Armelle had finally escaped to Brom's home again with her father and the storyteller. She laid in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She felt so helpless with it all. Her father and Brom had been injured and she hadn't been there to help them. Eragon's uncle had died and she had been unable to help heal him.
The half-elf closed her silver eyes, letting clear tears slip from their corners. What will I do? She thought to herself. I am unable to help anyone.
You still have plenty of chances to help people, Argenta's voice said softly in the back of her mind. And as your father said, Eragon will want to go after the egg-breakers. We should go with him. It is better for all of us to travel together. We can no longer run away from ourselves.
Run away from ourselves? Armelle asked.
Yes, run away. We can no longer hide in Carvahall and the Spine. We must control our emotions and our instincts, and run headlong into danger, to save people. It is what the Riders were made for—to create and keep the peace. It is fate to defeat our fear and accomplish impossible and great things.
That isn't all, Armelle said as she sat up slowly, looking at the gëdwey ignasia on her hand for a long moment. Your tracks were seen, weren't they?
Yes, and Saphira's. We will soon be exposed, so we must go.
Armelle hesitated for a moment. I'm not sure I'm strong enough for this.
You don't have to be, Argenta said softly. We are together. We will always be strong enough together.
Armelle took a deep breath. And with Eragon and Saphira, we are even stronger. We are the new Riders. It is time we proved our worth.
Argenta hummed. And we will. Destiny will not catch us off guard. We will chase it!
Armelle smiled slightly and pushed up from the bed in Brom's guest room, wiping her eyes on her tunic sleeve and standing up. She took a steadying breath and righted herself to gain confidence. She had not reason to hide anymore. She braided her golden strands of hair back tightly, revealing her pointed ears and the copper toned skin of her whole face and neck.
She walked out of the bedroom, seeing Brom and her father talking in hushed tones.
Both men looked up when she walked out.
Her father smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Well, you're looking better."
She nodded slightly. "A voice in my head told me that there was no use in being afraid of who I am any longer."
Brom smiled at that, blowing a smoke ring from his pipe. "A wise voice indeed. Are you ready to become the first in a new generation of Dragon Riders?"
Armelle's mouth turned up on one corner. "I wouldn't have been chosen if I weren't."
"Good," Brom said simply, "now go find Eragon. No doubt the boy is already trying to figure out a way to leave with his dragon. We'll go ahead, be waiting for you both when you arrive."
Armelle found Eragon doing exactly that; trying to escape unnoticed. He was traveling to the tanner's on the outskirts of town, where he stole some leathers.
She caught up with him then. "Thieving, Eragon?" She asked softly, and he jumped. "Is that what the new Riders are? Thieves?"
"I'll pay him back someday," Eragon promised. "I just need something—"
"To protect your legs when you ride Saphira?"
"Yes. You know that. You shredded your legs on Argenta as well."
"I did, but I had help in making the saddle."
Eragon froze for a moment. "What? Who?"
"My father," Armelle replied simply.
"You told him?" Eragon sounded shocked.
"Of course," Armelle said simply for a second time. "And for more than one good reason that I will not share without his permission."
Eragon frowned and grumbled something incoherently. "Just come on. We can't stay here any longer, and we'll both need food for the journey."
Armelle sighed. "Something else you're going to steal?"
"Unless you have the money for it."
She shook her head again. "Alright. Let's go."
She knew Brom and her father were waiting to catch them before they could leave for their next destination. Or now, the half-elf thought in amusement as Brom stepped out behind Eragon, and her father stood behind him with their gathered horses, the large black war horse, Mordor, and her own palomino filly.
Armelle smiled slightly, and as Eragon opened his mouth to ask her about the change of expression, Brom spoke. "Going somewhere?"
Eragon jumped, turning quickly. He looked at the scowling old man, noticing the wound on his head. There was a shortsword on his hip, and he was holding the stolen hides. The Blue Rider narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure how the old man had managed to sneak up on him, even while he was talking to Armelle. That was when he realized that Armelle had known the storyteller was there, and he looked at the half-elf accusingly. Her father standing there with the two horses only proved his point.
She smiled sheepishly.
Eragon huffed in an I'll-deal-with-you-later sort of attitude, and he looked at Brom. "Give them back."
