Chapter Forty

Lost and Wandering

Sartago flew high to avoid being spotted from the ground. When he saw Tranah's camp below, he came down to land, hitting the ground clumsily. Kaelyn half-fell off his back and stood there, white-faced and silent. Hugh and Rikash came running, and flung themselves on their daughter. Kaelyn clung to them, saying nothing, not noticing the pain in her back.

'Thank gods,' her mother kept saying. 'Oh, thank gods.'

The others were there already, reaching toward her. Tuomas and Gern took hold of her hands, both overjoyed to see she was safe, and when her parents finally let go of her she was immediately embraced by both Tranah and Strein.

Morzan strode toward her, pushing the others out of the way, and took hold of her shoulders. 'Where's Galbatorix?' he demanded. 'For the love of gods, where is he?'

Kaelyn started to sob. 'He's dead,' she said. 'He's dead.'

Morzan's grip tightened. 'No!' he rasped. 'Shut up!'

'He's dead,' Kaelyn said again, her voice breaking. 'They killed him.'

'Stop it!' Morzan shouted, shaking her violently by the shoulders. 'Stop it!'

The others pulled him off her, and he stumbled away, pale-faced, his fists clenched.

Kaelyn tried to go to him, but she cried out suddenly and fell to her knees. The others were there instantly, helping her up.

'Kaelyn, what's wrong?' said Tranah, unwittingly touching the wet patch on the back of her tunic.

Kaelyn cried out again, and Tranah saw the blood on her hand. 'Oh gods. Help me with her.'

They gently carried her to a spot by the fire and there laid her down, gently taking off her tunic and uttering exclamations of horror and outrage when they saw the mess that had been made of her back.

'Oh gods, what did they do to you?' said Rikash, clutching her daughter's hand.

'She's been whipped,' Tranah said grimly. 'Someone get me some water.'

Kaelyn lay on her front, unmoving, crying out from time to time as Tranah gently cleaned the wounds on her back. Her friends and her parents stayed by her, unspeaking.

'All right,' said Tranah, putting aside the bloody rag she'd used. 'I can heal these up in no time, but I'm afraid there'll be some bad scarring left behind. It's been left too long.'

'I don't care,' Kaelyn mumbled.

Tranah cast the healing spell while Gern fetched a clean tunic. When the healing was done, and Kaelyn's back was covered in a cross-hatching of pink and silver scars, she sat up and put on the tunic, then huddled by the fire, her expression blank with misery.

The others did their best to comfort her.

'What happened?' Gern asked. 'Can you tell us?'

'Galbatorix is dead,' Kaelyn said in a flat voice. 'He made them let me go and take him instead, and they – they-,' her expression twisted suddenly, and she covered her face with her hands.

Tranah took hold of her shoulder. 'Did you see him die? Just tell me. Did you see him die?'

'They hanged him,' Kaelyn whispered. 'I saw it. I saw him fall, and then I ran…'

Tranah let go of her and swore. The others, hearing it, groaned softly, and the dragons lifted their heads to the sky and began to bellow, again and again.

Morzan got up, drawing his sword. 'I'm gonna kill them,' he said, striding rapidly toward Idün. 'I'm gonna kill those motherlovin' sons of-,'

But Idün wouldn't let him get on her back. She shied away from him, growling warningly. He snarled and made a grab for the saddle, but Tranah and Strein took hold of him and gently pulled him away, taking his sword from him. Morzan fought wildly for a few moments, shouting abuse at them, but then subsided, white-faced and on the verge of tears. Tranah dared to hug him, saying nothing but simply putting her arms around his shoulders. He did not shrug her off, but simply stared at the ground. 'He was my best mate,' he mumbled.

'I know, Morzan,' Tranah said softly. 'I know. And they'll pay for this. They all will.'

She stood up, looking resolutely at the others. 'Come on,' she said. 'We're leaving here.'

Kaelyn got up. 'Where're we going?' she asked.

'We're going to the Beors to meet Roland,' said Tranah. 'That's what Lord Galbatorix ordered us to do before he left.'

Kaelyn shuddered at the mention of Galbatorix's name, but went to Sartago without another word and waited by him while the others prepared to leave. It was full night by this time, and a crescent moon was rising. She watched it dully, and thought she could hear Galbatorix's voice in her mind. The crescent moon means protection. See how it's shaped a bit like a shield? When it's in the sky, all dark elves feel safe.

Kaelyn shivered and bowed her head.

The others were soon ready to leave. Hugh and Rikash were allowed to share Aedua's saddle with Tranah, since the green dragon was big enough to carry three passengers, and once everyone had mounted up Tranah gave the signal for them to leave.

They flew away in a long straggling line, heading slowly and steadily Southwards. Kaelyn lay flat with her arms wrapped around Sartago's neck, clinging onto him as if he were her only anchor in the world. She could feel his great heart beating through his scales, and it gave her a little strength.

'It wasn't your fault,' the grey dragon said eventually. 'It was theirs. You have to realise that, Kaelyn.'

Kaelyn said nothing. She felt numb. She let the clouds and the icy air whip past her, tugging at her hair, and felt as if it were stripping away all her strength. She felt lost, and helpless in a way she had never felt in the dungeon at Gil'ead.

