the banter, and honestly she didn't mind being babysat. Not by him. He may represent everything she absolutely hated, but even Ilia could recognise a handsome man when she saw one. Since she had decided to put everything aside for this night, she could see him as only that…which meant that getting attention from him wasn't going to be a terrible thing at all.

Standing, Eragon rested his hands on the table and leaned into them. "Greetings!" he called out, simultaneously reaching out with his consciousness to ensure everyone's attention. When he had it he smiled, sweeping his gaze across the Riders. It wasn't often that everyone was gathered, and so he sought to savour the moment.

"I would like to welcome you all here as we feast in honour of our new Riders," he paused, as there was a cheer that rose up from the crowd in front of him. Eragon had to smile; they were obviously in good spirits already, and he suspected that some of it was brought about by drink more than anything else.

"We welcome five into our midst, and you will all be charged with aiding their transition into the Rider's way of life. They are our brothers and sisters in arms and it is ours to make sure that they grow despite the challenges that will come their way." His speech was formal, and generally quite similar to all the others he'd given.

Turning to the Riders beside him then, he began to introduce each one of them. The dragons had positioned themselves around the gathering and were, for the moment, sitting quietly. As each was introduced he named their respective dragon as well as the one who would be in charge of their individual training; each of these Riders had trained others before and were well respected in their respective disciplines. The decision had not been made lightly; Eragon had looked at each of their strengths and weaknesses and matched them with a trainer that would best suit them. As he came to the final Rider, the one sitting to his right, he knew he had the attentions of everyone on him. It would not have been lost on the crowd that he had requested specifically that she sit by him; normally he would have one of his advisors on either side of him.

"And finally, I present Ilia and Luan. They come to us from the far eastern reaches of Alagaesia near the city of Hedarth. As for their training, Saphira and I will be personally overseeing it." The surprise extended from the girl beside him and rippled through the crowd; it had been some time since Eragon had taken on a Rider personally. He would oversee all the training, but his approach was generally quite hands-off.

With a few more words the feast was officially in progress, and the surprise of Eragon's announcement was left to be talked about amongst the riders.

Ilia had been decidedly ignoring him, Eragon figured, for she was only talking to the Urgal who had taken seat on the other side of her. The interaction did do him glad; he'd honestly never pegged the girl to befriend an Urgal. Out of all the races that now graced his lands they were the ones who had received the most resistance; the first Urgal Rider that he'd sent back had been initially met with much opposition.

Eventually the girl saw fit to turn her attention to him. "So your babysitting sting extends beyond tonight," she said, picking at a piece of chicken.

Eragon offered a small grin, "Seems that way."

Ilia stared at him; she hadn't expected this man to be quite as infuriating as he was. So far he'd succeeded in playing her game, something that not many had even tried. "Why?"

The man gave a sigh and a dry chuckle before taking a swig of his wine. "Can't you just take it for what it is?" he knew she couldn't, so he continued, "I'm taking you on myself because you seem to have certain qualities that might be hard for one of my trainers, as experienced as they are, to truly understand."

Not sure whether to take this as an insult or a compliment, Ilia eyed him carefully. "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Your mental defenses are far above anything I've ever seen, and you've no history of magical training. I have my hunches, and I would guess that it has something to do with your radiant personality and charming attitude towards all of us, and I don't want to put anyone else through that." She wanted the truth, so he gave it to her plain and simple.

Eragon could see the anger on her face and he could practically feel the mental walls that she was putting up now; obviously he'd touched a nerve. After another swig of wine he grinned and grabbed her hand, "Come on then, let's dance." And before she could protest he used his superior strength to drag her to the dance floor.

Calmer of the Storm: Okay, so maybe it's evil of me to end it there, but I did. Sorry for taking so long; I haven't been overly motivated to be honest…reviews do help, haha. Just thought I'd throw that shameless plug in there.