"Why?" Brom asked sharply. "So you can run off before Garrow is even buried? And with a girl you only met a few months ago without her father's knowledge?" The old storyteller knew very well that there was nothing of what he was insinuating going on between the two Riders, he just wanted to push Eragon.
Eragon's ears flushed, and his temper flared. "It's none of your business! Why did you follow us?"
"We didn't," Armelle's father said suddenly, the first thing he'd said since they'd shown themselves to either Rider. "We've been waiting here for you."
Brom grunted in affirmation. "Now where are you going?"
"Nowhere." The Blue Rider lunged for the skins, and snatched them away from Brom, who did nothing to stop him.
"I hope you two have enough meat to feed your dragons," Brom said simply.
Eragon froze, glancing at Armelle frantically. "What are you talking about?" He asked warily.
Did you tell him? Eragon accused Armelle suddenly, almost making her jump. Did your father?
About Saphira? Armelle replied in shock. Of course not. It wasn't my place. I never told my father about Saphira either. They knew on their own, knew what her egg was when they saw it.
Brom crossed his arms, and spoke, drawing the Riders out of their conversation. "Don't fool with me. I know where that mark on your hand, the gedwëy ignasia, the shining palm, comes from, I saw it on Armelle as well: you both have touched dragon hatchlings. I know why you came to me with those questions, boy, and I know that once more the Riders live."
Eragon's panic filled Armelle's senses, and she pulled herself away from the connection so she could think clearly and send a message to Argenta. Stay close to Saphira, the half-elf requested, do as she does.
She felt the affirmation from the dragon as the two shining creatures suddenly flew overhead.
Eragon dropped the leather and meat he'd stolen in his panic. We've been discovered! I need you!
Armelle sighed as she felt her own bonded beast take off after the younger dragon. "Eragon, please. Calm down."
He looked at her in shock, almost betrayal. He was thinking too quickly for Armelle to understand without fully intruding his mind. "How did you find out?" He asked in a strangled voice.
Brom looked away from Eragon and Armelle for a long moment, though Armelle's father never took his eyes off of the two young Riders.
"There were clues and hints everywhere," Brom said after a moment, though he still didn't look at them. "I only had to pay attention. Anyone with the right knowledge could have done the same. Tell me, how is your dragon."
"She," Eragon said a little sharply, "is fine. We weren't at the farm when the strangers came. We escaped when Armelle did."
Brom smiled knowingly. "Your legs. You were flying?"
Eragon only seemed more panicked by the fact that Brom knew. What if the strangers coerced him into this? He though, partially to Armelle and partially to himself. Maybe they want him to discover where we're going so they can ambush us.
If that were the case, do you think he would have bothered with letting my father follow? Armelle countered calmly, hoping her sense of rationality would help calm Eragon down.
It didn't do much, especially when he called for Saphira and she refused to comply. No, she told him. I will watch for a time.
Why?!
Because of the slaughter at Doru Araeba.
What?
Armelle looked for any sign of clarification through Argenta, but if her silver dragon had any, she refused to share it.
Brom leaned against a tree. "Devon and I have spoken with her, and she and Argenta have both agreed to stay above us until we have settled our differences. As you can see, you really don't have a choice. But to answer my questions. Now tell me, where are you going?"
Eragon put a hand against his temple, confused beyond all belief. It took him a long moment to collect his thoughts, but when he did, he told Brom, "I was going to find a safe place to stay while I healed."
"Then why bring Armelle?"
Armelle was curious to see his excuse too, considering he hadn't exactly chosen to take her along.
"I wasn't going to," Eragon admitted, "but she convinced me. Besides, she's in danger from those monsters too."
Armelle's father snorted. "Considerate. What was your plan once you healed?"
It took Eragon another long, slow moment to reply, but Armelle knew the answer before he said it. He was going to hunt down those monsters, and she couldn't let him do it alone. Even with Saphira, she knew they wouldn't make it if he ran in blinded by vengeance.
"I was going to hunt down the strangers and kill them."
"A mighty task for one so young," Brom mused like Eragon had told him the most obvious thing possible. "Certainly a worthy endeavor, and one that you are fit to carry out, yet it strikes me that help would not be unwelcome. Perhaps that's the real reason you allowed Armelle to tag along with such little struggle."
Brom reached behind a bush and pulled out a large pack like the one Armelle's father had strapped to the back of his massive black horse, Mordor.