As the time passed and the black landscape moved on below them, all dead and featureless in the night, she started to sing under her breath. 'S mithic teárnadh do na gleanannabh, O'n tha gruaimich air na beannaibh, S ceathach dùinte mu na meallaibh, A' cur dallaidh air a léirsinn…' it was the dark elvish lament, which Galbatorix had taught her, and although she did not know the words or the tune well she sang it again and again until it came right, and then sang it again in the common tongue, mouthing the words, too tired and weak to find the tune any more. 'It is time now to go down into the dales, for gloom is fallen on the tops and mists shroud the hills, darkening our vision. I cannot smile. Not before, less now. I cannot… A' cur dallaidh air a léirsinn…'

'It wasn't your fault,' Sartago said again. 'What happened to him… you're not to blame for it, Kaelyn.'

Kaelyn did not reply. Instead, she showed him an image from her memory. It was of Galbatorix as she had last seen him, standing on the platform, so calm and still, the noose around his neck and chains hanging from his wrists. The instant before the lever was pulled he had looked straight at her, and their eyes had met, just for a fraction of a second, just before he fell.

Sartago saw those eyes that tormented her, and she felt him shudder. 'He didn't blame you, Kaelyn.'

'He's dead,' Kaelyn answered flatly. 'They hanged him, Sartago. And then they put him on the rack and tore him apart. They took his heart out and showed it to the crowd. They killed him right there for everyone to see. I heard the screams. I heard them as I ran…'

'He did it for you,' Sartago said softly. 'He did it to save you.'

Kaelyn started to shake. Tears leaked from under her eyelids and dried instantly in the wind, leaving a fine crust of salt on her face, like lace. 'I want him back,' she sobbed. 'I want him to be alive again. It's not fair, Sartago, it's not fair, I can't stand it. I want him back. I wish I was dead.'

'No you don't,' Sartago said sharply. 'Don't you dare say that, Kaelyn. He died to save you. Be strong for him.'

Kaelyn tried to control herself, but she couldn't. She cried still harder. 'I can't, Sartago. I can't.'

'You can,' the grey dragon let his presence fill her mind, lending her his strength. 'You can. You said you wanted to be his strongest warrior… you still can be. He died so you could live, so live. Live and fight on for him. Avenge him.'

Kaelyn breathed deeply, and felt herself become still. Just for a moment, as her exhaustion and her guilt confused her, she thought Galbatorix was there, sitting behind her in the saddle, his arms around her, holding onto her so that she would not fall. Fight on for me, Kaelyn, his voice whispered in her ear. Can you do that?

Kaelyn sighed deeply. 'I will,' she said. 'I swear.'

It took a long time to get to the Beors. They stayed in the air for most of the time, only landing at night when they were absolutely sure they would not be spotted. Virtually nothing was said by anyone on those rare occasions. Everyone had lapsed into a grim, depressed silence. Even the normally ebullient Gern had gone quiet. Tranah had taken charge, and for once Morzan did not argue. None of them had ever seen him so miserable. All his normal aggressive energy was completely gone, and whenever they camped he would sit down right at the edge of it, his shoulders hunched, and stare at the ground, making no effort to help with anything or even communicate. No-one made an issue of it. If anyone tried to cheer him up he would ignore them or, if they persisted, snap at them. They could all see how deeply the loss of Galbatorix had affected him.

Kaelyn could not sleep properly. She would lie awake every night, staring up at the sky and feeling a terrible emptiness inside her. When she did sleep, she had nightmares. Or perhaps they were just memories, replaying themselves again and again in her mind. She would see the dark stone room where she had been beaten and interrogated, pinned down by chains. Menulis was there, looming over her, speaking to her not cruelly, but with a kind of cold pity that was, in a way, worse. Only tell me where he is, he said. Only lead us to him, and it will all be over. You don't have to suffer. You have a choice. Just tell us where he is. Just help us stop the killing.

And the more she refused, the more they hurt her. When at last she spat at him and took an oath in the ancient language that she would never betray her master or her friends, he had turned away. Then so be it. Take her away. Tomorrow she will die the traitor's death… unless the Betrayer comes and offers to die in her place.

But the dream always ended the same way… with Galbatorix, standing there with the noose around his neck, his eyes dark and still. Look for me in the shadows, Kaelyn. You'll find me if you look.

And she did look. When she woke up, cold but sweating, she would huddle against Sartago's flank and stare into the shadows, searching for him there. Sometimes she would think she could see him, just standing and watching her. But it was only ever an illusion. She knew he was gone.

When at last they reached the Beors, the dragons perched on a mountainside at dawn and sent a chorus of roars echoing over the landscape. Their riders dismounted and found a small cave to shelter in, where they dozed for a time and let the dragons continue their call.

It was a risk, but one that proved worth it. At midmorning the roars were answered, faintly, from somewhere away Southwards. The Forsworn roused themselves and went outside, waiting and listening while the calls went back and forth. Kaelyn went to Sartago's side and put her hand on his flank. 'Who is it?' she asked.

'It's Keth,' said Sartago. 'I know her voice. And I think I can hear Ymazu too.'

'How far away are they?'

'A few hours. They'll be here by noon.'

