Chapter Thirty-Three

Tears of the Viper

They stayed at Orthíad for several days after this, fairly confident that they would not be discovered. Galbatorix resumed teaching his apprentices, but his former geniality was gone now and he had reverted to his usual withdrawn, unsmiling self. Now that he had no less than five fully-trained riders allied with him, he had regained his normal seriousness and retreated back into himself. In the end even Kaelyn accepted that he was no longer Galbatorix the boy but Galbatorix the leader, but it made her sad, as if she had lost a good friend. Still, she had not lost her respect for him, and she stopped trying to make him show his light-hearted side and took up a more formal relationship with him, turning to Tuomas and Gern for friendship instead.

Not long after being released from his vows, Roland took an oath of loyalty to Galbatorix, albeit over his wishes. 'I consider it a sign of trust,' he declared. 'And a courtesy. Since you were so kind as to accept me, I would consider it bad manners not to swear myself to you. And if you find my services unsatisfactory in some way, why, by all means, undo my oath.'

Brom, meanwhile, slowly shed his inhibitions and settled into his new life. He was evidently very happy to be reunited with Morzan, and the two friends spent plenty of time together, helping with the teaching of the apprentices. Galbatorix was pleased to have Brom with him, and said so.

'I've missed it,' he said. 'Having friends, I mean.'

But he quickly showed that he had more on his mind than simply spending time with his friends. The day after his arrival at Orthíad, when all of the Forsworn sat around the fire, Galbatorix turned to Brom and said; 'Now… what can you tell me that might be useful, Brom? What are the elders up to?'

'What do you want to know?' Brom asked carefully.

Galbatorix glanced around at the others. 'I've thought it over. There are six of us now. Nine if you count my apprentices. I think it's time to do something serious. Something that will have a big impact.'

'Another attack, sir?' said Strein.

Galbatorix nodded. 'It's time to show them our strength. And I know how. Brom, can you tell me where the elders are? Are they in Ilirea?'

'Most of them are,' said Brom. 'Vrael is, and Saraswati, and Yansan. Menulis had just been recalled; he'll be there by now.'

'What about Oromis?' said Morzan.

'He's at Vroengard,' said Brom. 'And as far as I know he's due to stay there for some time.'

Galbatorix looked grim. 'Perfect. If Vroengard is where Oromis is, then Vroengard is where we'll go.'

'Are we gonna kill him, sir?' said Morzan.

'Yes. And anyone else who's with him. We'll attack together. All of us. And once Oromis is dead, we'll take Vroengard for ourselves. No more hiding. We'll use it as our fort, and when they come to attack us, we'll be ready.'

The others murmured at this. 'Are you sure, sir?' said Morzan.

Galbatorix nodded. 'We're strong enough now. I can feel it. Your time of waiting is over, Morzan. When we break into Vroengard, I'll stand aside for you. You can kill that perverted piece of filth yourself.'

All doubt disappeared from Morzan's strong face. 'Let's do it,' he said quietly.

'What do you think?' said Galbatorix, addressing the others at large.

'I think it could be a good plan, sir,' said Roland. 'Risky, but, to be honest, I agree that we are strong enough. Vroengard is a good place. Easily defensible, with plenty of room for us. Of course, I'm not saying it'll be easy. No doubt Oromis will have plenty of other riders with him for protection. They won't take any risks with their own lives at stake. And they will be expecting you to attack the elders.'

'No they won't,' said Tranah. 'They're too arrogant for that. They don't believe that anyone would dare attack an elder. Not even you, sir.'

Galbatorix flexed his fingers. 'We'll prove them wrong soon enough.'

'When do we go?' said Morzan.

'Soon,' said Galbatorix. 'We'll take a few days off first, to rest and make plans. I want to make sure we have it all worked out as carefully as possible. We can't afford to make any mistakes.'

The others agreed. Accordingly, over the course of the next week, they spent time every day working out a plan of attack. Brom and Morzan were both very familiar with Vroengard, having been trained there, and between them they sketched a fairly accurate map of the place. Galbatorix, Tranah, Strein, Roland, Morzan and Brom spent hours at a time sitting around the map, which they had carved into the tabletop, endlessly discussing the best direction to attack from, pointing out different escape routes and defensive positions, trying to predict how their enemies would respond, coming up with emergency plans for what they should do if the attack went awry. Kaelyn, Gern and Tuomas watched them with some fascination, even timidly venturing to make a few suggestions of their own, which Galbatorix accepted graciously. For the three apprentices, it was really quite thrilling to see their master sitting with his comrades, planning an attack that would doubtless go down in history. As Kaelyn remarked to Tuomas out of earshot, they were seeing something that was going to change the world. 'And we're part of it,' she added, bright-eyed. 'We're part of it, Tuomas. One day people will say; "they were there".'

At the end of the week, Galbatorix finally announced that he was satisfied with the plan and they were ready to carry it out.

'We'll leave tomorrow,' he said. 'At dawn.'

Everything was ready. Everyone knew what their role would be, everyone was prepared.