"Anyway," Brom continued in a gruffer tone. "I'm not going to stay behind while some stripling and a half-elf run around with dragons. Especially not since you'll not be able to keep Devon away from his daughter either."
Armelle could feel Eragon's concern, wondering if it was some kind of trap.
He convinced Saphira and Argenta to trust him, Armelle reminded softly.
Eragon seemed to begrudgingly agree. "I don't need more help," he told Brom with a frown. "But you can come."
"Then we had best be going," Brom said, simply. After a short moment, he looked at Eragon and Armelle. "I think you'll find that both dragons will listen to you again."
Armelle turned toward her father and swung herself onto her palomino filly, strapping her pack onto the back of her saddle. She clicked softly, and Dana trotted a few steps into the shadows to avoid the gazes of Carvahall villagers that were starting to step out and search for Eragon.
After the group escaped to an area safe enough for the dragons to land, close to Eragon's burned home, Saphira and Argenta landed in the clearing, where Brom was truly introduced to the blue dragon.
Armelle slid off of her horse and walked over to Argenta, who was carrying on a soft conversation with her father about what they were to do next.
As long as we stay together, we will be fine, her father assured the silver dragon with a soft pat against her shoulder.
Argenta nudged Armelle's shoulder softly, just taking comfort in the presence of her Rider and letting Armelle take comfort in her.
After a few more minutes, and Eragon finding a bit of luck when he found his bow intact and functional in the burned wreckage of his home. He spoke to Brom for a moment before the old storyteller asked, "What now?"
"We find a place to hide," Eragon told him simply.
"Do you have somewhere in mind?"
"Yes," he said as he tied a bundle of supplies together, keeping his bow separate. He hefted it onto his back and a moment later Saphira took off into the sky to travel above them.
Go with her, Armelle told Argenta softly. Follow from above.
Argenta snorted softly before she leapt into the sky to follow the younger dragon.
The half-elf looked at the other Rider. "Lead the way, Eragon."
Eragon nodded slightly before the group left, Armelle and her father leading their horses by the reins so they kept a more steady pace with Brom and Eragon.
Eragon led them to a clearing that was a tight squeeze for the four people and two dragons, but they managed.
"Does anyone else know about this place?" Brom asked as they stopped.
"No," Eragon assured quickly, explaining in a little more depth Armelle didn't pay too much attention to.
Instead, she watch as Argenta carefully tucked her wings against her sides to avoid thorny brambles around the clearing and laid down, curling herself up as Saphira did to try and make enough room for them all in the small area.
After a few minutes of silence between the entire group, Eragon began making stew for dinner. When it was finished, the silence wasn't broken as the group ate, and Brom and Eragon avoided gazes from each other and the others.
It was starting to drive Armelle mad.
I know you haven't suddenly run out of questions, Eragon, she interrupted in his thoughts as she helped him clean up their meal. Ask him. If he's truly here to help as you and i both know he is, he will give you answers.
Eragon sighed a little as Brom pulled out is pipe and began smoking it.
"Why do you want to travel with us?" Eragon asked the old storyteller. "I understand Armelle's father—family is family. But why you?"
Very subtle, Argenta commented, her tone amused.
Armelle nudged her quickly to make her hush.
The silver dragon snorted softly.
Devon raised an eyebrow at them.
They both stopped to listen to Brom's answer.
"I have a vested interest in keeping the both of you alive," Brom replied after letting a puff of smoke migrate to the treetops above them.
"What do you mean?" Eragon's tone had gone a bit wary.
"To put it bluntly," the old man said, "I'm a storyteller and I happen to think the two of you will make a fine story. The two of you are the first Riders to exist outside of the king's control for over a hundred years. What will happen? Will you perish as a martyr? Will you join the Varden? Or will you kill King Galbatorix? Or will the two of you separate, and take on two very different fates? All fascinating questions. And I will be there to see every bit of it, no matter what has to be done."
Devon nodded. "As will I. To protect my daughter, as well as to protect the future of the Dragon Riders and all of Alagaësia."
Armelle leaned against Argenta a little. She hadn't decided what she was going to do after Eragon's crusade to destroy the Ra'zac ended. She wanted to join the Varden, help them end the fight against Galbatorix and free the country from his tyrannical reign, but she wanted to stay with Eragon if at all possible. Maybe she could convince him to go with her.
They had a ways to go before she had to figure it out. For now, she would just think about the possibilities.
