Chapter Forty-Two

An Old Friend

Tranah did not feel like sleeping. She went up onto the castle wall in the hopes of finding Roland there, and, sure enough, she found him sitting on the parapet with Orwyne.

The old rider looked up at Tranah's approach. 'Ah, hello, young lady. Please, feel free to join us.'

Tranah sat down beside Orwyne and stared out at the view over the city. It was disarmingly peaceful; she could see people walking around down there, disconcertingly small from this height, going about their business as if nothing had happened.

'So,' said Orwyne. 'What d'you think?'

Tranah scratched her head. 'Well, we've got him back, and that's a mercy. And Roland-,'

'If you're going to complain over the fact that I told him off, kindly desist,' Roland interrupted. 'I was well within my rights.'

'Actually, I was going to say you did the right thing,' said Tranah. 'If you hadn't said it, I would have.'

'Ah,' Roland was unable to hide a slight smile. 'Well, I really should have expected that.'

'He won't be happy about it, but it needed to be said,' Orwyne agreed. 'He's a great leader, I'm not going to argue about that, but he was well and truly in the wrong.'

'He's young,' said Roland. 'Don't forget that. In fact… Tranah, how old is he, exactly?'

'Twenty-two,' said Tranah. 'I think.'

'You see?' said Roland. 'It's easy to forget, isn't it? He's hardly more than a boy. His own apprentices are only a year or so younger than him. It's only to be expected that he would act his age from time to time.'

'The trouble is,' said Tranah. 'I mean… I think the problem with him is that he's too powerful for his own good. The riders taught him fighting and magic and so on, but he never learned discipline. He just doesn't respect anyone enough for it. He's a law unto himself and, really, how is anyone ever going to bring him into line? I mean, he'll listen to you or I, Roland, but he's perfectly capable of ignoring us if he wants to.'

Roland's brow furrowed. 'Indeed you are right, Tranah, as always.'

'Yes,' said Orwyne. 'And it's so easy to forget, isn't it? He's so… well, most of the time I'm barely aware of how young he is. The way he speaks, the way he leads… they make you forget about it. But then he'll do something that suddenly reminds you that he's just a boy. When you told him off, Roland, I saw the look on his face. He looked like… well, like a young apprentice being lectured by his master. It was very disconcerting.'

'Indeed,' said Roland. 'And we would all be well-advised to keep an eye on him. It's our duty to make sure he doesn't forget himself, and keep him on track. If he makes a mistake, we must not hesitate to let him know it. Because if we let him lose his head again… well, next time he might not be so lucky. Sooner or later he's going to make a mistake that will have dire consequences for him, and for us as well. Unless we stop him.'

'I'm certain of it,' Tranah agreed.

'Well,' Orwyne said eventually. 'I'm sure we'll be able to keep him safe. He's not an idiot; he was listening to you, Roland, and I don't doubt he'll act on it.'

'I'll keep an eye on him,' Tranah promised.

They stayed together on the wall for a while, talking inconsequentially, and were eventually joined by Galbatorix. He emerged from a nearby door, leaning on his stick.

'Ah, there you are.'

'That's a nasty limp you've got there, sir,' said Roland. 'It's not a serious injury, is it?'

'Oh, no, it's just my back giving me trouble. I fell out of a tree a few years ago, and it bothers me every now and then. And hitting the castle wall like that didn't help much either.'

'A healing spell ought to take care of that,' said Roland. 'Remind me about it later. So, what news do you have for us, sir? Would you like us to depart today, or tomorrow, or…?'

'In a day or so,' said Galbatorix. 'When we've made some more detailed plans. I don't think you should all go at once; it wouldn't be good to have us all scattered like that. In the meantime, there's something else to see to. I forgot to mention it earlier, but if you'd like to come with me now… there's an old friend waiting for us in the dungeons.'

'Who?' said Tranah.

'My old mentor, Carina,' said Galbatorix. 'She came here a few days ago; she'd been sent to talk with Menulis. I tricked her into coming into the castle, and had one of the servants give her some drugged wine. I'll bet that gave her a nasty hangover. Anyway, she's locked up right now, and I've got her dragon, Leaf, in one of the wine cellars underground.'

Tranah's eyes widened. 'Carina – good gods.'

'Yes, I believe you know her.'

'Well, of course I know her,' said Tranah. 'She's my sister.'

'Good gods,' said Roland. 'Really?'

'Yes, but I haven't seen her in years… she stopped talking to me after she found out about me and Strein. What are you going to do with her, sir?'