'It will be dangerous,' said Galbatorix. 'Probably the most dangerous thing we've done so far. We'll be facing our deaths out there – all of us. It's them or us. Kill or be killed. We're at the edge here. Right on the edge of what it means to be human. But we're more than human. We're riders. Every one of us has part of a dragon inside him. Then let us unleash that part. Let us breathe fire and smoke, let us descend on them from the sky, let us fight them with all the strength and all the courage we have. This battle will go a long way toward deciding the outcome of the war. If we succeed, if we kill Oromis, we will have struck a major blow. We will take Vroengard for our own, and that's where we'll stay. Kaelyn, Tuomas, Gern… you're not ready to fight yet. But once we've taken control of Vroengard, it will be your new home. You'll finish your training there, and when you're ready you'll be the first of a new order of dragon riders. Riders without pointed ears. Riders who still have hearts in their chests. Riders who are free. The elves have ravaged this land long enough. We will stop them, and we will punish them, and afterwards… afterwards we can rebuild. We can't bring back the dead. But we can give people back their dignity and their freedom. Let the dead gods come back to life, let people live as they choose, and never let anyone be ashamed because they are different. That is my promise to the world, and I will fight and kill to bring it about. And, if need be, I will die.' He finished by putting a hand over his heart and speaking first in the dark elvish tongue and then in the ancient one, saying the same thing both times. 'This I swear.'

He could see the others looking at him, and see the courage and resolution rising in them. Their doubts had been swept away. They were ready.

He said no more after this, and left the banqueting hall for the open air, where night was already drawing in.

It was cool outside. The stars were beginning to come out, and a clean mountain wind was blowing among the peaks, carrying the sharp scent of pine needles and a hint of rain. Galbatorix stood in the entrance, looking up at the sky. The wind ruffled his hair, and he sighed. In spite of the speech he had just made and the prospect of what would happen tomorrow, he felt very peaceful. The recurring nightmare had left him, and he felt more certain now; stronger and safer. His doubts, too were gone. He was a leader, and one that was growing more powerful all the time. Even though he had set out to fight alone, somehow it was all arranging itself around him. Morzan. Tranah. Strein. Roland. Kaelyn, Gern and Tuomas. And now Brom as well. They had sought him out, and he had seen a trust in the way they spoke to him and looked at him; even a kind of awe. He had been a lone wolf, but they had made a leader out of him, and now, looking at the stars, with the prospect of the fall of Vroengard ahead of him, he felt truly ready for it.

He found a ledge not too far away from the cave entrance, and sat down, cross-legged, enjoying the solitude. Shruikan was perched partway up the mountain, only just visible, keeping watch. Galbatorix could see him move from time to time.

The last of the light from the setting sun faded. Presently, the moon rose. Galbatorix watched it, wondering if it really was watching over him as Arthryn had claimed.

'Please gods,' he murmured. 'Help me to survive this. Give me the strength to crush my enemies, and I will bring you back. I swear it.'

The wind howled softly among the rocks, and Galbatorix chuckled quietly, mocking himself. Still, he had tried everything. Perhaps offering up a prayer to the gods wasn't completely unreasonable.

He saw someone emerging from the cave entrance, and turned to meet him.

It was Brom. 'There you are,' he said.

'Hello, Brom,' said Galbatorix. 'Just watching the stars.'

'I brought you some food,' said Brom, offering him a bowl of stew.

Galbatorix took it. 'Thanks. Care to join me?'

Brom sat down beside him. 'What were you thinking of?'

'Oh, this and that,' said Galbatorix, taking the spoon out of the bowl. 'I like to watch the moon rise; it helps me think. In the North… every phase of the moon means something different. The full moon means a time for great magic to be used. The half-moon is a sign of destiny.' He pointed at the moon, which was peeking over a mountaintop, glowing white among the clouds. 'The sickle moon. Protection.'

'That was an amazing speech you gave,' said Brom. 'I had no idea you could be so eloquent.'

Galbatorix shrugged. 'I have my moments.'

'Did you really mean all that?'

'Of course I did. When I say something, I mean it.'

'Why do you hate the riders so much?' said Brom.

Galbatorix stared at him. 'Are you joking?'

'No. I just want to know.'

'Brom, they killed Laela,' said Galbatorix. 'They tried to kill me. You saw what they did to me. If it wasn't for you and Morzan, my head would be rotting on a spike now.'

'But if they believed you did something wrong…'

'I didn't. It's a lie. You know that. Flell lied, but they believed her. They all worked together to destroy me, and they nearly succeeded. And they've done it to so many other people. I didn't start this, Brom. They brought it on themselves.'

Brom sighed. 'I believe you, Galbatorix. It's just that all this talk of fighting and bloodshed bothers me.'

Galbatorix laughed softly. 'You made a mistake in becoming a rider if you're scared of a few battles, Brom.'

'I'm not scared,' Brom retorted. 'I just don't… I don't know how to put it into words. I just can't help but wonder if war is the only answer.'

