Chapter Six

Training

They rejoined the others at the dining table, the same one that they had eaten at the previous night, which had been brought back out again. Galbatorix sat next to Flell and Brom, and the three of them compared notes.

'Did you find out your dragon's name?' Brom asked.

Galbatorix nodded. 'Her name's Laela.'

'Laela,' said Flell. 'That's a nice name. I found out my dragon's name, too.'

'Do tell,' said Brom, feeding Saphira a chunk of meat.

'Her name is Thrain,' said Flell, petting the violet hatchling.

Morzan had been listening from across the table. 'You got luckier 'n' me,' he said. 'I didn't find out what mine was called. I'm just calling her Ruby until I know different.'

'Ruby would be a nice name anyway,' said Brom. He paused to take a mouthful of wine, and then added; 'It'd be funny if it turned out you guessed right, wouldn't it?'

'Hah, yeah,' said Morzan. 'But I ain't no good at guessin' games.'

Galbatorix munched on some bread with hazelnut paste on it. He swallowed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He hadn't shaved in days, and there was some stubble there. 'I was thinking,' he said. 'I was thinking I might grow a beard. What d'you think?'

'Oh, you can't do that,' said Morzan, helping himself to a baked apple. 'It's not allowed.'

'What do you mean, not allowed?' said Galbatorix, mystified.

'Male riders have to be clean-shaven,' said Brom. 'It's the rules.'

'But why?' said Galbatorix. 'What difference does it make?'

'I don't know,' said Brom.

'I know,' said Flell. 'It's to make you more like an elf. Elvish men can't grow beards.'

Galbatorix said nothing. But inside his puzzlement turned to anger. This was beyond ridiculous. No meat, no beard, the fancy clothes and the constant demands of them to be quieter and more graceful, and to cap it all his ears would become pointed. It was as if he were being forced to stop being a human and become an elf. And he resented that. What was wrong with being human? Were they trying to make him ashamed of it? Well, he wouldn't do that. He resolved then and there that he would grow a beard, and they could complain about it if they wanted but he wouldn't let that bother him. What could they do? He shared this idea with Laela, and she replied with amused approval. The white dragon's emotions were getting easier to sense all the time.

On the following day the new riders went to Islanzadí's audience chamber once again, and were met there by Carina and Leaf.

'Good morning,' said Carina. 'Leaf will be taking charge of the dragons again today. The rest of you will stay with me. I've something new to teach you this time. You'll spend the morning doing that, and then after lunch it's back to the training ground to work on your swordplay.'

Laela and Galbatorix parted ways, a little less reluctantly this time. They knew they'd be reunited, and both were eager to learn more. Once the dragons had departed, Carina got straight to it.

'Now then,' she said. 'What you'll be learning today is something much subtler than swordplay, and much more powerful. But much harder, too.' She smiled and held out her hands so that they could see her own gedwëy ignaesia. She muttered a word, and a green flame appeared around her fingers, burning brightly but without causing her any apparent pain. She closed her fingers and the flame vanished. 'Magic,' she said. 'It's an art that can both create and destroy. Swords are all very well, but they can't do a fraction of what magic can do. As riders, you all have the ability to use magic. And today I'll begin teaching you how.' She sat down, and motioned her students to do the same. Then she began the lesson. 'Magic is connected to the ancient language,' she said. 'It can be wielded without words – hah, that almost rhymed, didn't it? – but it's much safer to use words. They express your will and bind the magic so it will only do what you command. Otherwise it's very dangerous. You'll have to learn the ancient language to use your magic, of course, so you'll need to put in a lot of work before you can do very complex things with it. Magic isn't limited by words. In theory it can do anything. But here's the catch. If you perform something by magic, it takes energy to do it, and that energy comes from you. You can draw it from other living creatures as well, but you should only do that if you must. Because using too much energy at once can kill you. And if you draw too much energy from someone else it will have the same effect on them. Magic isn't something to be toyed with. In the wrong hands it can have disastrous effects. So we'll start off with something simple.' She reached into her pocket and produced a small cloth bag, which she handed to the nearest student. 'Pass this around,' she said. 'Take one each.'