'I've been trying to persuade her to join us,' said Galbatorix. 'Without much luck so far. I was hoping if you would talk to her, she might change her mind.'

Tranah shook her head, grim-faced. 'I'm not sure she will. We haven't spoken in years, and the last time we did, it ended badly. She's very stubborn.'

'I know,' said Galbatorix. 'I tried everything. Persuasion, threats… I told her my real story, just like I told you, but she didn't believe me. I don't want to have to kill her, but if she won't join us, I won't have a choice.'

'I'll see what I can do,' said Tranah.

'Go to her, then,' said Galbatorix. 'It'll probably be best if you go alone. And Tranah… try and be strong. I know it won't be easy for you, but it's the best chance we have of getting her to help us.'

Tranah nodded. 'I'll do my best.'

She left for the dungeons, walking slowly.

There were two rows of cells in Gil'ead's dungeons; each one had a door of iron bars through which the occupant was clearly visible, and a wide corridor ran between them.

Carina was in the one at the end of the corridor, sitting on the stone bench provided with her head in her hands. Her wrists were chained together and her clothes were grubby, but she appeared to be unharmed.

Tranah stood on the other side of the door, watching her for a moment. 'Carina.'

Carina looked up sharply, and froze. 'Tranah?'

Tranah controlled herself with some effort. 'How are you, Carina?'

Carina got up and came to stand on the other side of the door. There was a large bruise on her face, and she reached through the bars toward her sister, who moved out of reach. 'Please, Tranah,' Carina said urgently. 'You've got to help me, I'm begging you. He's out of his mind.'

Tranah sighed. 'Waíse heill.' The bruise faded. 'Carina… I missed you, you know. Even after what happened.'

'Tranah,' said Carina. 'Please tell me… please, gods, tell me it's not true. Tell me it's a lie. You're not one of them, are you? I wouldn't believe it when they told me. It's a lie.'

Tranah looked back at her, stone-faced. 'It's true,' she said. 'I have joined the rebels, and so has Strein. We are Forsworn now.' She pulled her hair aside to show her sister her mutilated ears.

Carina shuddered and bowed her head. 'Oh gods, no. Please no.'

'Stop that,' said Tranah. 'What else would you expect, Carina? Did you think I would forget what the elders did to me, and to Strein too?'

'You've betrayed me,' Carina whispered, not looking up. 'You've betrayed-,'

'Yes,' Tranah interrupted. 'I have betrayed the elders. But I did it because I did not want to betray something far more important to me. If I had stayed loyal, it would have meant betraying myself. And I couldn't do that any more.'

'Because of her?' Carina screeched. 'That vile harlot? You turned into a murderer for her?'

'For her, and for everyone the elders ever persecuted,' Tranah said coldly. 'For justice. Carina, you're my sister, and in spite of what you did to me I still love you. I don't want to see you die. For my sake… join us.'

Carina faltered. 'I can't. Tranah, please. I don't want to fight you. You have to get me out of here. Turn back to our side. I can understand if you're angry with the elders, but this isn't the answer. Can't you see what you've done? You've sold your soul to that monster. He's turned you into something you're not. You have to fight it, Tranah. For my sake, and yours.'

Tranah spat. 'And go back to working for them? No, Carina. Never again. I would rather die. I've found a way for me, and it's the right way. You have to see that.'

Carina's gaze hardened. 'The traitors won't win this war. You know that, Tranah. If you stay with them, you'll die with them.'

'Then I'll die fighting for something that should be fought for,' said Tranah. 'Listen to me, Carina. For too long the elves have used the riders to do their bidding. For too long, they've treated humans like slaves. For too long they've persecuted and destroyed and used their supremacist ways to turn this country into a wasteland.'

'The riders have made mistakes, yes,' Carina admitted. 'But it's in the past. How is war going to fix that? You've killed so many people, and most of them were innocent. What you did at Osilon was unspeakable. How is cold-blooded murder going to make the world a better place?'

'Sometimes, war is the only answer,' said Tranah. 'And the elders are beyond reasoning with. We can't negotiate with them. They crush anyone who opposes them. Like me. Like Strein. Like Lord Galbatorix.'

'Tranah, he's out of his mind!' Carina shouted. 'Can't you see it? How can you be so deluded?'

Tranah hit her. 'Don't you dare say that about him,' she snarled. 'Or I'll tell him you chose death. You don't know anything about him.'

'I know what he did to the elf he took prisoner,' said Carina. 'I saw it. He was in the cell opposite me. I saw what the half-breed did to him. It was monstrous.'

Tranah hesitated. 'What was it?'