Galbatorix snorted. 'Show me a day when they're willing to negotiate, and I'll show you a rock with wings. It's my fate to be the Great Betrayer, and I accept that. I'd advise you to accept your own fate, whatever that might be. It's the only way to live at peace with yourself.'

'I don't know what my fate is,' said Brom. 'You should probably eat that before it gets cold, by the way.'

'If you don't know what your fate is, then you're lucky,' said Galbatorix. He remembered what he was holding, and took a spoonful of stew. 'Hmm, not bad. Oh… Brom, there's something I want to know. Do you know what happened to Flell? Morzan told me the child was stillborn and that she was sent away somewhere afterwards, but I don't know where.'

'I think she's at Melian,' said Brom.

Galbatorix swallowed. 'What? Melian? But that's… that's nowhere. What could she possibly do there?'

'Nothing,' said Brom. 'She's… well, I saw her after… what happened. She's not how she used to be.'

'What do you mean?' said Galbatorix, feeling an unpleasant pang in his stomach.

'After she lost her child, she… well, she hardly ever speaks any more,' said Brom. 'And Thrain… Thrain went insane. She stopped talking too, and started attacking people. Flell didn't attack anyone, but… all she does now is cry.'

Galbatorix ate another mouthful of stew. His stomach was churning. 'Oh gods… I had no idea. I still… I still feel something for her, you know. Even after what she did to me.'

'What do you mean by that?' said Brom, his voice suddenly sharp. 'What did she do to you, Galbatorix?'

'She betrayed me,' said Galbatorix. 'She lied to the elders. I loved her, and she sold me to them to save her own life.' He pulled a pained, half-angry, half-miserable expression. 'So now we know how the gods reward treachery. I know I shouldn't pity her, but I do.'

Brom turned away from him. 'You don't pity her, Galbatorix. Not like I do. You haven't seen her. Seen what she's become. Her eyes are dead now. There's nothing left in them. She's still breathing, but she's dead. And you killed her.'

The accusation stung Galbatorix. 'I know,' he said. 'I didn't mean for it to happen. I was young and I was in love. I was stupid. I thought I was invincible, but I was wrong. If only I'd been more careful, I might still be governing Teirm by now, and Laela might still be alive. I'm a cursed man, Brom. I cursed Flell.'

'Yes,' Brom said softly. 'You did. At least you realise now that it's your fault.'

'But it was hers as well,' said Galbatorix. 'I trusted her. If she'd only… well, I don't know how it happened. Probably the elders pressured her into it. They wanted an excuse to get rid of me, after all. Why else d'you think they didn't ask any more questions?'

Brom was looking at him, his blue eyes full of disbelief. 'How can you live with yourself?' he asked. 'Honestly, how? After what you've done? What you've become? Can't you see it?'

'See what?' said Galbatorix, his voice dangerously low.

'I just can't understand it,' said Brom. 'Do you honestly think it isn't true? How often do you have to lie to yourself? Is it as often as you lie to everyone else? Don't you know what you are? You're a monster.'

Galbatorix put down the bowl of stew. 'Brom, I'm warning you-,'

'Well it's true,' said Brom. 'Face it. I saw what you did. All the things you've destroyed. You're insane. You're a murdering rapist, and you know it.'

Galbatorix stood up sharply. 'How dare you?' he demanded. 'You – oh!' Pain suddenly shot through his stomach. He doubled up, gasping, and fell to his knees as more pain started to burn inside him.

Brom stood up, backing away from him. 'I'm sorry, Galbatorix. But you had to be stopped.'

Galbatorix glanced at the bowl of stew. 'Poison?' he said. 'You – Brom, you godsdamned coward, you – ah-,' He cringed, clutching at his stomach. The pain was growing steadily worse. It felt as if his insides were on fire.

'I didn't want to do it,' said Brom. 'But you gave me no choice. The elders-,'

'The elders killed Laela!' Galbatorix shouted.

All the warmth had vanished from Brom's normally genial face. 'I know what you are,' he hissed. 'I know your secret. Half-breed.'

Galbatorix tried to get up, but all the strength had gone out of him, and he fell forward onto his face. Up on the mountainside, Shruikan suddenly raised his head and let out an agonised bellow. The black dragon started to climb down toward Galbatorix, but before he had got halfway Saphira appeared out of nowhere and attacked him.

Galbatorix could feel the pain of Shruikan's injuries, adding itself to the burning in his stomach and the iciness in his limbs. But even then he didn't panic. He summoned up all his strength, raising himself from the ground and back into a kneeling position. Without hesitation, he jammed his fingers down his throat. It made him retch, and he withdrew his hand and vomited, expelling some of the poison.

Brom drew his sword. 'For Flell,' he rasped, and swung the weapon with all his might.

The blue blade hit the stone with a loud clang and a shower of sparks. Galbatorix had dodged it at the last minute, and before Brom could raise it again it was already too late. The noise had alerted the Forsworn, and they came charging out of the cave, calling Galbatorix's name. Brom turned to fight them, but he was hopelessly outnumbered. In moments he had been disarmed and knocked to the ground. Tranah and Roland pinned him down, holding him at their mercy so that he wouldn't dare use his magic, and Morzan and Kaelyn ran to Galbatorix's side, lifting him to his feet. Meanwhile, Idün and Keth went to Shruikan's aid. They overpowered Saphira, and Brom screamed as he felt them tearing at her wings.