When the bag reached Galbatorix he put his hand inside and removed one of the objects from inside. However, rather than being something special and mysterious like he'd hoped, it was an ordinary acorn. He rolled it between his fingers, feeling its smooth brown shell, and passed the bag on.

Once everyone was holding a seed of some kind, Carina resumed. 'Now then. I suppose you're feeling a little disappointed. I can assure you there's nothing special about these seeds. But they're perfect for the spell I'm about to teach you.' The bag had been passed back to her, and she reached into it and removed a plum stone. She put the bag aside and held the seed in the palm of her left hand. Holding her right hand over it – the hand with the gedwëy ignaesia – she said; 'Vaxa!' in a loud, clear voice.

Green energy came from the silver mark and enveloped the seed, creating a halo around it. While the students watched, the seed twitched. A cracking sound came from it, and then a pale, fresh shoot sprouted out of it. Carina withdrew her hand and the green energy vanished, but the shoot continued to grow. By the time it stopped, the seed had put forth a small plant. The students gasped.

Carina smiled. 'A simple spell, like I said. The word I used was "vaxa". In the ancient language it simply means "grow". That's how the words work. Give a command to something in the ancient language, and your magic will see that your command is carried out. Now you try it. You'll be able to feel your magic flowing out of you, and if you feel yourself beginning to weaken just stop the flow. It'll come naturally to you. Give it a try.'

Galbatorix didn't hesitate. He put the acorn in the palm of his hand and raised his other hand. He paused and glanced at the silver gedwëy ignaesia. It was odd to have it there on his hand. But he liked it. It was a sign of his powers. He held his hand over the acorn, palm-down, and said; 'Vaxa!' as clearly as he could.

It worked. At once a beam of white light shot from his palm and covered the acorn. He could feel energy flowing out of him and into it. It was a little frightening to feel his life-force coming out of him like that. For a fraction of a second he had the impulse to stop it, but he kept on going. He'd been doing far too well so far to give in now. He let the energy keep on flowing, and he saw the results. The acorn's shell split, and a sprout emerged from it, reaching up toward the sky. He watched it grow, ignoring the feeling of the energy still flowing out of him. He let it keep on until the sprout put forth leaves. By then he could feel the effects of using his magic. He started to feel tired and weak, as if it were the end of a long, hard day rather than the beginning of one. Not liking this, he moved his hand away and stopped concentrating. The white light vanished. His breathing a little harsh, he examined the new-grown oak seedling. It was real, all right, and perfectly-formed, each leaf green and fresh. He touched them, amazed that he had caused them to grow. Then he glanced around at the others, to see how they were doing. To his intense irritation, he saw that the elves had all succeeded in making their seeds sprout, and most of them had done better than him. Lanethial, the blonde one whose dragon was gold, had actually produced a small birch sapling as long as his arm. Galbatorix's fellow humans, however, weren't faring so well. Flell's rosehip had put forth a single flimsy stem, Brom had got his pinecone to begin sprouting, but kept hesitating and cutting off the beam of blue light coming from his palm, and Morzan hadn't managed to get any results at all. Galbatorix looked at Lanethial again, and saw the elf smirking at his admiring friends. On noticing that Galbatorix was watching, he eyed the small oak-sprout and sculpted his face into an elegant sneer.

Galbatorix growled under his breath. Impulsively he spread his hand over the little plant and said; 'Vaxa!' again.

The white light reappeared and enveloped the plant which, after a few seconds, began to grow again. This time Galbatorix didn't keep an eye on his energy. He let the magic keep coming, intent on making the plant grow. It grew, and the magic kept on coming, and his life-energy flowed inexorably out of him. When his muscles started to twitch, he ignored them. The seedling became a sapling; its stem hardened and became brown with bark, and twigs became branches. He put the acorn down on the ground in front of him, not taking his other hand away. The white magic bathed every branch and every leaf, faint and soft like the light of dawn. And still the plant kept growing. It was a tree now, higher than Galbatorix's head.