Kaelyn stared at the horizon, but couldn't see anything. A cold breeze whipped her cloak back off her shoulders, and she shivered.

'You should go back inside and get some rest,' Sartago said gently. 'I'll call you if anything happens.'

Kaelyn nodded vaguely and went back into the cave. There was a fire burning in the middle of the floor, but the others were still outside with the exception of Morzan, who was sitting by the fire with his shoulders hunched, brooding. Kaelyn sat down opposite him, casting wary glances at him. The truth was that he scared her. She had often seen him looking at her with something remarkably like hatred, and she knew that he blamed her for what had happened to Galbatorix. And she could not protest because she knew that he was right.

'Sartago says he heard Keth and Ymazu,' she said eventually, when the silence became too uncomfortable. 'They should be here by noon.'

'I know,' Morzan grunted, not looking up.

'Oh!' Kaelyn said stupidly. 'Idün told you, of course…' she forced herself to shut up, cringing internally.

Morzan ignored her.

Kaelyn forced herself to speak. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'For what happened… I didn't mean for it to happen, but I know it's my fault, and… I'm sorry.'

Morzan looked up at last, his dark eyes full of despair. But it was hidden behind a veil of cold fury. He stood up abruptly. 'We've lost,' he said. 'The elders've won. We're all going to die. And it's your fault.' He flung something down on the cave floor, and stalked out.

Kaelyn stayed where she was for some time, feeling as if she had just been stabbed in the stomach. Hot, sick guilt hit her, so hard it made her dizzy. She looked wildly toward the entrance, where the sunlight cast a shadow on the floor, and saw him standing there. Her heart skipped a beat. She stayed perfectly still, just staring. But she could see a shape there, formed in the shadow, the shape of a tall, sinewy man in a robe, his curly hair hanging down over his face.

Kaelyn's face split into a disbelieving grin, and she stood up, stumbling toward him. 'Master?'

And it was him. Stepping out of the shadows to meet her, his black eyes alight with a secret smile that was just for her, and he took her in his arms and held her close, his heart beating strongly against hers as he murmured her name. Kaelyn.

Kaelyn started up, her eyes opening. She stared around her, confused. She was sitting by the fire, and a chill was numbing her arms and legs. Tranah and Strein were nearby, talking in low voices and sharing some dry bread. Her parents were dozing together in a corner, and Sartago was curled up in the entrance, looking out over the mountains.

Utterly bewildered, she looked at the shadow by the entrance. There was no-one there.

'Oh, hello,' said Tranah, her loud voice breaking into her thoughts. 'Want some bread? It's hard as a rock, but if you soak it with some water it's not too bad.'

Kaelyn looked at her blankly. 'Was I asleep?'

'For several hours, actually,' said Tranah. 'It's nearly noon.'

She didn't remember falling asleep. 'What's going on?'

'Not much,' said Tranah, almost carelessly. 'We're waiting for Roland to get here.'

Kaelyn sighed miserably, shuffling a little closer to the fire for warmth. The dream was still vivid in her mind, and she tried to cling to it, but it slipped away from her, eluding her tired brain. She had gone too long without sleep, and now it was taking its toll on her all at once.

She forced herself to get up, and wandered around the cave, trying to wake herself up. When she strayed near to the entrance, she saw something lying on the floor and bent to pick it up. It was an iron amulet in the shape of a dragon, its eye an empty socket like a skull's. Kaelyn clutched it to her chest and walked out of the cave and into the sunlight.

Gern and Tuomas were on the ledge outside, sparring with their swords, but they stopped and looked around when they saw her.

'Hello, Kaelyn,' said Gern. 'Want to join us?'

Kaelyn shook her head. 'I don't have a sword any more,' she mumbled.

Sartago was awake. 'I saw your dream,' he said.

Kaelyn sat down beside him. 'I thought it was real,' she said.

Sartago said nothing. He raised his head and stared out at the horizon. Aedua and the other dragons had fallen silent by this time, but there was no need to call any more. There was a small gold shape in the air to the South, coming steadily closer, and with it were two others, less visible but close enough to recognise.

'They'll be here soon,' said Sartago. 'Will you wait with me?'

Kaelyn nodded silently.

'Perhaps you should try and sleep some more,' Sartago added. 'You'll make yourself ill if you keep staying awake so long.'

Kaelyn sighed and tried to make herself comfortable against his flank. Tuomas and Gern had resumed their sparring, and the clashing of metal kept her awake in spite of her exhaustion, though she was too tired to tell them to stop.

She stayed where she was, caught up in a kind of half-dreaming state where everything looked hazy and unreal and time ceased to matter. She was roused from it by Tuomas' shout.

'Here they come!'

Kaelyn started up, blinking, not sure if she had slept, and was in time to see the three dragons come down to land. Sartago, Aedua and Talziri went to meet them, growling and lifting their snouts affectionately toward Keth, who crooned softly and lowered her head to nuzzle at Sartago's shoulders. The gold dragon was sporting a broken talon, but was otherwise unharmed, and Roland was already climbing down off her back. 'Hello, hello!' he said in his usual cheerful tones. 'Good to see you, Kaelyn, and you Tuomas, Gern.'

Tranah and Strein emerged from the cave as Orwyne and Vander also dismounted. Roland paused to clap Tuomas on the back, and went to meet Tranah. 'Hello again, my Lady. I'm surprised to see you all here – what's going on?'