"That may be," Eragon said slowly. "But tell me, how can you talk with Saphira and Argenta?"
Brom took his time relighting his pipe. "Very well, if it's answers you want, it's answers you'll get, but thy may no be to your liking." He stood up, grabbed his pack, and brought it back over to his place beside the fire. He pulled out a long object, about three and a half feet long, and it seemed heavy.
Armelle thought she might have had an idea at what it was at the way her father shifted at the sight of the wrapped object, his expression darkening. It was about the same size as her father's teal Rider's sword.
As Brom unwrapped the object, it was revealed to be what Armelle expected. A Rider's sword, but not like here father's. The pommel was gold, teardrop-shaped, and the sides fell away to reveal an egg-sized ruby. The hilt was wrapped with a silver wire that gleamed in the firelight, and the sheath was as red as blood and smooth like the sheath of her father's sword, though the symbol etched into it was different, and seemed to carry a heavier weight at just the sight of it.
Armelle just didn't understand why. Her father hadn't taught her enough of the Ancient Language to know symbols like that.
Brom handed the sword to Eragon when the weapon was completely unwrapped.
Eragon slid the sword from its sheath without a sound, only to find the blade as the same deep red as the sheath had been with the same heavy symbol engraved into the blade.
Even without touching it, Armelle could feel the edge of power the blade held, the force that it emitted.
"This was once a Rider's blade," Brom told Eragon as he admired the red sword. "When a Rider finished their training, the elves would present him with a sword. Their methods of forging have always remained secret. However, their swords are eternally sharp and will never stain. The custom was to have the blade's color match that of the Rider's dragon, but I think we can make an exception in this case. This sword is named Zar'roc. I don't know what it means, probably something personal to the Rider that owned it."
Armelle paled as Eragon swung the sword.
Armelle, Argenta called softly, nudging her Rider's shoulder softly. What's wrong, my sister-of-soul?
Zar'roc… that sword belonged to the Rider that murdered my mother and my father's dragon. That sword belonged to Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn.
Argenta almost hissed. Egg-breaker sword. How did Brom get it?
Devon put a soft hand on Armelle's shoulder. Easy, brave ones. You know Brom is not our enemy. Brom took the sword from Morzan. Brom is the one who killed him.
Armelle relaxed slightly, though the sight of the blade still had her tense. That blade had shed the blood of many Riders and dragons. It had shed her mother's blood.
Argenta wrapped around Armelle protectively before they turned back to Eragon and Brom.
"Now, if you must know," Brom continued from whatever he'd been saying that the half-elf hadn't been paying attention to. "Anyone can learn how to speak to a dragon if they have the proper training. And—" he raised a finger for emphasis. "It doesn't mean anything if they can. Devon and I know more about dragons than anyone else alive. On your own, it might take years to learn what we can teach you. I am offering my knowledge as a shortcut, as is Devon. As for how we know so much, we will keep that to ourselves."
Armelle watched with Argenta as Saphira moved to Eragon's side. As he pulled the blade out to show her, she touched the tip with her nose. The blade's metal suddenly rippled with iridescent color when her scales touched the weapon. She lifted her head with a soft snort, and the sword returned to normal.
"Whoa…" Armelle whispered in amazement.
Devon looked at the young Riders with slight amusement. "Dragons are astounding creatures. Mysterious and impossible things happen around them, things that can't happen anywhere else. Even the Riders never fully understood what they could do."
Brom blew a smoke ring as he nodded in agreement. "Some say that even the dragons don't know he full extent of their own powers. They are linked with this land in ways that let them overcome great obstacles. What Saphira did illustrates my earlier point: there is much you two don't know."
Armelle wondered what Argenta could do, and wished she knew of a way to let her show them, but now was not the time. Eragon was still too concerned with his vengeance, so much so he chose to ask questions about the strangers responsible for Garrow's death over more questions about dragons, Riders, or even the sword.
Brom took a deep breath. "They are called the Ra'zac. No one knows if that's the name of their race or what they've chosen to call themselves. Either way, if they have individual names, they keep them hidden."
"The Ra'zac were never seen before Galbatorix came to power," Devon continued in a pause. "He must have found them in his travels, and enlisted them in his service. Little to nothing is known about them, only that Brom and I have seen they aren't human."