'That's enough now,' said Carina, cutting across his concentration.

He realised that all the other students were staring at him. Carina had stood up and was looking at him, her face stern. 'Arren, stop,' she said. 'You're going too far.'

He looked at her, the magic still flowing. 'My name is Galbatorix,' he said.

The tree kept growing.

'Galbatorix, stop!' said Carina, her expression suddenly showing concern. 'You're putting yourself in danger. For the stars' sake, stop!'

'Your heard her,' came the nasally voice of Lanethial, from behind him. 'Best stop now, human. You don't want to die, do you?'

Galbatorix was starting to feel dizzy. But the sound of the elf's disdainful tones brought him new determination. He gritted his teeth and kept going. The tree put forth roots, which anchored themselves in the ground. It grew taller and taller, the trunk now as thick as his arm. Carina stood up and ran to him, grabbing his wrist. But his magic surged at her touch, burning her hand. She swore and let go.

Galbatorix stood up shakily, his hand still outstretched, the gedwëy ignaesia glowing with magic. His eyes had become glazed. But still the tree grew.

From somewhere far away, he heard Carina's voice. 'Stop, Galbatorix, stop! You'll die!'

He glanced up at the tree. It was higher than his head, and its thick, verdant foliage rustled in the breeze, all alight with magic. At the back of his mind, he sensed Laela's faint presence. And he knew that she was terrified.

In the face of that, he lowered his hand at last. He heard Carina say something, and then he collapsed.

There was nothing but darkness. For a long time, darkness and silence. Then he heard a voice. 'Galbatorix,' it said. 'Galbatorix.'

Silence again. And then the voice. 'Galbatorix,' it said. 'Galbatorix, don't die. I don't want you to die. You must live.'

Galbatorix could only see the darkness. It was warm and restful. He wanted to go to it. But the voice said; 'No. Come back, Galbatorix. Come to me.'

He didn't like the voice. He wanted it to leave him alone; leave him in peace. But it wouldn't. It spoke on, always urging him to come toward it. Every time he relaxed into the darkness and the silence, it sounded again and disturbed his rest.

'Leave me alone,' he said at last.

'I won't,' said the voice. 'Never. Not until you wake up. Come to me, Galbatorix.'

'But I want to rest.'

'No. I won't let you. The time for resting is over. Wake up, little one.'

And then there was light.

Galbatorix opened his eyes. His vision was blurry and grey around the edges, but he recognised the roof of his little elvish home. It was illuminated by flickering candle-light. Nighttime. Had he been unconscious all day? He groaned and tried to sit up, but his head wouldn't lift off the pillow.

At once he heard a voice in his head. 'Galbatorix!' it said. 'You're alive!'

'Of course I am,' he replied without even thinking about it. 'What's… what's going on?'

'You've been unconscious a long time,' said the voice. 'Everyone thought you were going to die.'

He'd never heard the voice before in his life. But there was something very familiar about it. 'Laela?' he said out loud. 'Is – is that you?'

'Yes,' said the voice. 'I've been looking after you.'

Galbatorix turned his head with some effort – he felt weak all over. Sure enough, he saw Laela. The white hatchling was… not a hatchling any more. He was lying in the hammock he'd made, with several blankets over him. And Laela was crouched on the floor, her head resting on his chest. The rest of her was much too big to sit there. She was now the size of a large dog, and she was… beautiful. Ivory white, her eyes bright silver, her wings wide and powerful, their membranes the colour of moonlight. He lifted a hand – something so laborious that it felt as if he were lifting it out of a pit of tar – and rested it on her snout. 'You're so big,' he said. 'When did you… grow so big?' his voice came out slow and slurred, and he had trouble finding words. He felt all dopey.