'He beat him,' said Carina. 'For hours. Chained him up and hit him, over and over again, trying to make him talk. In the end his whole face had swollen and his teeth were broken, but he still wouldn't talk. So the half-breed… he…'

'He did what?' said Tranah, suddenly uncertain.

'Broke into his mind,' Carina whispered. 'I saw him do it. Broke through his mental defences and tore the information out of him by force. Afterwards, when he had taken what he wanted… the elf had been driven insane. And then he killed him. Broke his neck with his bare hands.'

Tranah said nothing.

'Afterwards,' Carina resumed. 'Afterwards he told me that if I didn't join him, he'd do the same thing to me. Tell me, Tranah, is that how he got you to join him?'

Tranah was silent for a long time. Finally, she sighed and rubbed her head. 'I'll make this simple, Carina. You're not in a position to tell me what I should and should not do, and, frankly, you never were. You can keep on letting yourself be used as a tool for the elders' tyranny, or you can face the truth and fight back. I will ask Galbatorix to spare your life, but I can promise you that if you keep following the lies, you will suffer for it.'

Carina shook her head. 'The elders are the rightful rulers of this land, and I will not work for that madman. He'll lead you all to your deaths, Tranah.'

'He won't,' said Tranah. 'He's not mad, Carina. He's ten times the leader Vrael ever was. His cause his just. He's my master, and my friend. And if you can't see that… then you are no longer my sister.'

Carina turned away. 'Then so be it.'

That evening, the Forsworn ate together in the banqueting hall. Galbatorix had had the finest food prepared for them, and they ate heartily, none of them speaking much, all savouring the comforts of civilisation after so much time in the wilderness.

'So,' said Galbatorix, once the edge had been taken off their hunger. 'How did you go with your sister, Tranah?'

Tranah shook her head and drank deeply from her goblet of wine. 'She wouldn't listen. There's no way we can get her to join us, short of forcing her into it.'

'That wouldn't do,' said Roland. 'An ally who has been coerced into working for you is not the kind of help anyone wants.'

'Yes,' said Tranah. She looked warily at Galbatorix. 'And she told me what you did to that elf. You really shouldn't have let her watch.'

Galbatorix looked slightly guilty. 'Yes… I really should have thought of that, but all the other cells were full because I'd had a group of rebels arrested a few days earlier. And I thought that perhaps it would show her what happens to people I consider enemies.'

'I admit,' said Tranah. 'It shocked me. Breaking into his mind like that…'

'It was necessary,' said Galbatorix. 'He wouldn't talk, and I needed information. Sometimes cruelty is all that works. Besides,' he added dismissively. 'It was only an elf. I could have been a little more gentle with him, but he was strong in the mind, and I hadn't really tried it before, so perhaps I overdid it. Anyway, I would have killed him once he'd told me what I wanted to know, so it didn't really matter.'

'What did you do with him afterwards?' Strein enquired.

Galbatorix shrugged. 'Shruikan tells me he was quite tasty.'

Some of the others pulled faces. 'Galbatorix, how could you?' said Vander.

Galbatorix snickered. 'Well, he was hungry. I wouldn't let him go hunting in case something happened to him. Now then, to business…'

'Wait a moment,' said Tranah. 'What about Carina? You won't kill her, will you?'

Galbatorix sighed. 'There really isn't any point in keeping her alive. If she gets out she'll only cause trouble. But to be honest, I'm not sure I could bring myself to do it. It's hard… we've killed plenty of riders, but this is the first time I've had to fight one I knew personally. Carina's a good person; she doesn't deserve to die.'

'Let her live, then,' said Tranah. 'Please. Maybe she'll change her mind… after the war's over, if we win, we can send her into exile or something.'

'We could make her take an oath not to fight us and then let her go,' said Morzan.

'That's a thought,' said Galbatorix. 'But I'll bet she'll find some other way to get in our way. Anyway, we'll leave her be for the time being. We can always use her as a hostage, if we have to fight here. That reminds me, actually. All of you… if we're going to win the war, we need more allies. So next time you go to fight, keep that in mind. If someone surrenders, if you can beat them without killing them, if there's any chance that you can capture rather than kill, then take it.'

'Yes, sir,' said Tranah.

'A good idea,' Roland added. 'Could someone pass me that dish of plums, please? Thankyou. Now, the matter of these other cities. Orwyne and I are prepared to leave as soon as you wish. When would you like us to go?'

Galbatorix paused to mull it over for a while. 'The sooner the better, I think. We'll take Dras-Leona first because it's the bigger city. While you're doing that, Morzan and I will go to the Spine and deal with this new dragon leader. The rest of you will stay here. How does that sound?'