Tranah clasped his big rough hands in hers. 'Roland. I'm so glad to see you again.'

'And I you,' said Roland. 'But where's-?'

Tranah bowed her head. 'He's dead,' she said in a low voice.

Roland just looked at her blankly. 'What? I'm not sure I understand you there… where's Lord Galbatorix?'

'He's dead, Roland,' Tranah said again. 'They killed him.'

Still, Roland didn't seem to comprehend what she was saying. 'But that's not… I don't quite… don't do that, Tranah, it's not funny.'

'He's dead,' said Tranah. 'They caught him and put him to death at Gil'ead.'

Roland pulled away from her. 'No! Oh gods… tell me it isn't true, Tranah. Just tell me it isn't true.'

'I'm sorry,' said Tranah. 'I can't do that. He's gone.'

'But how did this happen?' Roland demanded. 'How could this happen?'

Kaelyn stepped forward. 'It's my fault,' she said.

Roland turned toward her. 'What do you mean, Kaelyn?'

'It's my fault he died,' said Kaelyn, her head low. 'They took my parents prisoner and I ran to set them free, but it was all a trick. They caught me. And they… he…'

'They sent us a message,' said Tranah. 'It said they would kill Kaelyn unless Galbatorix surrendered to them. And he went to Gil'ead, alone. We tried to stop him, but… he saved Kaelyn and sent her back to us. And they killed him. Kaelyn saw it happen. They hanged him. There was nothing we could have done.'

Roland had gone pale. Orwyne came to him and clasped his hand, and he held onto her, unable to speak.

Tranah, however, wasted no time. She took hold of Roland's shoulder. 'Listen to me,' she said, almost sharply. 'You are our leader now. Before he left, Galbatorix told us to find you and give you this message from him. You are the leader of the Forsworn from now on, and we're to obey you. But you must listen to all of us equally and take our advice.'

Roland looked at her. 'Oh, Tranah,' he said huskily. 'You know I'll do that. But I can't… how can I lead you?'

'You're the most senior of us,' said Tranah. 'And the most experienced.'

'I'm old, certainly,' said Roland. 'And I've fought in plenty of wars. But I'm no leader. The gods made me to follow, not to lead.'

'Nevertheless,' said Tranah. 'You are our leader now. I'll do my best to help you, but it's up to you now, Roland. The war isn't over yet. We must fight on.'

Roland hesitated. He looked from one to the other, his strong, freckled face wearing an expression almost of fear. No-one spoke. But then Kaelyn, driven by some impulse she only half understood, stepped forward and knelt at his feet. 'My Lord Roland,' she said, bowing her head. 'I am at your command.'

Tuomas and Gern looked at her, then did the same, and Tranah, Strein and Vander quickly followed. Even Orwyne knelt. Roland looked down at her. 'Orwyne, please-,'

'You are our leader now, my Lord,' the red-haired woman replied.

Roland clasped his hands together, his demeanour full of an uncertainty that was most unlike him. But then Keth gently nudged him with her snout, obviously communicating something to him in the privacy of their heads, and he stilled.

'Very well,' he said, his voice deeper and stronger than before. 'I cannot… if you want me to lead you, then I will do what I can. The war we began must continue, and though I do not think we can win it, we will not surrender. I for one intend to fight on for as long as I live, and if I must die, I will do so proudly, with the blood of my enemies on my sword and the power of the Three Peaks in my heart. If you would trust me enough to stand beside me then, I will be proud to have you with me.'

Tranah stood up, smiling. 'Not a leader, indeed. That was very well said, Roland.'

Roland did not smile in return. 'Let us go inside,' he said. 'We must make plans.'

The weeks that followed the loss of Galbatorix were not happy ones for the Forsworn. Roland took command, albeit reluctantly, and one of the first things he did was send Gern and Tuomas to gather information as best they could. As some of the less well-known members of the Forsworn, they were able to disguise themselves and enter the small town of Furnost, where they mingled with the locals and picked up what information they could. It was a dangerous assignment, but one they handled bravely and well.

The news of Galbatorix's capture and execution spread quickly; Menulis had sent out messages to his fellow riders which detailed his death and stated that the Forsworn had been found and massacred, leaving very few survivors. The rebellion had been crushed and the war was over, or so people were saying.

But it was good news for Roland. 'Menulis did us a great favour by spreading those lies about us,' he said once he had heard the report from the two junior riders. 'If the riders believe we're no longer a threat… well, they won't be expecting us to reappear, will they?'

'It's strange,' Tranah remarked. 'Why would he tell them that? Does he honestly believe it's true? Does he really think we're that helpless without Galbatorix?'

'So it would seem,' said Roland. 'Either way, we can take advantage of it.'

They decided to lie low for a time, to make plans and let the riders be lulled into a further sense of false security and also, though no-one admitted it out loud, to give themselves time to readjust to Roland's leadership.

Morzan, as expected, did not take kindly to it. But he proved less difficult than they had first thought; apparently too depressed to argue, he simply responded to Roland's commands with sullen and silent obedience. But at least he did as he was asked and didn't make an issue of it.