Brom nodded in agreement. "When we glimpsed one's head in town, it seemed to have a beak, and black eyes the size of my fist—though how they manage our speech is a mystery to me. Doubtless the rest of their bodies are just as twisted. That is why they cover themselves with cloaks at all regardless of the weather."
"As for their power," Devon said, shaking his head a little at the thought of the disgusting creatures. "They are stronger than any man and can jump incredible heights, though luckily for us they cannot use magic. If they could, I'm afraid the two of you would already be in their clutches. They also have a strong aversion to sunlight, though it won't stop them completely. Never underestimate these creatures, they're more cunning than many a human."
"How many are there?" Armelle asked quietly, processing all of the information about the Ra'zac that she didn't already know.
"As far as we know, only the two that you've seen," Brom answered. "There might be more, but we've never heard of them. Perhaps they're the last of a dying race. You see, they are the king's personal dragon hunters. Whenever rumors reach Galbatorix of a dragon in the land—or in this case, two dragons—he sends through investigate. A trail of death often follows them."
Brom blew a smoke ring, and Devon shook his head at the old man as Armelle looked up to see the rings changing colors.
Eragon voiced his objection about anyone in Carvahall having spotted Saphira or Argenta while they had been there.
"You're right," Devon spoke up as Brom stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It seems very unlikely that anyone from Carvahall could have informed the king."
Brom hummed. "Why don't you tell us where you got the egg and how you raised Saphira—that might clarify the issue."
Eragon seemed a little perturbed that all of these questions weren't being asked of Armelle and Argenta, at least until he reminded himself that Argenta was older and Brom had already had his chance to interrogate the half-elf Rider on things like this. He recounted the events since hr found the egg, and Armelle could see the relief that flowed through him, relaxing his muscles as he finally got to confide in someone that wasn't handing him secrets in return.
There were long moments of silence between all of them before Eragon spoke up again. "I just wish I knew where she came from. And Saphira doesn't remember."
Brom hummed thoughtfully, looking at Devon for a moment before turning back to Eragon. "I don't know… You've made many things clear to me. I am sure that no one besides us has seen Saphira or Argenta. The Ra'zac must have had a source of information outside of this valley, one who is probably dead by now…" He looked between Eragon and Armelle. "You two have had a hard time and done much. I'm impressed."
"Brom," Armelle said softly. "You never explained what happened to your head. It… It looks like you were hit with a rock."
Brom chuckled softly. "That's a good guess. Your father and I were sneaking around the Ra'zac camp after dark, trying to learn what we could. They surprised us in the shadows. It was a good trap, but they underestimated us, and we managed to drive them away."
Devon smiled a little smugly. "Though not without Brom's on token of stupidity. He was knocked unconscious, and didn't regain it until the next day."
Brom narrowed his eyes a little at his old friend, but continued with their shared tale. "By then, they had already reached your farm, Eragon. It was too late to stop them, but I set out after them anyway. That's when we met on the road."
Eragon looked at Devon. "What about you?"
"I know my daughter," he said simply, looking knowingly at Armelle for a split second. "And I knew she wouldn't let you go alone. I wasn't going to let her go alone, so I left to find the two of you. I was leaving with Brom until I found a separate trail for you two."
Eragon looked unsettled by everything that was happening.
Armelle knew it wouldn't be long until he lost any of the calm he had left. She didn't want to be there when he did.
She looked at her father and started to stand, her voice low. "I'll be back soon. I'm going to make sure there's no one close by when Eragon begins shouting."
Devon caught her arm as she slipped on her cloak. "Be very careful, Armelle."
She nodded. "I will be."
She looked to Argenta, who shifted a bit anxiously as her Rider started to leave. Be careful, Armelle, the dragon insisted softly.
Call for me when the yelling has finished, and I will return, Armelle said with a soft smile before she disappeared with elfish, graceful steps into the dark wooded night, golden hair covered by the hood of her black cloak.
When she returned once Argenta called for her after Eragon's shouting and Brom's reply stopped, Eragon was curled up next to Saphira, sleeping on a bedroll between the blue dragon and the fire.
Devon smiled slightly at the sight of his daughter returned safely. "Time for you to rest," he said softly, her bedroll already beside Argenta and ready to be used.
Armelle smiled gratefully at her father before she unclipped her cloak, folded it neatly, and laid it carefully with her other things. She laid down on her bedroll and settled for sleep.