Laela shared a feeling of slight confusion. 'Galbatorix… you've been unconscious for three weeks.'

Galbatorix felt no surprise, only vague confusion. 'Three weeks?' he said, resorting to using his mental voice since his normal one took too much effort to use. 'That's… that's silly. I can't have been out that long.'

'You were,' said Laela. 'You used all your energy, and it's taken this long to find more. Carina would have used her magic to replenish it, but you were so weak she was afraid that the slightest interference might kill you. I've stayed by you and let you share my energy. It kept you alive.'

Galbatorix lay still, trying to remember what had happened. A tree… there had been something about a tree.

'Your tree?' said Laela, sensing his thoughts. 'It's doing well. Your magic made it very strong. It's already growing acorns of its own.'

The memory came back instantly. 'I'm in trouble, aren't I?'

'Oh yes,' said Laela. 'Big trouble. Well… you were, anyway. I expect they'll think you've had enough punishment, but you'll certainly be told off. Carina was horrified. Leaf told me she thought she'd be exiled for losing one of her students.'

'She won't be, will she?' asked Galbatorix. 'I mean… I didn't die.'

'Oh, no,' said Laela. 'Even if you had died, I think everyone would have agreed it was your own fault. Leaf was very stern. He told me I should talk some sense into you.'

'I was stupid, wasn't I?' Galbatorix admitted. 'I got overexcited. I think I wanted to prove I was better than the elves.'

'Hah,' said Laela. 'Leaf told me to tell you off about that, too. Your training isn't a competition. You're talented and a quick learner, but you should learn to do as you're told first. Otherwise… well, not doing what you were told made this happen.'

Galbatorix groaned. 'What are you, my mother?'

'I'm your partner,' said Laela. She stayed silent for a while, radiating sternness, and then suddenly relaxed and made a little hacking sound that was a dragonish laugh. 'Ah, I'm no good at this,' she said. 'I did what Leaf told me to, but it's not really my nature to act like an old dam. Look on the brighter side of this – you're famous.'

'Famous?'

'Oh yes, very much so,' said Laela. 'Everyone talks about it. And every visitor to Ellesméra goes to see your tree. They're calling it the Learning Tree. Carina's been holding all her lessons under it, and she says that next year when the new riders are sent here she'll tell the story of how one of her students was strong enough to make the tree grow that big, but stupid enough to nearly kill himself doing it.'

'That's wonderful, Laela. Really. Everyone's talking about what an idiot I am? Thanks for telling me.'

'Don't be ridiculous,' said Laela. 'Carina might use you as a cautionary tale, but you know perfectly well that when she tells that story to her students they'll smile and wish they could do something so memorable. You'll be a hero to them. Everyone loves a rebel.'

'And what about you?' said Galbatorix. 'You've grown so much, and I missed it. I feel like I hardly know you.'

'Of course you know me,' Laela chided. 'I'm not just a giant lizard, Galbatorix. I'm a part of you. And you're a part of me. There'll never be a day when we don't see each other. I've been all right. Leaf has taught me how to fight and fly. I've watched your peers learning about swordplay and magic and the ancient language. You have a lot of catching up to do.'

Galbatorix remembered the training. 'I must be miles behind. Damn!'

'Not to worry,' said Laela. 'Once you've recovered it'll be time for us to go to Ilirea and begin our apprenticeship.'

'They've picked a master for us?'

'Yes. Vrael.'

'What?'

'It's Vrael,' Laela repeated patiently. 'Our master will be Vrael and his dragon Nöst.'

'But… Vrael's the Great Master Elder,' said Galbatorix blankly. 'He rules Alagaësia! How can he be our master?'

'I don't know,' said Laela. 'They say he hasn't taken on an apprentice in centuries. But he's decided to be our teacher.'

Galbatorix was thrilled. Vrael himself – the famed leader and warrior, rumoured to have once known Eragon himself. It did a lot to make his brain start working at full speed again. 'When will we go to meet him?' he asked.

