Chapter 2: Written In The Stars
32 Years AG (The Hadarac Desert)
It is a rare occurance to see a woman alone in The Hadarac Desert. Even more bizzar to see the said woman appear to be quite content to sit under the blazing heat of the sun, knitting a long woolen scarf. This was, however, a completely normal occurance for Angela. In the long years since the decline of Galbatorix, Angela had taken to wandering the lands of Alagaësia in search of something more. The land was too peaceful for her taste, too dull.
Angela sighed and put her knitting to the side, reaching for the water skin on her hip. She took a large swig and then sighed again. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. She looked to the east and muttered something under her breath. There approaching in his animal form, was Solembum, back from a sucessful hunt. With a small lizzard clamped between his teeth he wandered up to the place were the herbalist was seated. Dropping the lizzard in front of her he crept into the tent behind them. Five minutes later her emerged from the shade in his raggedy boy form and sat besides her. He began to methodicaly skin and gut the lizzard with a small knife.
"Not a bad colour, yellow, should be quite juicy." Angela said, looking upon the innards of the lizzard as Solembum placed them onto a smooth stone disk in front of them.
"Yes well, I'll have to wait and see. Be quick this time, I'm hungry from searching the entire dessert for it." grumbled Solembum as he completed the gutting process.
"It's not my fault that the last one you brought me was a terrible shade of green and of absolutley no use to me whatsoever. Oh, and I'm sure you didn't search the entire desert. You weren't gone for that long." She replied whilst massaging the inards with her fingertips. "Now hush, I'd like to get some results this time."
The werecat looked on as Angela muttered several phrases in the aicient language. After about an hour she muttered a long phrase and jerked her head to the side as if listening intently. "That's it, if finally got it." she said under her breath. She said the phrase again louder this time and her head snapped straight up. She opened her eyes which were now clouded with a milky film.
"Hope and despair combined as one,
a child born under the burning sun.
War and strife cause pain and grief,
look for the light that lies beneath.
In Surda you will find salvation,
a royal girl born to the nation.
The fate of the empire in her hands,
her love for him unites the lands."
Solembum sat quietly listening to the eery prophecy's coming from the witch's mouth. It wasn't as if it hadn't happened before. Angela had a habbit of trying to predict the future. And although most of the time her prophecy's tended to be unclear and difficult to understand; she spoke a rare few that were clear and distinct, these tended to be of vital importance. This was one of those rare times. Angela had been searching for something important and the phrase 'War and strife cause pain and grief' seemed to be exactly what she had been looking for.
A grim smile graced her face as she pulled out of the trance. "Well my dear, it looks like this place is about to get a rude awakening."
"Sure, war and strife, it's not as if that hasn't happened before." Solembum yawned widley showing off his sharp little teeth. "So, what's next on the agenda?"
"Well, obviously we jump right in and save them all with some quirky advice." Angela joked and nudged him with her elbow.
"Again." He replied scowling at her as he smoothed down his rags.
"Yes, again. What happens next is bound to be more exciting than the last thirty two years." she clapped her hands gleefully. "Next stop Surda, we've got to find this royal child and make sure she's kept safe."
"Wonderful. Can I at least eat my supper first." the werecat grumbled.
"You can eat it on the way, if we start now we'll reach Surda in four days."
32 Years AG (Surda 4 Days later)
"Any minute now, keep strong my lady, you're almost done." the midwife called over the loud screams of pain.
"It hurts, it hurts so much, make it stop, make it STOP!" the lady screached as she crushed her maids hand. The maid grimanced with pain but didn't try to escape. It had been a terrible labour and everyone in attendance felt sympathy towards their Queen. She had held strong all day but it was a lot worse than her first born, Firean and even more so than her second born Korryl. She thought that it would be easier after two children, but she was incredibly wrong. The pain was excrutiating.
"Well, well. Look'y here, just on time, as usual."
Everyone turned to see a strangely dressed young woman, accompanied by a small raggedy boy, enter the room. An elderly attendant broke off from the circle surounding the bed, she came up short a few paces away from the woman. "I'm sorry young lady but I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Only the midwife and my lady's maids are permitted to enter this chamber. Surely the guard informed you of this." The woman scowled in the direction of the door, if looks could kill, the guard was surely suffering a painful death.
"Ha! Young lady. Haven't heard that one in a while." Chuckled the woman as she took a step towards the elderly maid. She was short in stature but somehow her shadow seemed to loom over the slightly taller woman. "Now you look here young lady, my name is Angela, you might have heard of me. You should know that I go where I please and that people who get in my way tend to end up in sticky situations. Now move out of my way, your lady is in need of my help." Angela's last words were punctuated by a loud cry of pain from the queen.
The shocked attendants made way quickly for the renowned witch, as she rushed to the queen's side. She placed her hand on the sweating brow of the woman and uttered a short string of words in the ancient language, then winced as a large amount of energy left her system. The queen looked up at the herbalist and sighed contentedly. "Thank you." she smiled and relaxed her shoulders and Anglea moved to view the direct problem, now that she had dealt with the womans pain.
"It seems that the child is the wrong way up." she turned to glare at the midwife and attendants. "Why on earth did you let it progress this far without attempting to turn the babe to a more comfortable position? Never mind the damage is done now, you useless lot of toads." She looked towards the queen and directed towards the the struggling babe, "I'm going to have to turn it as best I can, otherwise it's likely that this will take too long and the babe will die."
"Do whatever is needed, just get the poor child out of me alive. Please!" the woman begged with a heartbroken expression on her face. She would endure anything as long as the child survived healthy and whole.
The next thirty minutes were extremely stressful for both the queen, babe and Angela. Angela had to feed copious amounts of energy to the child to keep it alive whilst she manipulated it into an easier position. Eventually the child was born, and after a few tense moments of silence the beautiful little girl wailed a high keening noise, a new life had been embraced.
"I don't know how to repay you for your help. Without you my daughter and I would not have survived this. Name anything I have to offer and it shall be yours with our eternal gratitude." The queen gushed as she weeped with joy at the mewling infant in her arms.
"It was no trouble, really. I would ask one thing though. I would like to stay close to the childs as she grows. A protector of sorts. If that is agreeable to you?" Angela inquired as she peered intently into the babes ocean blue eyes, trying to see what would make this child so special.
"My husband and I would be honoured to accept your kind offer but that is no reward, it is just more work surely?" the queen asked curriously.
"My lady, I have a feeling that being part of this childs life, will be a reward in it's self." Angela replied criptically.
"Well if you are sure, then we shall have quarters made in the castle for your use. But if you ever have need of anything, do not hesitate to ask." The queen smiled and looked upon the child as it mewled it's agreement.
Angela thanked her and returned to staring into the girls beautiful eyes. "Do you have a name for her yet?" she asked.
"Yes we decided that if it was a girl, we would name her after my mother." the queen looked upon the now sleeping child.
"Her name is Eilianna."
AN: So what'd ya think, review please!