But when Roland finally put forward a plan he had formulated for resuming the fight with an attack on Gil'ead, he immediately ran into a wall.

Morzan was all for it. 'Good idea, sir,' he said, for once choosing to side with his new leader. 'We'll get that bastard Menulis and make him pay for what he done.'

Tranah and Strein, however, disagreed, pointing out the fact that, without Shruikan and his power to summon up a storm, they would have to fight Menulis and his fellow riders in the air. And fighting Menulis on an equal footing was not something they liked.

A vicious argument ensued, with at least three sides to it, and no-one could agree. Roland quickly proved that, in spite of whatever sterling qualities he possessed, he did not have the forcefulness required to assert himself properly and put an end to the argument. Morzan, of course, was the most vocal. After he had accused Tranah of cowardice and then proceeded to call both her and Strein a number of things which made Roland cringe, the argument degenerated into a shouting match which ended when Tranah stormed out. Afterwards Roland advised everyone to take some time to cool off, and left the camp on his own in order to think.

They were hiding out in a small valley in the Beors, having gone there to lie low for a while, and Roland walked off toward its upper end, where there was a small mountain. Keth was perched on its side, keeping watch, and he started to climb up toward her, freezing when he realised there was someone following him. He turned, reaching for his sword, but it was only Tuomas. The old rider sighed and sat down on a rock, waiting for the boy to join him.

Tuomas sat down next to his leader. He was the tallest of the three junior riders, and in truth he was a little lanky and awkward, but he'd filled out over the last few months. 'What're we going to do, sir?' he asked.

Roland sighed. 'Not to worry, lad. We'll meet up again later, when everyone's a little calmer, and come up with something then. As for me, I think the attack on Gil'ead could work, but I'm afraid I lack the leadership ability to carry it out as well as I would like.'

'You're a good leader, sir,' said Tuomas. 'It's not your fault the others won't listen.'

'Unfortunately, it is,' said Roland. 'I simply don't have the force of personality that Lord Galbatorix had. Without him here, we waste far too much time arguing.'

Tuomas nodded. 'But it's still not your fault.'

Roland shrugged, and the two of them sat in silence for a while, watching the clouds drift across the sky.

'Roland?'

'Yes?'

Tuomas looked a little awkward. 'I've been thinking… well, I mean… uh…'

'Spit it out, lad,' said Roland. 'I won't bite.'

'Well…' Tuomas, twisting his hands together. 'I was wondering… would you teach me about the Three Peaks? Because all those things you said about them, I kept thinking about it, and it kind of… made sense. I even tried praying to them once.'

Roland had grown a thick, shaggy beard over the lower half of his jaw, which made him look older and rather bearlike. He scratched thoughtfully at it. 'You're interested in becoming a member of the faith of the Three Peaks, are you?'

'I'm not sure,' said Tuomas, a little cautiously. 'But I want to learn more.'

'Well, I'll do what I can to teach you what I know,' said Roland. 'Although, admittedly, I haven't really done it before. We can even start now, if you like.'

'All right,' said Tuomas.

'Very well, then,' said Roland. 'Now, the basis of the faith I follow is-,' he broke off in midsentence, frowning.

'What is it?' said Tuomas.

'Hm?' said Roland. 'Oh, sorry. Keth was just telling me something.' He stood up and stared intently at something off to his left.

Tuomas followed his gaze. 'It's just a bird.'

Roland ignored him. He moved cautiously toward the bird – a large raven, which eyed him warily but didn't try and take off. The old rider held his arm out toward the creature and called it in the ancient language, and it flew onto his wrist. Roland brought it back to Tuomas, who saw that it had a patch of silver feathers on its chest – the mark of a messenger used by the riders. He stood up. 'How in the hell did that get here?'

'By flying, I would think,' said Roland. He untied the small roll of paper from the bird's leg, and unfurled it.

It seemed to take him forever to read it. Tuomas waited impatiently, but restrained himself from trying to read over Roland's shoulder. 'Well?' he said eventually.

Roland let the bird fly away, and started to walk off down the mountainside.

Tuomas ran after him. 'Sir? Sir, what did it say? Who's it for?'

'Come on,' Roland said briefly. 'I think the others should see this.'

Strein, Vander and Orwyne were still at the camp with Kaelyn's parents, and barely looked up when Roland arrived.

'You weren't gone long,' Orwyne remarked.

'I have something you should see,' said Roland. 'Where are the others?'

'Morzan went off that way,' said Strein, pointing. 'I think Tranah went to the river, and Kaelyn and Gern are looking for food, I think.'

'Well, don't dally,' said Roland. 'Kindly go and fetch them. I think everyone should be here.'

'Yes, sir,' said Strein. 'Orwyne, d'you want to help me?'

'Sure,' said Orwyne. 'I'll see if I can find Morzan.'

Strein sighed. 'Good luck trying to talk to him, you'll need it.'

The two women departed, and Roland sat down by the fire, still holding the note in his big hands.

'What's going on, sir?' said Vander.

'Someone has sent us a message,' said Roland. 'The gods alone know how the bird found us.'

Vander blinked. 'A message? What does it say?'

'Wait until the others get here,' said Roland. 'I'll read it for you.'

