Woot woot! We are FINALLY on the next chapter! Yaaayyy! Christopher Paolini owns everything—EXCEPT TANIA AND OPHELIA.

Also, WARNING~ I will be adding a special little detail to Farthen Dûr. I'm sorry for all you hardcore canon-lovers (well… sort of… nah, not really), but it is necessary.

RunWithScissors: Haha, yeah, that was boring. And no, you're not the only one reviewing; if you click on Reviews underneath the summary, you'll see all the reviews. They're quite hilarious, some of them.

No, I posted two.

We-he-ell… maaaaayybe I consider Saphira and Tania slightly higher in intelligence… but it has nothing to do with him practically abandoning his brother, oh no. Not.

Ah. Backstory. Hrm. Maybe. At some point. Hehe. You'll have to wait.

Once they were in the hall, Tania stretched her arms above her head, grimacing as her muscles pulled and flexed; she was stiff from sitting so long. Behind them, the Twins entered Ajihad's study and closed the door—but not before throwing Tania a dark glare. Eragon looked at Orik. "I'm sorry that you're in trouble because of me," he apologized.

Tania smiled wryly at his shoulder as Orik grunted, "Don't bother yourself. Ajihad gave me what I wanted."

Tania chuckled as she saw that even Saphira was startled by that statement. "You have to remember, Eragon, he has his own king," she pointed out quietly.

Eragon gave her a confused glance that suddenly grew into wide-eyed realization. "Ajihad just placed you in a powerful position, didn't he?"

Orik chuckled deeply. "That he did, and in such a way that the Twins can't complain about it. This'll irritate them for sure. Ajihad's a tricky one, he is. Come, lad, I'm sure you're hungry. And we have to get your dragons settled in."

Saphira hissed, and Tania raised a cold eyebrow. Eragon said, "Her name is Saphira. And I am sure Tania's dragon, Ophelia, would appreciate being called by name, not race."

Orik made a small bow to the dragoness. "My apologies, I'll be sure to remember that." He took an orange lamp from the wall and led them down the hallway.

"Can others in Farthen Dûr use magic?" asked Eragon, struggling to keep up with the dwarf's brisk pace. Tania fell into stride beside the little man, finding it easier to match Orik's quick stride.

"Few enough," said Orik with a swift shrug under his mail. "And the ones we have can't do much more than heal bruises. They've all had to attend to Arya because of the strength needed to heal her."

"Except for the Twins."

"Oeí," grumbed Orik. "She wouldn't want their help anyway; their arts are not for healing. Their talents lie in scheming and plotting for power—to everyone else's detriment. Deynor, Ajihad's predecessor, allowed them to join the Varden because he needed their support… you can't oppose the Empire without spellcasters who can hold their own on the field of battle. They're a nasty pair, but they do have their uses."

They entered one of the four main tunnels that divided Tronjheim. Clusters of dwarves and humans strolled through it, voices echoing loudly off the polished floor. The conversations stopped abruptly as they saw Saphira; scores of eyes fixed on her. Orik ignored the spectators and turned left, heading toward one of Tronjheim's distant gates. "Where are we going?" asked Eragon.

"Out of these halls so Saphira can fly to the dragonhold above Isidar Mithrim, the Star Rose. Your dragon, Ophelia, can come through the Strâddsigt Knurl Ragni, if she can find it."

Tania frowned. "The what?"

Orik glanced at her. "It means Flickering Stone River. It's an enchanted passageway that only an ally of the dwarves—or, in this case, the Varden—can pass through, and only if they find it. Its location changes randomly, and without warning, though once you are inside, it is still. At the top of the dragonhold, perhaps you might be able to contact her. The Riders of old have done so before, when necessary. The dragonhold doesn't have a roof—Tronjheim's peak is open to the sky, like that of Farthen Dûr—so she, that is, you, Saphira, will be able to glide straight down into the hold. It is where the Riders used to stay when they visited Tronjheim."

"Won't it be cold and damp without a roof?" asked Eragon.

"Nay." Orik shook his head. "Farthen Dûr protects us from the elements. Neither rain nor snow can invade here. Besides, the hold's walls are lined with marble caves for dragons. They provide all the shelter necessary. All you need to fear are the icicles; when they fall they've been known to cleave a horse in two."

We'll be fine, assured Saphira. A marble cave is safer than any of the other places we've stayed.

Perhaps… replied Eragon. Do you think Murtagh will be alright?

Ajihad strikes me as an honorable man. Unless Murtagh tries to escape, I doubt he will be harmed.

Besides, added Tania, I plan on visiting him in the morning.

Eragon shot her a concerned look. Do you think Ajihad will allow it?

She shrugged. I will ask, but my mind is set. If he says no, I will argue, she stated firmly.

Saphira chuckled as Eragon crossed his arms and said, "Where are our horses?"

"In the stables by the gate. We can visit them before leaving Tronjheim."

In the stables, Eragon was briefly reunited with Snowfire, while Tania took the time to make sure both Cadoc and Tornac were doing well. The big gray battlehorse rolled one big brown eye, almost seeming to ask a question.

"Älfr er vardo," she told him. Tornac snorted once, then subsided. Tania smiled wryly and scratched gently behind his ears, before turning and exiting the stables with Eragon.

The other Rider frowned at her. "What was that about?"

"What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes. "You told Murtagh's horse something. What was it?"

Tania shrugged. "I simply told him that Murtagh was alright. I think Murtagh would appreciate his horse being looked after, you know," she told him.

Eragon frowned, looking as if he wanted to argue, but shook his head and said nothing.

They exited from Tronjheim through the same gate they had entered. The gold griffins gleamed with colored highlights garnered from scores of lanterns. The sun had moved during their talk with Ajihad—light no longer entered Farthen Dûr through the crater opening. Without those moted rays, the inside of the hollow mountain was velvety black. The only illumination came from Tronjheim, which sparkled brilliantly in the gloom. The city-mountain's radiance was enough to brighten the ground hundreds of feet away.

Orik pointed at Tronjheim's white pinnacle. "Fresh meat and pure mountain water await you up there," he told Saphira. "You may stay in any of the caves. Once you make your choice, bedding will be laid down in it and then no one will disturb you."

"I thought we were going together. I don't want to be separated," protested Eragon.

Tania raised a cynical eyebrow. "Mind whose company you're keeping," she intoned dryly.

Orik turned to him. "Rider Eragon, I will do everything to accommodate you, but it would be best is Saphira waits in the dragonhold while you eat. The tunnels to the banquet halls aren't large enough for her to accompany us."

"Why can't you just bring us food in the hold?"

"Because," said Orik with a guarded expression, "the food is prepared down here, and it is a long way to the top. If you wish, a servant could be sent up to the hold with a meal for you. It will take some time, but you could eat with Saphira then."

Tania watched Eragon with a veiled expression. Finally, Eragon looked at Saphira thoughtfully, then said to Orik, "I'll eat down here." The dwarf smiled, seeming satisfied, and Tania helped Eragon unstrap Saphira's saddle so that she could lie down without discomfort.

Could you try to contact Ophelia? Tania asked the dragoness.

Of course, replied Saphira. Sister-of-sky-Ophelia will be near, I think.

Thank you.

Okay, Ophelia might be in the next chapter. But she'll be here soon, don't worry.

Please review!

FF