'In a few months,' said Laela. 'By then you'll be stronger, and I'll be big enough to carry you to Ilirea.'

'What about the others?'

'They've already gone,' said Laela. 'Brom and Morzan went away to be apprenticed to the elder Oromis.'

'What about Flell?'

'She stayed,' said Laela.

Galbatorix sighed. Although he didn't say anything, Laela could sense what he was feeling. 'You like her, don't you?' she said, a note of amusement in her voice.

'Yes.' There wasn't any point in concealing it, and she would have known if he'd tried.

'She seems to care for you,' said Laela, matter-of-factly. 'She insisted on staying in Ellesméra so she could be here when you woke up. Not many riders delay their own training by choice like this. So you should be sure to thank her next time you see her.'

The white dragon paused. 'Which will be very soon,' she added. 'She asked me to tell her the instant you woke up. I should tell Carina, too.'

The white dragon lifted her head and walked gracefully out of the house, turning the door-handle by clumsily hooking a claw around it. Then she was gone into the cool night air, leaving Galbatorix alone. He lay still, wondering why he was so tired after having effectively slept for three weeks straight.

A few minutes passed, and then Laela returned. With her were Carina and Flell, both looking intensely relieved. They went straight to his side, and he looked up at them placidly.

'Galbatorix!' said Flell. 'You're alive!'

The temptation was too great. 'How could you tell?' he asked.

'Hm. You've been awake a few minutes and you're already being sarcastic,' said Carina, but in spite of her dry tone she looked no less pleased than Flell did. 'How d'you feel?'

'Weak,' said Galbatorix.

'And no wonder,' said Carina. 'Do you have any idea how close you came to dying?'

'Yes,' said Galbatorix, at which point Thrain came into the room. The purple dragon was as large as Laela, but was thicker in the body. Less graceful. She stood next to Laela, and the two dragons looked very relaxed and natural together.

'You were a fool,' said Carina simply. 'A damned fool. You do know that, don't you?'

'Yes,' said Galbatorix again.

'I suppose Laela filled you in on what happened,' said Carina.

'She did,' said Galbatorix. He looked over at Flell, who smiled at him.

'Then you should already understand what this means,' said Carina. 'But I want to ask you… why did you do it? You heard me warning you to stop, but you ignored me. What drove you to be so reckless?'

'I wanted…' Galbatorix's voice trailed off.

'Tell me the truth,' said Carina, at her most commanding.

Galbatorix gave in. 'I was trying to prove I was better than the elves,' he said, bracing himself for the response.

Carina sighed. 'Ah. Well, I have to admit that you're not the first to try that. The elves can be… they can make you feel inadequate. Believe me, it was the same when I was a student. But you have to learn to restrain yourself. You acted like a headstrong boy, not a rider. If you're going to be one of us, you'll need to grow up.'

That stung Galbatorix. He scowled and nodded.

'Now then,' said Flell. 'Not being a child means not pouting like one.'

Galbatorix glared at her, and she snickered.

'Stop that,' said Carina. 'Arren – I mean Galbatorix if that's what you'd prefer – it's my duty to tell you that you're banned from using magic again.'

Galbatorix's heart sank.

'-Unless you're being supervised by another magic-user,' said Carina.

Galbatorix had a nasty suspicion she'd paused like that deliberately. 'For how long?' he asked.

'Until we decide that you know what you're doing,' said Carina. 'We don't want to risk another incident like that. You're one of us now. And we value our own a great deal. Especially if they're as talented as you are.'

'Laela said Vrael was going to be my master,' said Galbatorix. 'Is that true?'

'Yes,' said Carina.

'So what do I do now?' asked Galbatorix.

'Rest and recover,' said Carina. 'Here, drink this.' She held out a flask.

Galbatorix tried to take it, but his fingers were clumsy and wouldn't grip. Carina wordlessly poured the flask's contents into his mouth for him, and he swallowed. It tasted strange, but not unpleasant. Almost as soon as it had gone down his throat, he felt new strength surge into him. He sat up with a lot of effort and help from both Carina and Flell, and felt much more lively. He suddenly became aware of something.