Morzan let go of Galbatorix and drew his sword, pointing it at his former friend. 'Brom, how could you?' he said. 'How could you?'

Brom was helpless, but remained defiant. 'He had to die, Morzan,' he said. 'I had no choice. How could you follow him? You betrayed us all.'

Morzan hit him in the face, hard. 'You miserable coward,' he snarled. 'We trusted you, and this is how you repay us? What did you do to Galbatorix?'

'He poisoned me,' said Galbatorix, leaning on Kaelyn. His breathing was perilously slow, his voice weak, and they could see cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Morzan hit Brom again. 'Gods damn you, Brom. Gods damn you. I thought you were my friend.'

Brom spat blood. 'I am your friend, Morzan,' he said. 'You're like a brother to me. But you can't go on working for that monster. You can't.'

'Don't you dare talk about him like that!' Kaelyn shouted.

'Keep away from him,' said Brom. 'He's out of his mind. How could you believe any of those lies he told you?'

'He said it in the ancient language,' said Tranah. 'All of it.'

'You idiots!' Brom raged. 'Don't you know anything? You can tell a lie in the ancient language if you believe it's real. He's insane; he believes it's all true, and he sucked you into believing it too. Don't you know what he is? Didn't he tell you?'

Galbatorix tried to pull away from Kaelyn and approach Brom. But his legs folded under him and he collapsed, rolling onto his side, curled up like a dying grub, groaning in pain.

'He's a half-breed,' said Brom, wrenching his arm free and pointing it at him. 'Did you know, or did he lie about that too?'

The others paused over this.

'What?' said Tranah. 'A half-breed?'

'His mother was executed for fornicating with an elf,' said Brom. 'A dark elf. He's one of them, don't you see? He's evil. He always was.'

Dead silence fell. The Forsworn glanced at each other, suddenly uncertain.

Brom laughed darkly. 'You didn't know, did you? I wonder how many other things you don't know about him? You've sworn yourselves to a filthy half-breed creature.'

Morzan gripped Zar'roc's hilt. 'And I don't care,' he said. He went to Galbatorix's side and lifted him to his feet, supporting him with a powerful arm around his shoulders. Galbatorix was still breathing, but his eyes were half-closed and his face had gone deathly pale.

Morzan pointed at Brom. 'Kill him,' he said.

Tranah, Roland and Strein only hesitated for a moment. They raised their swords. Brom closed his eyes and braced himself for the end.

'No.'

They froze.

Galbatorix had spoken. He lifted his head with difficulty, and though his voice was weak they had all heard it. 'No,' he said again. 'Don't… don't… let him go.'

'What?' said Morzan. 'What d'you mean, sir? He poisoned you!'

'I know,' Galbatorix rasped. 'Listen…' he looked at Brom. 'You saved my life, Brom. In return, I'll spare yours. Get out of here. Go back to Saphira, and go. We won't try and stop you. But listen to me. If – I – ever see you again, I will kill you. Do you understand?'

Brom pulled away from his captors. 'You won't live that long, half-breed,' he said.

'We'll… see about that,' said Galbatorix.

Brom knew better than to stay any longer. He glanced around quickly and fled, climbing up the mountain toward Saphira. The Forsworn let him go very reluctantly, and their dragons grudgingly pulled away from Saphira and let Brom return to her side. He healed the blue dragon's injuries and climbed onto her back, and she flew away as fast as she could go, her flight weaving and erratic.

Then she was gone, and the Forsworn gathered around their leader and helped him back inside. They laid him down by the fire and tried to revive him, urgently calling his name. His skin had gone icy cold and was slick with sweat, plastering his hair to his forehead. His face was milky-white and his hands trembled while his face twitched with pain. Kaelyn clutched at his shoulder. 'Master? Master, can you hear me?'

'What should we do?' Strein almost wailed.

'Just calm down-,' Tranah began.

'Give him some air!' Roland bellowed, shoving the others aside. 'Go on, get out of the damn way.' He took Kaelyn's place by Galbatorix's side, and laid two fingers on the side of his neck, checking for a pulse. 'It's very weak… sir? Sir? Can you hear me? If you can, just give me a signal.'

Galbatorix opened his eyes slowly and peered up at him.

'That's good enough for me,' said Roland. 'Listen, sir. You've got to stay awake. I don't care how much you want to sleep, stay awake. If you sleep, you'll die. Now tell me. What were you poisoned with? How much did you take? What did it taste like? What does it feel like? I have to know.'

Galbatorix's hands curled into fists. 'Small,' he whispered. 'Small… amount. Vomited it up again. Tasted… sweet. Made… stomach burn. Couldn't stand up. Can't… breathe.'

'Viper's Tears,' Roland muttered. 'Bloody bastard picked the best poison to use. Kaelyn, go and get me my bag, fast as you can.'