'Should work,' said Morzan.

'In the meantime,' said Galbatorix, 'I've a way to keep in touch with you while I'm gone. I've been talking to Durza. He's only a day or so away; he'll be with us soon. I'll leave him here with you, and he can contact me if anything goes wrong.'

Roland and Orwyne exchanged glances. 'I am not sure I like the idea, sir,' said Roland.

Galbatorix sighed. 'Look, for the last time, it's safe. He's a Shade, yes, but he's obedient to me. If I tell him to stay here and do what you tell him to, then that's what he'll do. And to be honest, he'll probably be easier to deal with than a human helper. He never eats, never sleeps, and never complains. Humans are tricky to deal with, but Shades aren't. Their minds are really very simple, when you get right down to it, and once you know how they think the rest is easy. As for the Ra'zac, it seems the eggs have hatched. The parents have metamophosed into their winged form. Lethrblaka, I think they're called. I didn't fancy the idea of having them hanging around here, so I told Durza to send them North. I'm sure they won't have many qualms about living off elf-flesh. Humans are a bit stringy, apparently.'

The others chuckled, a little uneasily.

'Any port in a storm, I suppose,' said Orwyne. 'Speaking of which, could someone pass me that bottle? Thanks.'

'Anyway, so Morzan and I will see what we can do about the dragons,' Galbatorix resumed. 'I'm fairly sure I know how to find him – he would have become the leader by beating Thornessa in a fight and taking her territory. Territory is what dragons respect, and the leader has the best one.'

'You'll have to be careful,' said Tranah. 'I've visited that place in the past; it's right in the middle of their territory. If the wild dragons decide to attack… you'll be in trouble.'

'Don't worry,' said Galbatorix. 'I'll have Shruikan with me, don't forget. I intend to show the dragons I mean business. The storm will scare them. They won't dare fly after us while we've got that, and Shruikan's getting better at controlling it all the time. If I have to, I can intimidate this new leader into helping us, or at least warn him that if he sends any of his race after us they'll be up against Shruikan's power. He won't like that at all.'

'They won't like Shruikan at all,' said Vander. 'You'd be well advised to use a spell on him to change his colour. If they see you riding a black dragon…'

'Why does that matter?' said Gern.

'Black dragons aren't common, Gern,' said Vander. 'In fact, until I saw Shruikan, I thought they didn't exist. But other dragons believe they're evil. So do elves.'

'Really?' said Tuomas.

'Yes,' said Galbatorix. 'And that is why Shruikan and I are such a good match. And frankly, I don't care what the wild dragons think of him, and neither does he. We both decided not to lie about what we are.'

'That's all very well, but don't delude yourself,' said Roland. 'They'll hate you.'

Galbatorix did not waver. 'Let them hate me, as long as they fear me.'

'Oh, they will,' said Roland. 'There's no doubt about that.'

They spent much of that night making plans, studying maps, discussing strategies. They did so with considerable confidence; most of them had done this several times before, and this time they were at a considerable advantage. They had a good stronghold, access to proper maps and records, and better still, this time their attack would come, literally, out of the blue. A search of the armoury turned up several suits of dragon battle-armour, and an entire cellar full of fire-bombs, each one ready to be used.

Perfect. Armour was found that would fit Keth and Ymazu, although Orwyne's dragon Calanon had to go without. Roland, Vander and Orwyne found armour for themselves too, and once they had suited up they prepared five firebombs – two each for Keth and Calanon, and one for the smaller Ymazu. With these, they could devastate the castle at Dras-Leona, and hopefully kill the enemy riders there.

Galbatorix and Morzan were also ready to go. They had managed to find armour that fitted both Shruikan and Idün as well, and once they had put this on and packed a few essentials, it was time to leave. Galbatorix found a fine set of steel armour for himself, choosing to wear it under his robe and leave off the helmet. Once this was done, he went up onto the dragon roost with Morzan. Roland, Orwyne and Vander were already there, along with their dragons, and the others had come to see them off.

Galbatorix shook Roland's hand. 'Good luck, Roland. And you, Orwyne, and you, Vander. Go in carefully, stick to the plan, and I'm sure everything will be fine.'

'And good luck to you, too, sir,' said Roland. 'Be cautious and try not to antagonise this dragon leader any more than is necessary. I'm sure you'll be able to manage the situation effectively.'