'How do you feel now?' asked Flell.

'Hungry,' he said truthfully.

'Then we'll bring you some food,' said Carina. She left.

Flell, however, stayed. 'I thought what you did was amazing,' she said. 'Thrain does, too.'

'That's right,' said Thrain's voice in his head.

Galbatorix smiled. 'Thanks.'

'You're welcome,' said Flell. 'Did Laela tell you about the others?'

'She said Brom and Morzan had left,' said Galbatorix. 'And you should have, too, but-,'

'I decided to stay,' Flell supplied. 'Yes.'

'Why?'

'I didn't want you to be lonely,' said Flell. 'Anyway, we're linked, you and I.'

Galbatorix swallowed. 'What do you mean by that?'

'Vrael is going to be my master, too,' said Flell. 'We might as well start our apprenticeship on the same day.'

'Oh,' said Galbatorix. He was unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Flell laughed at him. 'Don't feel quite so special now, do you? It's traditional for a master to take on two apprentices at once. Anyway… don't you want me around?'

'Oh – no. Uh, I mean, yes. I'd – well, I like you.'

Flell hid her grin behind her hand. 'I do believe the great Galbatorix is blushing,' she said.

Galbatorix went even redder at this. 'Well, I – um… I appreciate what you did for me. By staying, I mean. It means a lot to me.'

Flell smiled. A genuine smile. 'Always the charmer,' she said. She leant over him and kissed him on the cheek, and then sauntered out. Thrain nuzzled Laela's cheek and followed her.

Laela watched them go, and then went to Galbatorix's side. 'That was… I feel strange.'

'You and me both,' said Galbatorix, touching his cheek.

Carina returned. She was carrying a tray of food, which she placed on Galbatorix's lap. 'Eat,' she said. 'And shave off that beard.'

'What beard?' said Galbatorix blankly.

'The one on your face,' said Carina.

Galbatorix's hand went up automatically to touch his chin. To his surprise, he found it was bristling with hair. But of course. Three weeks was a long time.

'I'll leave you to enjoy your food,' said Carina. 'If you need me, just send Laela to find me.'

Once she'd gone, Galbatorix started to eat. He was hungrier than he would have believed possible, but it was a lot of effort to eat. Just chewing and swallowing took all his energy. And he was irritated by the fact that this meal, just like all the others he'd had in Ellesméra, was meat-free.

'All those vegetables,' said Laela. 'It's unnatural. How can you stand to eat that sort of rubbish?'

'Vegetables are fine. But I'd kill for a piece of steak right now.'

'I'll catch you something later,' said Laela. She watched him for a while, and then shared a feeling of amusement. 'It's a good beard, by the way.'

'Why didn't they cut it off?' asked Galbatorix.

'Because I wouldn't let them,' said Laela. 'I knew you wanted a beard, so I saw to it that you grew one.'

'I wish I could see it,' said Galbatorix.

'You can,' said Laela. 'Look at yourself through my eyes.'

'Through your – how?'

'Like this,' said Laela. She opened her mind to his, and sent him an image of himself as she saw him at that moment. It was like a memory, but sharper and clearer.

What he saw didn't look like him. He saw a man who had the same black eyes and curly hair as him, but this man was much older than he was. His face was pale and gaunt, framed by a wild mane of uncombed hair. Much of the lower half was covered by a shaggy beard and moustache, which was a terrible mess. Galbatorix was mortified. 'I look awful!'

'You look fine to me,' said Laela. 'A little too thin, maybe.'

'Yes, but you're a dragon! What d'you know about how humans should look? I've seen beggars on the streets who looked neater than me.'

'Ah, stop complaining,' said Laela. 'You're alive and you'll recover. And you got the beard you wanted.'

'No, not quite,' said Galbatorix.

'Close enough,' said Laela contentedly.