Chapter Twelve
I spent the rest of the day preparing roast chicken and baked potatoes with a fresh loaf of bread for dinner and cleaning up the house. I cleaned up the boys' rooms and the kitchen, since the living room was already spotless. I easily prepared many easy meals for Eragon to eat on the hunt and stored them in his wood-framed pack, putting the pack by one of the table legs so that it could be ready for him in the morning.
I finished cleaning over an hour before sunset, so I decided to sit down on the couch and read from the 'Domia abr Wyrda' for a while, occasionally getting up to turn the meat or check on the bread and potatoes.
I had just gotten to Chapter Three when the boys came trudging inside after a long day's work. I dog-eared the page of the book and set it down on the couch, getting up to put dinner on the table. I got out the plates and utensils and set them in their spots, telling the boys to wash their hands as I did. While they were cleaning up, I put a large platter in the middle of the table, along with a flat block and a small bowl.
I put the freshly baked bread on the flat block, dumped the baked potatoes into the bowl, and pulled the two roast chickens off of the spicket and placed them on the large platter. Everybody dug in, taking their share of food. When it was all said and done, all the food had been consumed and the boys sat back at the table, resting in their chairs with happy bellies.
"Well, you may not be the most social person I've ever met, but you sure know how to cook a great meal." Garrow commented, smiling with closed eyes. I chuckled quietly to myself, cleaning their plates in the sink before drying them and putting them back in the cabinets. Once the table was cleaned off, the boys followed me into the living room to sit and relax by the warm fire, thawing them out after the long day in the cold.
I opened up my book from where I had left off and could feel Eragon, Roran, and Garrow's stares digging into my still form as I focused on the words in the book. With a sigh of brief annoyance, I dog-eared the page again and closed the book slowly, looking up at the three of them.
"Are you all going to sit and stare, or are you going to be spontaneous and actually strike up a conversation?" I asked, letting the sarcasm drip into my words as my lilting voice scolded them slightly.
"Why are you reading such a large and complicated book?" Garrow asked me, raising a speculative eyebrow.
"Well, for one thing I find it to be extremely fascinating. And for another, Brom asked me to read from this book so he can quiz me on it." I told them, running my hand over the leather-bound cover.
"Why would Brom want you to read such a book?" Garrow asked me suspiciously.
"He and I began talking today, and he agreed to take me on as a pupil. He's my teacher now, and is going to be teaching me all the things I'll need to know for when The Time comes to pass." I told Garrow. He nodded slowly.
"Are these lessons going to be every day?" he asked me.
I nodded. "Every day from noon to just before sunset. This won't really change anything, except I won't be around the house during the second half of the day." I told them. Garrow nodded, smiling.
"Well, at least you're starting to make friends in Carvahall. And who knows, maybe this learning will be good for you, though I can't think of why you'd need to know the History of Alagaesia." Garrow said, leaning back into his chair with a shrug. I shrugged in response and re-opened my book, reading a few more pages before the boys decided to go to bed. I stayed in the living room reading for a few more minutes before closing the book and stepping outside into the fresh autumn air.
Winter was nearly upon us. Another week and we'd have some very cold weather hanging over our heads. I closed the door behind me and sat on the dirt path, staring up at the pale full moon. I smiled and closed my eyes; enjoying feeling the moon's pull as all women did.
I sat in the dirt for a while before I heard a rustling from the forest, about twenty feet to my right. A creature stepped out of the darkness, staring at me with yellowish-green eyes. I could see that it was covered in very dark brown fur, and it almost looked like a wolf.
But no wolf was ever that big, or that skinny. I thought to myself. And it was true. The wolf seemed to be about the size of a large man, only on all fours with even arm and leg lengths. The way the legs were bent indicated the ability to stand on either two legs or four. It had a wolf's snout, but the shape of the head was distinctly human otherwise. Also, it wearing some patchy leather Capri's and a plain tan cloth shirt.
The thickly built neck was turned my direction, and the eyes bore deep into me. It started to slowly advance my way, then whimpered and turned to flee back into the cover of darkness. A blood-chilling howl echoed through the night, close to where the creature had disappeared into the bushes.
I listened to the musical notes of the howling for a moment without fear before excitement overcame me. Whatever that was, I must tell Brom! Who knows what other marvelous creatures reside around here?
With that thought in mind, I went back into the small farm house and crawled under the blanket on the couch, falling asleep within a few seconds.
The peaceful and resting sleep I had hoped for deserted me once again, being replaced by the creeping shadows that constantly haunted my dreams.
"Foolish girl, she thinks she can find some normalcy. Well, won't she get a surprise. Her death will soon come on swift wings, following her in shades of day so pure she won't see her danger until it's far too late. And then, she will die trying to protect what should be destroyed, being killed by the bringer of peace." One of the dark shadows prophesized. I didn't want to listen, but I knew it could be important.