'I'll do my best,' said Galbatorix. 'Oh yes, could you see to my back before you go? I don't want it to suddenly give out on me in the middle of a fight or something.' He handed his walking stick to Kaelyn and straightened up, wincing slightly.

'Not a problem,' said Roland. He held out a hand and recited a healing spell. Gold light shimmered over Galbatorix, and his back made an unpleasant cracking sound. He winced and rubbed it, then sighed as the light faded away.

'Is that better?' said Roland.

Galbatorix flexed his shoulders experimentally. 'Ah, that's much better. Thankyou. Now, we'd better be going.' He turned to Tranah, Strein, and the three junior riders. 'As for the rest of you… Tranah, you're in charge. Keep an eye on my apprentices and make sure they don't get into any trouble. Watch out for Durza; make sure he gets into the castle without anyone identifying him. That's imperative. We don't want people realising there's a Shade about; they'll probably panic. Be respectful to him, but tell him my orders to him are to obey you as he would me. I've already told him that myself, but make sure you remind him of it. Don't tell him any more than you have to, but listen to his advice. If you have any visitors – other riders, messengers from Ilirea… you must not let them escape from here. Kill them or take them prisoner – I'd prefer it if you captured them, but kill them if that's not possible. Lock them up, keep a close watch on them. Don't hesitate to interrogate them, but don't tell them I'm not here… in fact, don't tell them anything. Even if you know them. Even if they're a friend. Don't try and recruit them; leave that to me. If you're attacked… fight back. I'm sure you'll know how to organise yourselves. Be ruthless, take advantage of owning the castle, don't be afraid to get the locals to help you. If they want us to set them free, then they'd better be prepared to fight for us. And contact me immediately. I'll probably be back in less than a day, but if I don't come back, you're not to come looking for me. If I get into trouble, I'll let you know immediately. If I don't contact you, assume the worst but don't panic. I'll do everything in my power to get back to you, but I can't make any promises.'

'Don't you worry about him,' Morzan put in. 'I'll be with him. And this time, I ain't gonna let him out of my sight.'

'Not to worry, Morzan,' said Galbatorix. 'I have no intention of disappearing again. Now, let's be off.' He inclined his head toward Tranah and climbed onto Shruikan's back. The black dragon was fully armoured, his neck and tail covered in jointed metal plates and his flanks and legs protected by more of them. His head was covered by a huge helmet, its brow covered with silver spikes, and the sheath on the very end of his tail was encrusted with more spikes. It managed to achieve the seemingly impossible task of making him look even more intimidating than before, and as Galbatorix strapped himself into the saddle it was hard to feel frightened for him – with Shruikan beside him, he would be very well protected indeed.

Morzan, Roland, Orwyne and Vander had also mounted their dragons, and they bid farewell to their friends before the five of them flew away. Keth, Calanon and Ymazu swooped down over the outer walls to snatch up the firebombs that had been placed there for them, and they soared straight up to lose themselves among the clouds before they began to head South, where Dras-Leona awaited them.

Shruikan and Idün were quick to follow. They, however, went West, toward the Spine.

Tranah and the others watched them until they had disappeared.

Tranah sighed. 'We may as well go inside now,' she said. 'Come on.'

'D'you think we'll ever see them again?' said Gern.

'We will,' said Tuomas. 'And Roland will win. The Three Peaks are right outside Dras-Leona. They'll protect him.'

Gern and Kaelyn gave him odd looks.

'What?' said Tuomas, a little sulkily. 'They will.'

'You believe in the Three Peaks?' said Kaelyn.

'Yes,' said Tuomas. 'I mean… I think I do. Roland's been teaching me about it. He said that if we win the war, the first thing he's going to do is rebuild the Cathedral. So the faithful can worship again, without being persecuted. He said the old Cathedral was a beautiful thing… I hope I get to see the new one some day.'

'If we survive,' said Gern.

'We will,' said Tuomas. 'If we believe.'

'We will if we fight,' said Kaelyn. 'And if we never give up.'

Gern rolled his eyes. 'I wish you'd stop saying stuff like that. It's really annoying.'

Despite herself, Tranah laughed. 'Gern, that's not very nice.'

Everyone there expected Kaelyn to stalk off or to shout at Gern, but she did neither. Instead she sighed and walked to the edge of the roost, staring at the horizon a long way away. Finally, she turned to Tranah. 'Is there anything you'd like me to do, my Lady?' she asked, in a very different voice than her usual one. 'I mean, something to help? I could guard the cells, maybe, or keep watch on the walls. Sartago can help me with that.'

