Delinnëa paced what had been her mother's study when she had lived on Vroengard. Something needed to be done about this. Her spies had just reported in and it did not look good for them. The rose could not be found anywhere near Tildarí Hall where they had been keeping it. It had to mean that her mother had it or Murtagh did. But they could not be sure without a spy in the castle for them. All they knew for sure was that Murtagh was missing. Delinnëa had been able to get at least that from her uncle in the short conversation they had had hours earlier. He had been short with her and for good reason. She was asking him to ask his adopted brother to help in a war that should stay between Riders. But her mother had not left it between Riders. She had attacked the elves…
"Who are allies of the Riders." Evarínya butted in to the silent argument the half-elf was having with herself. "Dwarves, Humans, and Urgals were not part of the original pact. They were added in through magic and those Riders have never been close to their parent races after the completion of their training. Only the elves have ever been close to the Riders. The other races respect the Riders because of the past and because of their power and because of their contribution to the world. But they have no stake in the Riders like the elves do. Think of it this way," the silver dragon said when her Rider didn't answer. "The elves have been Riders for generations going back to the first, Eragon and his white dragon. When the humans were added, the elves and elder Riders, who were elves, trained them until the humans were old enough to help with the training. And when the other two races were added, who did the training? Nëa, who trained them?"
"The elves, Evarínya. The elves, my mother, and my uncle."
"And it was Garrow who was put in charge when your father left with Arya after your mother was taken. Not one of the Urgals and not a dwarf. A human from a bloodline that has done many great things. Eragon's blood, in part. Garrow is technically Eragon's cousin."
"Get to the point."
"Imagine if your mother was to go to Orik and the Herndall and promise them places of power for their races if they were to join her and their Riders joined her. New Riders from eggs given from her would be hers to command and to lead and who would have a stake in the Riders. They would have been a part of this new regime from the beginning."
"So, we have to stop her before she can do that."
"At the end of this war, you can be sure that she will approach them. Not before. Right now, if she has that rose and it is working, she has enough to think about."
"I need a spy in the castle."
Eragon paced his study. He couldn't believe that Delinnëa was asking him to pull the dwarves into this fight. This was a fight between Riders. More, it was a fight between family. He should be the one leading the charge against Florina, not his niece, her daughter. No child should have to fight their parent like this. It was bad enough that Florina had done it without knowing until the very end, after Galbatorix was dead. But she believed she had fought at his side and not against. That was Murtagh's fault. No, it was Galbatorix's fault. He cast the spell on the two children. He is the one who sought to remain in control even after he was dead.
Eragon knew he needed to help, but he had left for good reason. He needed to train the new Riders and protect the eggs and the eldunarí. If he left to fight his older siblings, he would be leaving them defenseless. He couldn't go to Arya. She had withdrawn and nothing he said could bring her back to reality. He needed a way to show her that she had not failed in her task as queen. She saved her people by calling a retreat. Vanir might be able to help and as much as that thought hurt him, Eragon knew it was the right one. Eragon was not an elf like she was. She needed to hear from her people that she had not failed them, if that is what they believed. Maybe Fírnen would be able to snap her out of it. Delinnëa needed a Rider who could stand against the queen if it came to that and Arya was the only one strong enough to do so.
Murtagh looked at the blood on the floor. It was from his captive who refused to talk. His dragon refused to speak as well. It wasn't an unexpected result. What was unexpected was the lengths the pair were going to keep the information from him. He needed the information to keep his queen safe.
"We have been here so long, who's to say that she has stayed safe?" Thorn interrupted his Rider's thoughts. "We have not been there to ensure that the spells worked by your brother and his love do not once again take hold of your sister. Yet for the past several months, we have been here, torturing a Rider who refuses to talk."
"You think we should just leave them here and be done with them. The idea has crossed my mind several times. But we cannot leave them here. If they get free, they can aide Eragon's Riders."
"So we take them with us. I am strong enough to carry the dragon. The Rider you keep bound by a spell until we reach Ilirea. Maybe your sister can break them."
"She has gotten proficient in that, hasn't she. Very well. You are right, Florina needs us at her side. What I've seen when I've looked in on her has not been inspiring. She looks like she hasn't slept in weeks. Maybe months. She needs me, her brother."
"We will await you in the hold."
Lifaen looked at the dragons assembled before him. They were wild dragons who had hatched in the valley after Eragon had made it safe. These had come after Florina took the forest and were somewhat helpful in the fight against her. He had overheard Delinnëa talking to the messenger and heard that the flower had not been found. That left only one solution. Florina had it in her possession. It gave him hope, but he needed to be there in order for his hope to work. The plan needed to change. He had no doubt that his children would be safe regardless if his plan worked in the way it should or not. Their elven blood, heavily imbued with magic from the dragons, would be safe from the blood magic that lie dormant there, if it existed in them at all. Florina had done her best to protect them all, now it was his turn. He just needed a ride to the mainland.
"Why have you called us here, Elf?" One of the dragons, a male, asked. It was hard to pinpoint which one it was.
"I need to get to the mainland. Only dragons can get through the barriers that surround this island. I need your help in getting there."
"And why must you go to the mainland?" The lone female asked. "Do you wish to turn against your family and kin to join the queen."
"I go to the mainland to save my beloved who has fallen victim to the spell placed upon her by her own father. I can no longer sit idly by while my children fight in a war not of their making." Lifaen said, not looking away from the dragons. "This is because of a final, desperate act by a desperate man to continue his rule upon a stolen throne. I am not asking you to take me to the gates of Ilirea, just to the forest. I will make my way to her from there." An amethyst dragon strode up to him and lowered his head to one eye was fully upon the elf.
"You truly intend to try to save her." He said. "And if she cannot be saved?"
"Then I will do what must be done." Lifaen wasn't sure if he would be able to when the time came, but if it meant saving his children from doing it, then he would take on the madness of being alone and spare Florina the madness that was taking her. He would not allow her father's madness to spread any further than it already has. "I just need passage to the mainland." The dragon raised his head and looked at his fellows. One by one, they flew off until only he remained.
"Then I will take you." The dragon said as he ripped some bark from the nearby tree. "Strap this to your legs so you will be safe from my scales. You'll be next to useless if you cannot even walk."
"I hear Eragon did just fine."
"That may be, but you are not he and I am not Saphira. Put these on."
Short little bits, I know. But worth it since I wanted to get a glimpse at other characters since this fic might be getting close to its resolution. Not within the next few chapters, but things are going to start picking up. hehehe Thanks for reading and please review.