Kaelyn dashed off and brought it to him, struggling a little under the weight. Roland opened it and rummaged around inside, muttering to himself. 'C'mon, c'mon, show yourself, godsdammit… ahah!' He pulled out a small wooden box and placed it on the tabletop. It was carved from some kind of white wood, inlaid with silver runes. Roland opened it. The inside was lined with cloth, and a dozen small crystal vials rested in rows of dents made specifically to hold them. Roland started sorting through them, picking them up to examine them, one by one, still muttering feverishly. 'No, no, not quite, not this one… ahah! Here we go!' he held up a vial that contained a small amount of red liquid. 'All right,' he said to the others. 'This is the main ingredient of the antidote. But it needs something else. Has anyone got any thint leaves?'

'I've got a few herbs in my bag,' said Strein, hurrying off to get it. She came up with a cloth pouch which contained a few dried plants, but there was only a single crumbling thint leaf.

'That won't do,' said Roland. 'We need more of it. All right, everyone. We're going to go scouting for thint leaves. Tuomas, Gern, Kaelyn, you stay here and watch over him. Keep him awake. For the love of gods, don't let him fall asleep or we'll lose him. If you have to, hit him. Understood?'

They nodded quickly.

'Right,' said Roland. 'Let's go.' He patted Galbatorix and said; 'Don't worry, sir, we'll be right back.' Then he ran for the entrance. Keth was waiting, and he swung himself nimbly onto her back. The gold dragon flew away at high speed. Aedua, Talziri and Idün had also been quick to respond. Their riders mounted up and flew away, leaving the three apprentices alone.

Galbatorix was still breathing, but they could hear an unpleasant rasping noise coming from his chest. His eyes were half-closed, and from time to time he would move slightly, although it was impossible to tell if he was trying to get up.

'Stay awake, Master,' said Tuomas. 'Please, just keep your eyes open.'

There was no response. Gern prodded Galbatorix in the side. 'C'mon, Master, don't give up on us. You've got to stay awake. I still want to learn things. Tell me about scrying. What are the words to use?'

Galbatorix's eyes closed. But then he started to speak, his voice low and weak, but coherent. '…Draumr kópa. You say… draumr kópa. Means… dream-stare. Say it over something that reflects. A mirror. Polished metal. Water. Even… even blood. If it works, it will go black and blank. Just stare into it and concentrate on whoever you want to see. Simple. If – if – it only works if you've seen that person before. If they're in a place you've never been, you won't see it, you'll just see them. Sometimes, when you try it, you see… nothing. Just darkness. That means… if you can't see them, it can mean they're dead. Or protected. Or too far away to reach.' He coughed. 'I… feel… awful.'

'It's all right, Master,' said Kaelyn. 'The others are looking for the antidote. They'll save you. Just stay awake. Please.'

Galbatorix groaned. 'All… all right. I just feel so tired…'

'Stop it!' Kaelyn almost commanded. 'Stay awake. Make your eyes stay open. Talk about something. Anything. Like that story you told the other night, the one about Blueyes and Tynyth Traeganni. How did it go? D'you remember?'

Galbatorix sighed and mumbled, but forced his eyes open. 'Help me sit up,' he said. 'It'll help me stay awake.'

Kaelyn, Tuomas and Gern took hold of his shoulders and raised him up into a sitting position. He huddled on the tabletop, hugging his knees, but it made him look much more lively. He rested his head on his knees, as if he were sulking about something, and they could see a hint of colour coming back into his face.

'The story,' Kaelyn persisted. 'How did the story go?'

Galbatorix coughed. 'Blueyes and Tynyth. Yes. There was… did you know Blueyes ended up ruling his people too?'

'Really?' said Gern. 'Why? Wasn't he blind?'

'Yes. But he… he lied. He told them he had drunk from the wellspring, and they believed it and made him their King. Islanzadí… she is his descendant. A whole… royal line based on a lie told by a blind coward.'

'Master, is it true?' said Kaelyn. 'What Brom said, is it true? Are you really a…?' she couldn't bring herself to say the word.

'Yes,' Galbatorix whispered. 'Yes, it's true. I am a half-breed.'

'Why didn't you tell us, Master?'

'I couldn't. It was… I had to keep it a secret. Everyone… everyone… every time I told someone, it meant bad things happened to me. I told Flell and she betrayed me. Sold me to the elders. That's why… they wanted to get rid of me. They hate half-breeds. Hate my people. The dark elves. My race. My dead race. A' cur dallaidh air a léirsinn… the dark elves, all gone now. Except me. The only one left. That's why… I'm fighting for them, and Laela too.'

'You should've told us,' said Tuomas.

Galbatorix clasped his hands together, entwining his long fingers with each other. 'Yes. Should have done many things. But I was afraid. Afraid of being alone. If – if – when people know, they don't treat me like I'm human any more. The elders. They wanted to kill me because of who my father was. They were afraid of me. I could see it in them. All the things they said. We know what you are… half-breed… filthy half-breed… inhuman creature… the boy is insane, take him away and whip him, the boy is insane…' he broke off into a fit of coughing. He was starting to wander now, his voice sleepy and bewildered.