Tranah blinked. 'Uh… well, yes, if you could take sentry duty, that would be very helpful. Tuomas, you stay up here with her. Gern, you can come with Strein and me. We'll need a hand down below. Kaelyn, Tuomas – keep a close eye out for any sign of Durza. He'll come to the West gate when he arrives; if you see him coming, one of you should go down to meet him. The other will send someone to tell me. Understood?'

'Yes, my Lady,' said Kaelyn. She waited while Sartago flew up to the roost, and let him carry her to the Westernmost wall, where she took her place among the ordinary guards already stationed there. Tuomas went to the Easternmost wall, and Tranah, Strein and Gern climbed back down through the trapdoor and into the castle.

Shruikan and Idün flew steadily in spite of the weight of their armour and, after a few hours in the air, the Spine came into sight. They reached it at around midday, and stopped to rest on the outskirts.

Galbatorix paced around among the trees at the edge of the mountains, letting his legs unstiffen. 'Right,' he said. 'This is where it gets dangerous. Before we do anything else, we're going to go hunting. We need to take an offering to the dragon leader, preferably something good – a deer, perhaps.'

Morzan yawned. 'Let the dragons do it. Idün said she's willing.'

'Fine. But you and I will go as well. We want to get this done quickly; I don't fancy being in the Spine at night.'

Morzan grumbled a little over this, but took his bow and loped off among the trees while Idün and Shruikan flew off. Galbatorix walked out of the forest and cautiously entered the outskirts of a nearby farm. There, keeping well out of sight of anyone who might be about, he found and killed a cow, carrying it back to the shelter of the trees with the use of magic. Morzan joined him a short time later, carrying a brace of pheasants, and an hour later Shruikan and Idün also returned, the first one bearing a deer, but the other empty-clawed. Idün took up the cow, and they were ready to leave again.

As they flew up and over the edge of the mountains, Shruikan sighed and began to unleash his magic. Galbatorix didn't need to help him much any more; the black dragon was becoming steadily more confident with it all the time. In less than ten minutes, the sky blackened and the clouds became thicker and darker. Lightning started to crackle around their edges, white as Shruikan's wings.

Up ahead, among the dark crags of the Spine, they could see wild dragons rising out of their territories, each one big and menacing. Roars echoed among the stone, challenging the intruders, and they could already see a few jets of flame. Shruikan roared back, and, as he did so, thunder crashed overhead. It melded with his call, making it sound somehow more powerful and a thousand times more threatening. The storm-clouds spread away ahead of them, and a powerful wind gathered itself under Shruikan's wings, propelling him forward. On his back, Galbatorix felt the wind whip through his hair and tug at his robe, making it flap like a banner, snagging on Shruikan's armour. He held on tightly and let the fierce thrill of the black dragon's magic move through him, making him feel invincible.

Sure enough, as they passed over the mountains, swept along by the power of the storm, the wild dragons retreated. They flew straight downward, back to the shelter of their homes, many of them snarling in rage and fear but none daring to fly. Shruikan roared mockingly back. Ahead, they could see the large canyon where the leader of the wild dragons had his territory. Halfway down a cliff inside it was the large cave where he lived, and they could already hear deep, echoing roars coming from inside it.

Shruikan came down to land on the plateau above it, placing his offering on the stone in front of him. Idün landed beside him and placed her own burden down beside the cow. Galbatorix and Morzan dismounted and stood side-by-side between the two dragons, waiting. Moments later, there was a deafening roar and a rushing of wings, and a big male dragon flew up over the cliff and landed in front of them, snarling and aggressive.

'Don't move,' Galbatorix told Morzan. 'Keep your sword sheathed.'

He stepped forward slightly, and bowed low to the leader of dragons, who had noticed the offerings and was sniffing at them suspiciously.

Galbatorix stood silently and waited.

The dragon leader, who was in fact only a little bigger than Shruikan and who had flame-orange scales, looked up at them all. He took in Shruikan, tensing immediately when he saw his black scales. Then he looked at Galbatorix. He stretched his neck forward, golden eyes glaring straight at him. Galbatorix kept still and let the orange dragon scent him, but as he looked back at him, he had a strange feeling of familiarity.

It was more or less at the same moment that they recognised each other.

The orange dragon backed away, his jaws opening in a snarl. 'You!'

Galbatorix's heart skipped a beat. 'Kullervo?'