The others returned in due course – Morzan was the last one to arrive, looking a little calmer than before, though Tranah was still in a temper. But she was polite enough to Roland. 'What's going on, sir?'

Roland waited until they were all seated, and then stood up. 'A messenger bird just found me on the mountainside yonder,' he said, waving carelessly in its general direction. 'One of the silver-chested ones.'

The others stiffened. 'Who was it from?' said Tranah.

'It had come from Gil'ead,' said Roland. 'It had the blue band on its leg. And… well, this is the note it had.' He unfurled it. 'It's written in the ancient language. I'll just read it for you… "To Lord Roland. You and your friends are cordially invited to dine with the governor of Gil'ead, on whichever day you can come to the city. All nine of your companions are welcome. You will not be harmed. Orgetorix was a cunning and deceptive man, but I am not. May the light of the tharian lleaud protect you."'

'What the hell does that mean?' said Morzan. 'Us, dine with the governor?'

'It's unsigned,' said Roland. 'But there's more. This was tied to it.'

The others craned forward to look at it. It was a little curl of jet-black hair, bound up with a piece of thread.

'It's Galbatorix's hair,' said Roland.

'What? How do you know that?' said Tranah.

'Because this is his handwriting,' said Roland, holding the note out toward her.

Tranah examined the note, then wordlessly passed it to her companions. They examined it closely, and each one of them nodded.

'It's his writing,' Morzan said blankly. 'That little curl on that rune there, he always does that. But what does that mean?'

'It means he wrote this letter,' Roland said simply. 'See the other clues there? Orgetorix, the dark elvish king. "Tharian lleaud" – that's dark elvish for the crescent moon. He's alive.'

The rest of the Forsworn exchanged glances.

'But how?' said Vander. 'Kaelyn saw him die, didn't she?'

Everyone looked at her. 'I did,' she said, almost defensively. 'I saw him fall, and I saw the rope go taut. There's no way he could have escaped; he'd taken an oath in the ancient language not to fight or run away.'

'Nevertheless, the evidence is right here,' said Roland. 'But what this means I couldn't say.'

'It's a trap,' said Tranah, almost instantly. 'They're trying to get us to come to Gil'ead and be captured.'

'But it's written in the ancient language,' said Orwyne.

'Yes, but how can it be anything other than a lie, Orwyne?'

'I don't know, but it can't be anything other than the truth?' said Orwyne. 'Or some strange version of it, anyway…' The red-haired woman looked at Roland. 'What shall we do, sir?'

Roland hesitated. 'We should think on it for a while, I think. I for one would prefer not to rush into anything if I can possibly help it.'

'What's to think about?' Morzan said suddenly. 'It's not a trap, so it must be real. Galbatorix is alive, and he's in Gil'ead, and we've got to go to him.'

'Morzan's right,' said Kaelyn.

'No, Kaelyn,' said Tranah. 'We can't just rush in like that. We need to think it over. Just because this note's in the ancient language doesn't mean it can't be deceptive. It says "you will not be harmed", but that doesn't mean we can't be taken prisoner, does it?'

'But Galbatorix wrote it,' Kaelyn pointed out.

'We don't know he wrote it of his own free will,' said Tranah. 'And it might not have been him. It's possible to copy someone else's handwriting, you know.'

'Yes, but what about the clues?' said Tuomas. 'Orgetorix and the moon-thing… they don't know about that, only him and us know it.'

'There's such a thing as torturing information like that out of people, Tuomas,' Tranah said grimly. 'If he's alive, it's in a dungeon.'

'Well then we've got to rescue him,' said Gern.

'By rushing straight into a trap?' Tranah snapped. 'No thankyou.'

'Now then, Tranah,' said Roland. 'Irritability won't help anyone. But you are correct; there is every chance that the note was coerced, or that it is a fake.'

'Oh, for the love of gods!' Kaelyn burst forth suddenly. 'Can't you hear yourselves? You're being pathetic!'

They stared at her, shocked.

'It's real,' the girl went on, pointing accusingly at the note. 'We know it's real. It's his handwriting, his hair, his language. It can't be a lie or a trick; it's real. Can't you do anything for yourselves? Well?'

'Kaelyn, there is no shame in caution,' Roland said in as stern a voice as he ever used.

'Yes, but you're not being cautious, you're being stupid,' said Kaelyn. 'Well, you can stand here and argue if you want, but I'm going to find Galbatorix and tell him I believed him even if you didn't.' Without further ado, she turned and strode off through the trees, toward the spot where Sartago was waiting.

They ran after her, all shouting at her to stop, but she reached Sartago before they did, and was about to pull herself into the saddle when Roland grabbed hold of her shoulder and pulled her back. 'Kaelyn, stop that right now,' he said, sounding angry for almost the first time since they had met him. 'Foolish behaviour like that is what caused us to lose Galbatorix in the first place.'

Kaelyn shook him off and took hold of the saddle. 'If you'd rather stay here and waste time, then I'll go alone,' she snapped. 'It's my fault we lost him, so I'll be the one to get him back.'

'Kaelyn, for the love of gods, stop it!' Tranah shouted. 'You're acting like a child. You keep running into danger like this, and quite honestly I'm sick of having to drag you out of it. You already got Galbatorix killed, and now you're trying to do it to the rest of us as well. Step away from Sartago right now, or so help me I'll make you feel the back of my hand.'