After that, they spent the rest of the night torturing me relentlessly. The shadows all crowded around, trying to block out my light and make my hope fade.
"Ayla, Ayla, where do you nest little bird? You will be found, and you will dddiiiieee..." they whispered menacingly. Laughing more and more, they closed in on me. I shook violently, trying to escape. I waited all night until the light of dawn began to creep over the horizon and drive the spirits far away. When they fled, I sighed in relief and forced myself to return to the real world where light was my safety.
I awoke with a start, and sat up to find I was soaked through with sweat. Groaning in annoyance, I got up and got dressed in the white outfit that I had chosen when I got my new clothes. I quickly made a breakfast of scrambled eggs and warm biscuits with some sausage on the side. The boys quickly entered the kitchen full of delicious smells and began wolfing down their food as quickly as possible, savoring the warmth and taste. Still looking a little sleepy, they got up and got ready for the rest of the day.
Eragon grabbed the remainder of his things and stored them in his pack, putting it on his back. He left early, trying to get a head start. I wished him good luck and waved farewell to him as he headed off to the Spine. Roran and Garrow went to work out in the fields, while I prepared their lunch and dinner, also cleaning the house. When their dinner was done, I put it in a small oven that would keep the food warm all day without burning it or letting it go bad. I made them a very simple lunch and shared the meal with them at midday.
When they, again, went out to the fields, I got ready to leave. I donned my swords on my back, putting my green cloak over it. I put the belt around my waist, feeling already familiar with the weight of the weapons. I clipped the quiver of arrows onto the sword-holder on my back, though the quiver was over the top of my cloak with the bow strung inside the tubing. I brushed out my hair, letting it fall over my shoulders and hang down as I left the house. I walked down the dirt path with a purpose, feeling like the fiercest warrior the world had ever seen.
When Karnus saw me enter the stables he whinnied happily, and seeing the gear on my back he let out a fierce snort. I smiled at him and said "Ready to rock Karnus?" He stomped a hoof impatiently and waited in anticipation for me to finish saddling him up so that we could get out of there. When he was saddled and ready to go, I hopped up onto his back and flicked the reigns. I felt like a true warrior as we charged out of the barn and up the road to Carvahall.
We soon reached the small town of Carvahall, and when we got to the entrance gate I slowed Karnus down to a trot. We wound our way through the streets to Brom's house, going through his back gate so Karnus could run around without fear of being taken. I laid his gear by the fence again and entered through Brom's back door, calling a timid "Hello?" as I stepped inside.
"Come on in Ayla." Brom's voice called from inside. I stepped in timidly and looked around the dimly-lit room and saw a shock. Brom was sitting in his usual chair, but across from him on the table was what appeared to be the skeleton of a small mammal, most likely a raccoon. I looked closely at it and saw many surprises I had not expected. Brom spent the next two hours explaining the different parts of the raccoon's body, using one of the books on his shelf to show me the muscles and tendons and fat on an average raccoon. In those two hours, I learned so much about raccoons that I felt sure I could find one if I stepped outside right now.
Next, Brom taught me about the different living habits of the raccoon, along with its eating, sleeping, hunting, and mischievous habits that centered on a raccoon's daily life. Our time was half gone when our raccoon lesson had finally ended, and I was brimming with its knowledge. Before Brom could choose another subject to teach me on, I remembered something important.
"Master Sir, I heard about a strange creature not too long ago, from back in my old town." I told him. Brom raised an eyebrow and leaned forward in his chair, interest showing on his face.
"Well, what was it?" he asked.
"I'm not entirely sure." I admitted shyly. "It was like no animal I had ever heard of. I was told that its existence was mythical, and that they supposedly didn't exist." I told him.
"Can you describe it, or perhaps draw a picture of it?" he asked me. I conjured up the picture in my mind and nodded to him, asking him to get me some parchment and a small stick of charcoal to draw with. He handed them to me and I began to quickly sketch out what I had seen. I didn't fail in any of my details, being able to see the creature very clearly in my mind. When I was finished, it had been at least twenty minutes since the charcoal had been placed in my hand. I handed the parchment to Brom, relieved and rather proud of myself. My drawing looked nearly identical to the creature I had seen.
Brom took one look at the parchment and paled visibly. He continued to stare at it with amazed eyes before asking quietly "Are you absolutely positive that this is exactly what your friend described to you?"
I nodded in affirmative. "He had drawn the picture, but I have a good memory so I was able to copy it. What is it?" I asked him. Brom stared at it a moment longer before standing and looking through the books on his shelf until he found the right one. He laid it down on the table and opened it up; flickering through the pages until he came upon the one he was looking for. He pushed the open book towards me as he answered my inquisitive stare.