The orange dragon reared onto his hind legs, and roared. Instantly, Shruikan sprang forward. He attacked the other dragon, hitting him directly in the chest, and before Galbatorix could make any move to interfere the two of them were fighting. Kullervo wrapped his forelegs around Shruikan's neck, trying to get a grip on him, but his claws scraped off the solid metal plates, denting but not penetrating them. Shruikan swung his tail around, smacking Kullervo in the flank with his spiked tail and tearing through his scales. For a few moments they shoved at each other, trying to sink their teeth into each other's throats and spitting flame before Kullervo suddenly broke away and leapt from the top of the cliff. He swung around in midair and came hurtling back, but instead of heading for the clifftop and Shruikan he angled downward and vanished back into his cave.

'Godsdammit!' Galbatorix swore. He ran to the edge of the cliff, ignoring the snarling Shruikan, and jumped off it into space. He neatly caught the lip of the cave as he fell past it, and pulled himself inside with scarcely a pause.

The cave was bigger than he'd expected. Inside was Kullervo, already lifting his head to spit flame at him, and, behind him, was another, much larger dragon – a dragon he recognised, who came rushing to Kullervo's side.

Galbatorix dodged Kullervo's flame, and in the blink of an eye he sent his own magic back. It enveloped both dragons with smothering black energy, and even as Shruikan and Idün flew in, they fell, hitting the cave floor with a deafening thud.

Galbatorix stood still for a few moments, his hand still outstretched, back heaving. Morzan jumped down from Idün's back and ran to his side, drawing his sword.

'It's all right,' Galbatorix told him harshly. 'They can't fight.'

Kullervo lay on his belly, his wings twitching. He was still conscious, and his golden eyes glared up at Galbatorix, full of burning hatred. Beside him, his brown-scaled mate hissed as she tried to get up, but the paralysing spell had numbed her limbs and she could not move.

Galbatorix sighed and strode forward. He halted just in front of Kullervo's snout, and there he knelt and bowed his head. 'My Lord Kullervo,' he said. 'Please forgive me. I have no intention of hurting you; I will lift the spell before I leave.'

'Betrayer!' Kullervo rasped, baring his teeth. 'Murderer!'

Galbatorix ignored him. 'My Lord Kullervo,' he said. 'I haven't introduced myself properly… I am Galbatorix Taranisäii, of Teirm, and this is my friend, Morzan Drasborn. These dragons are Idün, and Shruikan, my partner.'

Kullervo's eyes turned toward Shruikan, who stayed by the entrance, watching him balefully. 'The black dragon… gods help me…'

'Look at him, my Lord,' Galbatorix urged. 'Look at his eyes, Kullervo. Don't you recognise him? He's your brother.'

Both Shruikan and Kullervo started.

'I have no brother,' Kullervo snarled. 'Take your lies elsewhere, human.'

'You have a brother,' Galbatorix insisted. 'And two sisters. Your father was Ravana, wasn't he? And your mother, Silarae. They were Shruikan's parents too. He told me.'

Shruikan came forward and sniffed at Kullervo, and for a moment the two dragons examined each other. Close to, it was easy to see the resemblance between them. The same burning gold eyes, the same six-horned head, brutal face and jutting lower canines.

'Shruikan is my partner,' said Galbatorix. 'If you attack me, you attack him. If I die, he dies. But we don't need to fight. We could be friends, you and I. We could work together to set the country free.'

Kullervo snarled at him. 'You killed Einás. You killed my rider.'

'I didn't know,' Galbatorix lied. 'I didn't know she was your rider, I swear. I had come to Ilirea looking for you. Your sister, Skade – I met her, up North near a place called Carvahall. She told me about you, and about Einás as well. How Einás betrayed her to the elders. They hurt her, Kullervo. They cursed her. She nearly died because of what they did to her. I came to find you and tell you she was all right, and to punish Einás for what she did. She was one of them, Kullervo. She was one of the elders. She helped them do what they did to Skade. She deserved to die.'

'LIAR!' Kullervo roared, fighting back furiously against the magic that bound him. 'Liar! Murderer! You killed Einás! You took her away from me, you tortured me, you destroyed me! I'll kill you!'

Galbatorix could see he was losing control of the situation. He knelt, placing his hands on Kullervo's snout, and looked into the dragon's eyes, willing him to be calm. 'I know it hurts, Kullervo,' he said urgently. 'I know what it feels like. I understand how it is, I swear. I lost my partner too, the elders took her away from me. They must be punished, Kullervo. They're traitors, they destroyed both our lives. You must help me. For Skade's sake, and Shruikan's. You're angry at the world, you want to make others feel your pain. Then join us. Fight back against the elders. They enslaved your race, Kullervo, and they enslaved mine too. What happened to you is their fault, and what happened to Skade as well.'