Dead silence followed. Kaelyn stared at Tranah, caught between shock and rage, and for an instant it looked like she was actually going to draw her sword, but then Morzan stepped in. He stood beside Kaelyn and said; 'She's right.'

'Morzan, please don't make the situation any worse,' said Roland, who was looking mortified.

But Morzan looked at him resolutely and said; 'She's right, sir. It's not a trap, it can't be. It's real. Galbatorix is alive, and he's in Gil'ead, and that's all I need to know.'

'Morzan, as your leader, I am ordering you to calm down,' said Roland. 'Please. There's no harm in just-,'

'I swore an oath to Galbatorix, not you,' said Morzan. 'The girl's right.'

No-one dared to speak for what felt like several minutes, but then the tension broke when Tuomas and Gern came forward and silently joined their friend. A few moments later, Vander went too, and then Strein.

'We're going, sir,' said Kaelyn, unable to avoid betraying a hint of pride. 'Now. I know it's the right thing to do. I can feel it. So let's not fight. Let's just go.'

'But if it's a trap-,' Tranah began.

'It isn't,' Morzan interrupted. 'It can't be. Listen to yerself, woman, you're so jittery you don't even trust your own leader's handwritin'. Eh? So unless they've figured out a way to lie in a language no-one can lie in, it's all real.'

More silence followed. Tranah glared at Morzan, who looked back insolently.

At long last, Roland threw up his hands. 'All right! Fine! We'll go. And if I end up standing at the gibbet with the rest of you, rest assured my last words will be "I told you so".'

'That's not gonna happen to me,' Morzan vowed. 'Those bastards ain't gonna take me alive. I'll die first, and I'll take a dozen of 'em down with me.'

'I've no doubt you will, Morzan,' Roland said heavily. 'Now then, my Lords and Ladies… we may as well be off.' He walked away, muttering irritably, and the others went to find their dragons.

'That was incredible, Kaelyn,' said Tuomas, nudging his friend. 'Where the hell did you get all that from? You sounded like Galbatorix for a moment there.'

Kaelyn realised she was trembling, and forced herself to breathe calmly. 'I don't know. I just couldn't stand it any longer. They've done nothing but argue all day, and I just…'

'Told them so,' her mother broke in.

'Yes, I suppose I did,' said Kaelyn.

Rikash and Hugh, who had watched the argument from a safe distance, went to join their daughter now, their looks toward her both surprised and proud.

'I never thought you had it in you, Kaelyn,' said Hugh, giving her a quick hug.

'Was it the right thing to do?' Kaelyn asked, rather nervously.

'I don't know,' said Rikash. 'How could I? I'm not a warrior like you are, and quite honestly you shouldn't be looking to me for approval. You're a grown woman now, and a rider.'

Kaelyn felt no pride at this. 'No I'm not,' she said softly. 'Not really. I'm not a proper warrior yet, or a proper rider.'

'But you'll get there,' said Hugh. 'You know you will.'

Kaelyn sighed and helped him onto Sartago's back before she climbed up behind him and secured herself with the leg-straps while her mother went with Tuomas and Gern.

'What do you think, Sartago? Did I do the right thing?'

'I think you did,' said Sartago. 'The letter couldn't have been a lie. I don't know what it meant, but if Galbatorix wrote it…'

'Then he's alive,' said Kaelyn, feeling somehow frightened by the idea.

'Yes. But… I still don't understand how that can be true. If he took an oath before they… and if you saw him fall…'

'Maybe it was a trick,' said Kaelyn. 'Maybe they didn't really kill him, maybe they faked it so everyone would think he was dead, and now he's in the dungeon. But if that's true, how did he write to us?'

'I don't know, Kaelyn. But we'll find out when we get there, I suppose.'

When they arrived at Gil'ead, the first thing they noticed was that the dragon roost was unoccupied. They scanned the city and the castle below for any sign of a dragon, but there wasn't one. Roland ordered the others to stay circling overhead, and Keth came down to land on the roost, hitting it with a thud and a click of claws.

Roland got down off her back as fast as he could, drawing his sword as soon as he hit the ground. The trapdoor leading down into the castle was shut, and he started toward it, every sense on the alert for danger. The trapdoor opened before he reached it, and a pair of guards came through onto the roost. Roland immediately raised his sword, but the guards made no move to attack him. Their swords were sheathed, and they stood side-by-side and bowed low.

'My Lord Roland,' said one of them. 'We are honoured by your presence. Please, put your sword away. You're in no danger here.'

Roland, not satisfied, probed the man's mind for any sign of trickery. The guard winced, but there were no lies in his head. 'Please, my Lord,' he said. 'You can relax. The city governor has given orders for you to be made welcome. If you would call your friends down here, I've been asked to show you inside.'

Satisfied, Roland sheathed his sword and mentally asked Keth to call the others. The gold dragon roared at the sky, and a few moments later the other dragons came down to land. The dragon roost was too small to hold all of them, so the others deposited their riders and went to perch on the castle walls, which they did somewhat awkwardly.

Once the Forsworn and Kaelyn's parents were all together on the roost, Roland nodded to the guard. 'Show us inside.'

The guard and his companion saluted and climbed down through the trapdoor.

