Chapter Eight
The peaceful sleep I had hoped for didn't come, but was once again haunted by the strange shadows that continued to mock and torment me. I clutched my spectral form's head in anguish and crouched down, trying to hide from their evil laughter.
"Pooorrr, poor Aylaaaa...trapped in a world she doesn't understand and waiting for a death that she knows will coooommme on sssswiffttt winggssss..." one of the shadows whispered, laughing mockingly. I tried to strike out at it, but the shadow dissolved around my spectral hand, only to reappear further away, still laughing. I curled up in a fetal position and tried to plug my ears, but to no avail. Their words slivered through like the slickest snake.
"Leave me alone!" I yelled, clutching my head even tighter.
"Oh Ayla, what's the matter? Are you afraid your dearest Shade won't be able to save you from us? He will be the one to kill you because we will make it so! You will die slowly, painfully, pitifully..." they whispered viciously. I shook my head vigorously.
"No! I was told to stay alive and that's what I'll do! I won't let you harm me!" I screamed, my eyes blazing angrily.
"Oh my, the sun is rising. Better wake up Ayla, your death is approaching swiftlyyyyy..." they whispered, their voices drifting away from me as the sun began to rise.
I sat straight up on the couch, my eyes wide with terror. I hunched over and cried silent tears of fear and relief, glad the nightmare was over but traumatized by its meaning and effect. I cried quietly for a little while before telling myself I needed to get ready. I slowly sat up and stood, avoiding a head rush. With a sigh of despair, I got to work. Surprisingly, I began to feel better bit by bit. The more I moved around, the better I felt. But the haunting ache was still there in my mind.
I folded my blanket and laid it over the back of the couch. My bag went in the back corner of the room, out of sight. I changed into my other set of clothes, consisting of leather pants, a long-sleeved cloth shirt, and a leather jerkin to go over it. I also had a pair of leather gloves. I brushed out my hair and put it up into a high ponytail, the straight strands hanging down to the middle of my back. I put a leather headband on and deemed myself ready for the day.
The sun was slowly starting to rise over the horizon, so I busied myself with breakfast. I dug out the ingredients and started cooking. It didn't take very long, so the meals were finished and on the table just was the boys were waking up and coming out of their rooms one at a time. Roran came out first, and he quickly wolfed down his breakfast, going back for seconds. I ate a pair of apples and a slice of bread and felt completely full. Eragon soon joined us in the kitchen, sitting at the table with Roran while I leaned against the wooden framework of the house relaxingly, eating my apple.
When I finished it, I threw the core away and turned to the boys. "I'll be gone for a while today, so clean up after yourselves when breakfast is over. You may need to fix your own lunch, but I doubt that. At the latest I'll be back by about noon. Tell Garrow when he wakes up that I went to town for a few things and to spend some time with the other women in the village. Good luck today boys." I told them with a small wave, walking across to the living room to shoulder my small backpack before walking out the door towards the barn.
I put my small backpack's straps on my shoulders and walked quietly down to the barn. When I got inside, the sun was just raising up into the sky. Karnus was already awake, standing up straight in his stall. When he heard my footsteps he turned his head quickly my way, and then whinnied happily when he saw who it was. I smiled and walked over to my huge warhorse, patting his shoulder fondly.
"Here you go boy, eat that up while I get your saddle." I told him, feeding him an apple I had snuck out of the house. He munched on it happily as I grabbed his saddle and hoisted it up onto his back. I tightened the synchs and checked its grip. Perfect.
When Karnus finally finished chewing on his apple, I put his bridle over his nose and snapped the clip into place. Once he was ready, I held the stall door open so he could walk out. I closed it behind him and then hauled myself up into the saddle, slipping my feet through the stirrups and grabbing the reigns tightly.
"Ready for an early morning run Karnus?" I asked him. He stomped a hoof impatiently as if to say Let's go!
I flicked the reigns and he started off at a simple trot, going out of the barn and up the dirt trail to the main road. When we got to the edge of the road he stopped and swiveled his ears back and forth, listening for the sound of anyone around us. Hearing nothing apparently, he sat there in content until I flicked the reigns to get him to go. He reared, pawing the air dramatically with his fore hooves before charging up the road towards Carvahall.
It took us only about fifteen minutes of good riding to reach the actual village of Carvahall. When we got near the entryway arch, we slowed to a soft trot and wound our way through the streets to Morn's Tavern. Brom wasn't waiting outside, so I assumed he wanted me to go inside first. I rode up to the front side of the small building and pulled Karnus to a stop, slipping down out of the saddle and tying his reigns to the same post as yesterday.
"Stay here Karnus, and don't let anybody try to lead you away. I'll be back out shortly." I whispered to him. He snorted and blew in my face before standing up a little straighter, his ears moving around as he listened to what he couldn't see. I patted his mane and walked into the tavern.