Kullervo sighed. 'Skade,' he said eventually. 'Where is she? What did they do to her?'

Galbatorix hesitated, and then reached into the orange dragon's mind. He broke down his mental defences as gently as he could, and showed him his memories of Skade. He showed him an image of her as an elf, her face marked with faint scars inflicted by her own claws. He let Kullervo see a picture of the two of them by the stream, the ragged boy holding onto the silver-haired elf as she sobbed into his robe. He showed other memories; them talking, walking together, Skade's misery, and his own, but also the trust and affection that had grown between them. Wandering through these memories and reliving them as Kullervo saw them, he was unable to hide the feeling of deep love and joy that went with them in his mind. And then, quite without meaning to, he showed Kullervo an image of their first kiss. Kullervo's mind recoiled instantly, radiating horror, but Galbatorix forced him to remain calm, and showed him the other memories; Skade's declaration of love, and his own, the lifting of the curse, and their last farewell in the shadows outside Ilirea, the same night Einás died.

Galbatorix withdrew, and saw Kullervo looking at him, his eyes full of revulsion.

'That was the last time I saw her,' he said quietly. 'She has gone over the sea to find your father, Kullervo. And I promised her that I would find you and keep you safe.'

He fell silent and stood up, backing away but without taking his eyes off Kullervo. His piece was said, and he waited for the orange dragon to respond.

For a long time, Kullervo said nothing. He looked at Galbatorix, and at Shruikan, and at Morzan and Idün as well. His expression remained dragonish and unreadable, but then, quite suddenly, his eyes glistened and two large tears slowly trickled down over his scales.

'It's all right, Kullervo,' Galbatorix said quietly. 'Skade trusted me, just as I have trusted you. No-one but you, her and I know about what happened. I promised her that when she returned, she would return to a free Alagaësia. One where I would be waiting for her, and you too. I am not your enemy, Kullervo, so don't force me to be.'

'The prophecy,' Kullervo whispered at last. 'The prophecy has come true.'

Galbatorix blinked. 'What prophecy?'

Kullervo's eyes closed. '"When a dark dragon hatches, upon a cursed day, and when his soul does bond, with that of dark-souled man, then will come our darkness, and blood rain from the sky."' He opened his eyes again, and looked at Shruikan, and then at Galbatorix. 'You are that man,' he said. 'Shruikan is that dragon. You have brought evil to the world. Now, we shall all die.'

Galbatorix stared at him for a moment, and then laughed coldly. 'A piece of old poetry can't tell me what to do, and nothing ever will. Only I do that. There's no such thing as fate, Kullervo. We choose our own destinies. I've chosen mine, and now it's time for you to choose yours. For your brother's sake, and your sister's… choose wisely.'

Kullervo looked at Shruikan, appealing to him with his eyes. Shruikan stared back coldly. Finally, the leader of dragons looked away. 'If Shruikan has bonded himself to you, then he is no longer my brother. And if Skade…' he shuddered softly. 'If Skade told you to kill Einás, then she is no longer my sister. Leave here, traitor, and never come back.'

Galbatorix looked at him sadly. 'Then you leave me with no choice.'

He stepped around Kullervo, walking past him and his brown-scaled mate, who was none other than Thornessa herself. Thornessa snarled and tried wildly to get at him. 'NO!' she screamed. 'Please, no!'

Galbatorix ignored her. He went to the back wall of the cave, where a heap of dried wood had been built. Nestled in the middle of it were three eggs. He picked up the uppermost one, which had a ruby-red shell, and walked back to stand by Shruikan.

'STOP!' Kullervo bellowed. 'No, gods, no! You monster!'

Galbatorix held up the egg so that both dragons could see it. 'On my honour as a rider,' he said, using the ancient language. 'I swear that I will not harm your child. But if you or any of your race attacks me or any of my allies, or if they help my enemies in any way, I swear that I will crush this egg into pieces. And if that is not enough, I will attack the wild dragons, and I will kill as many of them as I have to.' He stared coldly at Kullervo and Thornessa. 'That is my promise,' he said, and tucked the red egg away inside his robe. 'Goodbye, Kullervo. If you change your mind, come to me and tell me so, and I will give you your egg back. Until then, I will keep it safe.'

He climbed onto Shruikan's back, glancing at Morzan to do the same. Idün took off, and Shruikan walked toward the entrance, spreading his wings in readiness to follow. Before they left, man and dragon looked back at Kullervo.

'The spell should wear off in an hour or so,' Galbatorix said softly. 'I'm sorry, Kullervo. But you forced me to do it.'

Moments later, they were gone.