There was a sudden noise from the entrance. Kaelyn looked around sharply, fear and horrible realisation stabbing into her chest. They should have been watching the entrance.

But it was only Shruikan. The black dragon had landed awkwardly, slamming into the side of the entrance. Now he staggered forward into the cave, his wings hanging loosely at his sides, heading straight for Galbatorix.

Tuomas, Gern and Kaelyn stood aside, and Shruikan arched his neck over the table and nosed at Galbatorix's huddled form. He was making a strange high whimpering sound, unlike anything they had ever heard a dragon make. He was still wearing his saddle, and there were livid red wounds on his flanks and wings from Saphira's attack.

Galbatorix stirred and touched Shruikan's snout. For some time neither of them moved, as some unspoken mental communication passed between them, and a strange peace and stillness came over them both. But it did not last. Galbatorix shuddered and cried out, then fell backward onto the table, clutching at his stomach. He vomited, soiling his beard and robe, and the action seemed to give him even more pain, for he cried out again, not loudly, but with terrible anguish.

Kaelyn didn't think. She acted. She reached over and grabbed hold of Shruikan's neck-rope. The black dragon's head shot toward her almost instantly. Kaelyn dodged, and his jaws snapped shut an inch from her midriff. Shruikan roared at her, his eyes mad, and Tuomas and Gern, panicking, tried to pull Galbatorix away from him. A mistake. Shruikan rushed forward, bowling them over, and stood over his rider's limp form, snarling and savage.

Ithír, Liahdorus and Sartago came running to protect their riders, standing behind or beside them and spreading their wings protectively, threatening Shruikan with their fangs and claws. He roared at them, moving as if to attack, and the three apprentices started to panic. Without Galbatorix there to restrain him, Shruikan was out of control.

But Kaelyn, looking on, saw what the two boys did not – namely, the terror in the black dragon's eyes.

A strange calm came over her. She didn't hesitate. She reached out with her mind.

Shruikan's mind was a mass of confused fear and aggression. At first he lashed out mentally at her, but she probed gently at him, letting him feel her presence and recognise it. Her calm soothed him, and he let her in.

'It's all right,' she told him. 'Be still, Shruikan.'

Shruikan radiated pitiful bewilderment. 'He's dying,' he said, his voice harsh and animal as always. 'Galbatorix is dying.'

'I know,' said Kaelyn. 'But you can't help him like that.'

'I can feel his pain,' said Shruikan. 'What's wrong with him?'

'He's been poisoned,' said Kaelyn. 'Listen; Shruikan… I need your help. There's a leaf we need to cure him. Will you help me look for it?'

Shruikan hesitated. 'If it will save him, then I will.'

Kaelyn walked toward him. He waited for her, a huge dark shadow, his eyes still ablaze.

Tuomas grabbed her arm. 'Kaelyn, no! What the hell are you doing?'

Kaelyn shook him off. 'I'm fine,' she snapped, and without any hesitation she went straight to Shruikan's side and put a hand on his neck. He growled softly at this, but crouched down and let her climb into his saddle.

'What are you doing?' said Gern, not daring to come any closer.

Kaelyn looked down on him, feeling a hundred times bigger and stronger than before. 'I'm going to find that herb,' she said. 'You stay here. Keep him awake.'

Shruikan turned away and ran for the entrance, his powerful legs bearing him over the cave floor with shocking speed, his claws thudding on the stone. Kaelyn held on tight and braced herself, and moments later Shruikan had reached the open air and hurled himself off the ledge. His wings unfurled, and Kaelyn felt the wind rush and roar around her ears and take them into itself. She had no time to be afraid. They were flying.

She had never flown on a dragon alone, and as Shruikan levelled his flight and began to head out of the mountains she was suddenly doubtful. But she breathed deeply and imagined that Galbatorix was there with her, his strength and calm making her feel safe. She could hear his voice in her head. Don't sit stiffly in the saddle. Relax. Let yourself move with Shruikan. When he turns, lean with him. Keep low; shelter behind his neck so the wind doesn't knock you out of the saddle, let the wind flow around you. If you resist it too much, you'll exhaust yourself.

Kaelyn relaxed and let herself move in harmony with Shruikan. She made mental contact with him again and said; 'Head for the forest. Anywhere where there's trees.'

Shruikan felt much calmer now. 'Hold on,' he advised, and let a strong alpine wind carry them away over the mountains. He flew until he saw a wooded valley below him, and then came down to land. Kaelyn jumped off and paused, standing on the leaf-litter. It was very dark among the trees – how was she going to see what she was doing? She hadn't brought a torch with her.

She cast about for inspiration, but could only think of one solution. She was going to have to use magic.

But she'd never learnt how to make light using magic. Still, how hard could it be? 'Shruikan,' she said. 'Do you know what the word for "light" is in the ancient language?'

Shruikan shuffled his wings. 'What are you trying to do? Where's the plant?'

'I can't see anything,' said Kaelyn. 'I need to use magic to light this place up. But I don't know the word to use.'