Once my eyes had adjusted to the gloom, I looked around the place. Brom wasn't here yet, though quite a few people were sitting inside to drink some morning ale and coffee to wake up. I bought a small mug of ale from Morn after a cheerful "Good morning" and sat in the corner of the room, sipping my drink quietly. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the room, dropping in on each conversation as I pleased.
"-Harvest this year is going to be absolutely splendid if the traders buy pricey and not cheap-" One farmer said to two others who were sitting at the same table as him.
"-beautiful fabric. Where did you get it? Oh, Therinsford, I see. How lovely-" Two women conversed in excited tones.
"-too watery around here. Don't we got anything stronger to drink?" one man complained to Tara.
"No, because we're trying to get crazy old fools like you to stay on your feet every day." she reprimanded, pushing his feet off the table she was about to clean.
"Oh, bother." he huffed, folding his arms and pouting like a child.
"-that fire in Therinsford? Terrible fate for the families out there, lost their girl-" some other women talked quietly.
Ccrreeaakk.
The door swung open as another person entered the pub. I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was Brom; I could sense his presence as he slowly and quietly approached my table. When he was standing about three feet in front of me he stopped and stood there, silently watching me.
Without opening my eyes, I took another sip of ale and said quietly "Shall we be off then?" I opened my eyes to see Brom's battered old face giving me a small smile. I set my mug down and stood, following Brom outside silently. When I got out there, Karnus lifted his head up higher and stood a little straighter, a peace of torn cloth under one of his hooves.
"Trouble?" I asked him lightly and quietly. Karnus snorted and stamped a hoof angrily.
"I see." I told him, reaching down to tap his ankle so he'd lift up his hoof, allowing me to pull the scrap of cloth out from under it. I looked at its faded blue color and looked at the color of Brom's faded blue cloak, asking lightly "Trying to steal my horse are we?"
Brom gave me a small smile. "I wondered if you talked with him before you left him alone, and it turns out I was right. Now come along, we have much to talk about." he said, taking the scrap of cloth from my hand. Karnus bared his teeth at Brom in a menacing way before I firmly closed his jaw up.
"Be nice." I whispered, giggling a little. My horse relaxed and snorted, blowing a strand of his bangs out of his eyes.
I untied his reigns and hopped up into the saddle, guiding him so that he walked beside Brom at the older man's pace. We walked for a while, until we came upon a small house that really looked more like a boarded-up barn. When we reached the door Brom turned to me and said "Go around to the back; that's a fenced in area where you can let your horse move around freely in. You will find that the gate is unlocked." I nodded silently and flicked Karnus' reigns to get him moving again.
Going around to the side of the house, I found a tall but nondescript wooden gate there. I opened it from in my saddle and encouraged Karnus through it. It clicked shut behind us. I hopped down out of my saddle and took off Karnus' bridle, laying it in the grass near the fencing. I did the same with his saddle, allowing him to move around freely in the fenced in area. I went up to Karnus and looked him in the eye as I told him:
"Don't let anyone but Brom and I come in through that gate, and if they do manage to get in then don't let them get out with any of our stuff, including you. Stay back here until I come to fetch you. Be good Karnus." I told him, patting his side before I walked in the back door of Brom's home, leaving my warhorse to graze peacefully.
As I walked in, I noticed right away how strange and different Brom's home was. He had a very small and dirty kitchen, and past it I could see a bedroom that was even smaller. The main room consisted of a fireplace with two chairs and a small table in front of it, and past it was bookshelves and dressers. On other tables there were stacks of books collecting dust, artifacts lying around, and many mysterious looking things were lurking here and there. It was wonderful.
I didn't see Brom, so I walked over to the bookshelf and began to scan the titles of his books. I found one book that was inlaid with gold and got curious. I pulled it off the shelf and looked at the front cover. It was a black leather-bound book, and in gold thread on the front was a dragon. Fascinated, I opened it to a random page and began to read. I realized it was a book on dragon-lore, but it didn't sound like a story. It seemed more like an informational guide book on dragons and their riders, including the magic they used. I was completely immersed into the dietary habits of a Welsh-Green dragon when a shadow crossed over me. I spun around to see Brom watching me.
I grinned sheepishly and quietly closed the large book, looking at it longingly before sighing and putting it back on the shelf where I found it. Brom sat in the large chair by the fireplace as I sat across from him, putting my arms on the table and resting my chin on them, watching as Brom lit his pipe. Once it was lit, he sat back and watched me as I watched him.
"Now, tell me about who you really are, and not what you've been telling everyone else." he commanded quietly, staring into the flames as he said this. He blew a smoke ring and then turned his attention back on me.