Roland nodded to his friends. 'Very well… keep together, and be on the alert. At the slightest sign of anything suspicious, prepare for an attack and do as I tell you. No arguments, no disobedience. I, personally, am all in favour of discussion and making decisions as a group, but this is different. Understood?'

'Yes, sir,' said Tranah.

'I said, understood?' said Roland, looking meaningfully at both Morzan and Kaelyn.

'Yes, sir, I understand,' said Kaelyn, looking at the ground.

'And you, Morzan?'

'Yeh, whatever,' Morzan muttered, and walked off toward the trapdoor.

They climbed down the ladder and into the castle, and once they were inside they couldn't help but feel trapped. Here, out of sight of the sky and away from their dragons, they were vulnerable, and all of them knew it.

The two guards led them away along a corridor and into a large audience chamber. There they stopped.

'Welcome to Gil'ead, my Lords and Ladies,' said one of the guards. 'Now, if you will just wait here for a few moments-,'

'Not so fast,' said Roland. 'First we would like to know-,'

The guard nodded. 'Understood, my Lord. We were expecting that. He's in the dungeons right now, but if you'll just wait a few moments I'll go and fetch him. Please, make yourselves comfortable.' He bowed again and hurried out with his comrade.

The Forsworn stood awkwardly in a group in the middle of the room, none of them quite knowing what to make of this.

'Go and fetch whom, I wonder?' said Roland. 'I must say they seem awfully well-prepared…'

'But there aren't any other riders here,' said Gern. 'We'd have seen their dragons.'

'On the contrary, my lad, I am completely certain that there is at least one other rider here,' said Roland. 'It's only to be expected that they would be keeping their partner hidden, considering how many have been caught off-guard and killed while roosting.'

'Oh,' said Gern. 'Yeah, I suppose that makes sense…'

They waited in tense silence for a time, keeping a close watch on the doors. When one of them opened, every single one of them drew their sword and went into a fighting stance, but it was only a group of servants, who walked in bearing goblets and a flagon of wine.

One of them bowed to Roland, somewhat nervously. 'Some refreshments for you, my Lord.'

The Forsworn glanced at Roland before they accepted the wine, but none of them drank it. The servants departed hastily, closing the door behind them.

Roland sniffed carefully at his wine and muttered a few words over it before he tasted it.

The others watched him tensely. 'How is it, sir?' said Vander.

'A rather good vintage, actually,' said Roland. 'And safe. You can drink it.'

'Are you sure, sir?' said Tranah.

Roland gave her a withering glance. 'Really, Tranah. The day the Three Peaks fall down is the day I fail to recognise poison when I see it.'

Orwyne chuckled. 'I trust you, Roland.' She drank, tasting it thoughtfully. 'Hmm. Not bad at all. Teirmish, if I'm any judge.'

They drank, and allowed themselves to relax slightly.

At long last, the double doors they had entered by were opened. The two guards came through it and stationed themselves on either side… and Galbatorix limped into the room.

He was moving slowly and supporting himself with a stick, but it was him, large as life, alive and unscathed but for a few cuts and bruises on his face. He was wearing a new and finely-tailored robe, and his hair and beard were neatly trimmed and combed.

He stopped in the doorway and grinned broadly at them. 'My gods, now that's a sight for sore eyes. I thought you'd never come.'

The Forsworn gaped at him. 'Galbatorix?' said Roland. 'Is that really you?'

'Well of course it is,' said Galbatorix, a touch irritably. 'Who d'you think it is, the Queen of the Dwarves? I'm awfully sorry for not letting you know what had happened, but I had to stay here because – oof!'

Kaelyn had rushed across the room and nearly flung herself on him, hugging him fiercely. He protested weakly but didn't try and push her off, and the next moment the rest of the Forsworn had crowded around their leader, all talking at once, reaching out to touch him as if to reassure themselves that he was real, and some, like Kaelyn, went so far as to hug him too. He made some attempt to maintain his dignity, but couldn't help but smile. 'Be careful there, would you, I've got a bad back. Thank gods you all made it here, I was starting to think I'd have to go and look for you myself.'

'Well, why didn't you, sir?' said Roland.

'The governor of Gil'ead isn't allowed to run off and abandon his duties, you know,' said Galbatorix, a little mischievously. 'I must have sent about a hundred messenger birds to you. I kept worrying that the wrong person was going to find one of them and figure out what the note meant, but thank gods it paid off.'

'The governor of-?'

'Yes. That's what the people more or less made me a few weeks ago. And you can stop glancing at the doors like that, we're safe here. Gil'ead's ours.'

'Are you sure?' said Tranah.

'Absolutely. No-one's attacking here, because they all think Menulis is still in charge. Of course, that's not going to last forever. But now you're all here, we can be ready for when they find out where I'm hiding.'

'But how did you even end up like this?' said Roland. 'I mean, unless Kaelyn lied to us, the last time she saw you they were in the process of hanging you.'

Galbatorix shrugged. 'The rope snapped. But, look, let's not stand around here. I've had some rooms prepared for you, and there's baths and clean clothes and so on. Go and have a wash and a bit of a rest, and I'll have some food made. Explanations can wait until then, all right?'

'Just as you say, sir,' said Roland.