'It's "kveykva",' said Shruikan.

'Kveykva,' Kaelyn repeated. She said it several times, trying out the sound of the word. It was difficult to pronounce, but she was determined to get it right. 'Kveykva, kveykva, kveykva…' once she was satisfied, she took in a deep breath, raised her right hand, opened the mental channel to her magic as Galbatorix had taught her, and said; 'Kveykva!' as loudly and clearly as she could.

And there was light. Almost instantly, a glow of grey magic appeared in a halo around her hand. She could feel her energy flowing out of her, but she didn't panic. She concentrated, willing the light to spread. And spread it did, moving out from her until she was surrounded by a silvery glow that lit up the trees all around.

Kaelyn grinned. Without pausing, she set off into the forest, searching for thint leaves. Galbatorix had taught her a few things about useful plants and how to find them in a forest. The herb known as the thint-vine was found growing at the bases of oak trees, so she ignored the pines and firs that made up most of the forest and headed for the nearest oak tree. There was nothing there, so she moved on, steadily and determinedly quartering the forest, always on the lookout for the little five-tined leaves that would save her master's life.

The search took longer than she had expected. As she covered more ground but failed to find what she was after, she began to speed up, fear making her scalp prickle. She could hear Shruikan stirring restlessly where she had left him, groaning from time to time. But he was still alive, and that meant that Galbatorix lived too. But for how much longer she didn't know. The magical light flickered slightly. Her concentration was wavering in her distress. But she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stay calm and focused.

Shruikan reached out for her with his mind. 'Human… Kaelyn… have you found it?'

'Not yet,' said Kaelyn. 'There's got to be some of it here… there's got to be!'

'He's talking to me,' said Shruikan. 'He's alive. He's telling me not to panic. The others are returning. None of them have the leaves yet…' she felt the dragon's mind shudder softly. 'He's in pain. It's burning at me…'

Kaelyn swore and broke into a half-run. A mistake. Her foot caught on a rock, and she pitched forward, landing painfully on her stomach. She cursed again, pulling herself up. Her magical light was becoming dim. She was losing her focus. And then, at long last, her eyes were drawn to something that lay only a few paces in front of her.

It was a slender green vine, innocently growing around the base of a small oak tree. The leaves were slender, each one having five prongs and a series of red veins running over its surface.

Kaelyn's face lit up with a great grin. She darted forward and tore handfuls of leaves from the vine. They oozed a sticky, lemony-scented sap, but she stuffed them into her pockets and ran back to Shruikan. 'I've got them!' she called as she ran. 'I've got them, Shruikan!'

Shruikan had heard her. He came to meet her, and lay almost flat so she could get on his back. The instant she was in the saddle the black dragon took off, so recklessly that he hit an overhanging branch. It nearly took Kaelyn's head off, but she leaned over to avoid it, and it hit Shruikan's shoulder and broke, tangling itself in the saddle and half-crushing her leg. She swore and unhooked it as best she could, sending it tumbling back to earth, narrowly missing Shruikan's wing.

Neither of them paused over this. Shruikan flew straight up and turned toward the mountain, flying back at full speed. He reached the entrance to the cave after a few pulse-pounding minutes in the air, and flew straight through it. He made no attempt to slow down, and simply folded his wings in order to fit through, making an awkward stumbling landing halfway along the chamber which nearly pitched him over headfirst.

The others were already there, grouped around Galbatorix with their heads bowed, but they turned very sharply when Shruikan arrived.

Kaelyn jumped down from his back and ran to them. 'I've got it!' she shouted. 'I've got the leaves!' She reached into her pockets and brought out the herb, showing it to them.

Roland's face split into a disbelieving grin. 'Kaelyn, you're a marvel!' he exclaimed, coming to meet her. 'Quick, give them to me. There's no time to lose.'

Kaelyn handed them over, and followed him back to the table. There he put several of the leaves into a small mortar and ground them up with a pestle. Someone handed him the vial of red liquid, and he flicked the cork out with his thumb and added a few drops, mashing the leaves together with it until they had become a fine paste.

Galbatorix was still lying on the table, barely breathing. His face was starting to turn blue.

'We thought we were going to lose him,' said Roland. 'After everyone came back empty-handed, there was no time to go out for another try. He would've been dead by the time we got back. Luckily this stuff works fast…' he put aside the pestle and picked up a small spoon. 'Someone get me some water, c'mon, chop chop.'

Morzan poured some into a mug and handed it over. Roland scooped up some of the paste with the spoon and mixed it into the water, then said; 'Someone lift him up. He's got to drink this.'

Morzan and Tranah lifted Galbatorix into a sitting position, and Roland lifted the mug to his mouth. 'Drink, sir,' he urged. 'Drink this.'

For a few heart-stopping seconds Galbatorix did not respond.

Kaelyn grabbed hold of his hand. 'Drink, Master!' she pleaded. 'Please, drink!'

Galbatorix's mouth moved. Roland tipped up the mug, and he drank the contents, swallowing it little by little until it was all gone.

Afterwards Tranah and Morzan gently laid him down again, and Roland put down the mug and wiped his brow. 'There,' he said. 'Now all we have to do is hope we got it in time.'

The tension slowly drained out of the atmosphere as the others sighed and let themselves relax.

Tranah stepped over to Roland and hugged him tightly. 'Roland, you're magnificent,' she said.

Roland looked a little embarrassed. 'Ah, well, I do me best…'

The others joined Tranah in congratulating him. Even Morzan clapped him on the back and said; 'We got damn lucky, finding you, mate.'

'Well,' said Roland. 'I can't say I'm the only person who deserves to be thanked.' He turned to Kaelyn and took her hands, his big rough fists nearly engulfing them. 'I want to thank you, Kaelyn,' he said gravely. 'If it weren't for you, Lord Galbatorix would be dead by now.'

'And that was her first time out alone,' Tranah put in. 'She'd never flown a dragon unaccompanied before.'

'And she got Shruikan to help her,' Tuomas piped up. 'He was going mad; he nearly killed her, but she made him help her. It was amazing!'

The others murmured. Shruikan lumbered over to sniff at Galbatorix, then looked at Kaelyn. 'You have my gratitude, Kaelyn,' he said, letting everyone hear him. 'I was panicking. Without you, we would have been lost.'

Kaelyn saw the others looking at her with a new respect, even admiration. She blushed. 'I did my best,' she mumbled. 'Anyway…' she looked at Galbatorix. Some colour had returned to his face, and his breathing was stronger. 'He's my master. I had to do whatever I could for him.'

'And I know he'll thank you when he wakes up,' said Roland. 'But we all owe you for this, Kaelyn. If it weren't for you, we'd have lost our leader, and that would have meant disaster for all of us. Maybe death.'

Kaelyn smiled shyly. 'It was you who made the antidote, Roland.'

'She's right there,' said Strein. 'You've only been with us for a day or so and you've already proven yourself to be just the kind of man we need.'

Roland chuckled. 'That's kind of you to say so, Strein. But you, Kaelyn. I think once you're trained, you'll be a very great rider indeed.'

'Thankyou,' said Kaelyn.

They turned to watch Galbatorix. He was still pale and limp, but his breathing was improving steadily. Roland went to his side and checked his pulse again. 'He's looking well. I think he'll pull through. He's a strong man.'

'How long will he take to recover?' said Tranah.

'Not too long, hopefully,' said Roland. 'He should be fully conscious by tomorrow, and with any luck he'll be up and about again within a day or so. The weakness will linger for a while, and he might have a delicate stomach for a few weeks, but other than that there shouldn't be any lasting damage.'

'He'll be fine,' Morzan said confidently. 'Like I said, he's one tough son of a bitch. We'll look after him 'till he's better.'

'The problem is that we might not have that long,' said Roland. 'That cursed poisoner will tell them where we are, you can be sure of that. How long that'll take I can't be certain, but sooner or later we'll be attacked, and I, personally, would prefer not to be here when that happens.'

Tranah nodded. 'We'll have to move on,' she said. 'And soon.'

'As soon as Galbatorix wakes up,' said Morzan.

'I agree,' said Roland. He yawned and stretched. 'As for me, I think it's time I got some rest, and the rest of you should, too. But someone ought to stay by him and keep an eye on him.'

'I'll do it,' said Kaelyn.

'Very well,' said Roland. 'There's no question we can trust you to do that, eh, Kaelyn?'

He clapped her on the back and walked wearily over to his bedroll. The others congratulated her again and departed.

Kaelyn stayed by Galbatorix, watching him. Shruikan and Sartago both joined her, and she sat down on the table, not taking her eyes off her master's face.

The light dimmed as the others snuffed out the torches, leaving only the fire to illuminate the cave. Kaelyn could feel the warm presence of the two dragons with her, and hear Galbatorix's faint breathing. It was a sound that gave her hope. He would be all right. She knew it.

After a while she plucked up courage and took his hand, holding it in hers. She could feel the life pulsing under his skin, and she held onto him, letting her warmth go into him.

After a while the moon, rising steadily overhead, shone in through a hole in the roof, throwing a shaft of silver light over Galbatorix's face. He seemed to be aware of it; his eyelids flickered, and he sighed – a deep, peaceful sigh.

Kaelyn was not aware of any tiredness. She stayed by him as the night marched on, holding onto his hand and just watching him until the sun finally rose.

When the first rays of the sun shone in through the entrance, Galbatorix sighed and opened his eyes. He looked at Kaelyn, and his hand moved in hers.

'…Kaelyn?'

Kaelyn smiled. 'Good morning, Master. How do you feel?'

Galbatorix blinked. 'My head hurts.'

'You'll be fine,' said Kaelyn.

'Did you stay with me all night?'

'Yes.'

'You didn't need to do that,' said Galbatorix.

'But I did it anyway,' said Kaelyn.

Galbatorix didn't reply. He had gone back to sleep. Kaelyn watched him as he murmured softly in his sleep, his pale, handsome face completely relaxed. That was when she knew that she loved him.