this is it guys, last chapter of this story, i'm so astonished of all of you who kept reading this tripe, because honestly i wouldn've given up about 65 chapters ago. but it was all your reviews that kept me writing, and also feeling guilty when i was mia for an entire year. i love all of you and i really hope you'll bother to check out the sequel, because hopefully it'll be a hellova lot better than this, and if it isnt i really shouldnt even bother going to school, or using my brain at all for that matter.
well here it is, hope you enjoy
claimer: i own everything that isnt in the inheritance books
70.-Crimson folds
I had to admit, there was a remarkably large part of me that really wasn't surprised at her sudden outburst, but I suppose that just comes with my unreasonable sense of paranoia. However, even with being somewhat prepared for something like that happening, I didn't manage to react with the speed that I would have liked – overlooking an impairing injury probably wasn't smart in that situation.
At least I hadn't been Sienna's target, instead her newly shifted body barreled straight for Nasuada, brown scales mixing with equally brown skin, the leader of the Varden disappearing under the girl's claws. Or she would have, had Dorran not thrown himself between them. I stepped forward and shifted, slicing through canvas with my talons as the tent fell around us in crimson folds.
To be honest I don't even know why I bothered changing forms, Dorran had her pinned in seconds, the comparison in size giving her no hope of escape. I stepped up beside him and looked down at the shrimp of a dragon who stared back into my eyes – then spontaneously burst out crying.
Oh hell, what do we do? I smirked at Dorran's annoyed voice and leant down to nuzzle Sienna's mud-colored nose, making her sobs die to hiccups after puffing smoke in her face.
"I – I'm so-sor-ry, it's the brace-let it hu-rts." Dorran and I raked our gazes back to her ankle, watching as the gems pulsated and the silver metal shone. Nasuada detached herself from the debris then, brushing dust from her skirts and making her way over with Faolan trailing behind, fingers twitching.
"I thought with Galbatorix dead that anklet would have no hold over her any more, I don't understand, what's controlling her?" Faolan brushed passed her and strode over to where the girl lay, baring his teeth in a grin that was a tad on the feral side.
"Perhaps there is no puppet-master; she could just be pulling her own strings? What do you say girl, could this be true?" Sienna stared up at the werewolf with wide, frightened eyes and I felt an almost inconspicuous stab of pity for her. I shoved Faolan away, "Yeah, right, even if she did have some secret grudge against us, surely she should know better than to actually try to attack, or at least use Dorran's pressing her hide in the dirt as discouragement for any future plans."
I bend my neck down to look the girl straight in the eye, "Do you feel better? Not going to attack us again, right?" She shook her head enthusiastically and I motioned for Dorran to let her up. Soldiers had already set about to repairing the shredded tent, occasionally casting wary glances in our direction, but otherwise keeping out of our way.
Nasuada clapped her hands, "I suppose now is not the best time to sit and recount stories, so yours will have to wait for another time Kalanie. Now that you are moving around I advise you go visit Angela, she was forever complaining about the lengthily commute between your tent and hers, so she will be no doubt delighted that she will no longer have to make it. Also, if you don't mind, please allow Sienna to accompany you, Du Vrangr Gata has already looked at her ankle and was unable to do anything about it, so I would like Angela to take a look at it." Dorran and I nodded and left, Sienna dragging her feet behind us and Faolan staying to help with the clean up.
How is your injury anyway? Dorran's wing brushed mine as we wove between tents and I shrugged, ignoring the twinge of pain sent through my side from the simple movement. Dorran hissed and increased his pace, dark tail whipping in agitation.
Dorran it's fi – something hard smacked into my leg, jarring my wound and causing a yelp to escape my jaws. I wrenched my body round to see the tip of a green tail disappear underneath me, hard ridged wings scraping against my belly.
Bernlak…but I stopped short at the sight of a smile on Sienna's lips, timid, but there nonetheless. I huffed and continued walking, wishing that Cadara would learn to control her dragon better. He'd clawed his way up and was perched on my back as we finally arrived at a small, brown tent, and I smiled as I shifted, letting him fall and land with an undignified squeak.
"Enter." Angela's rasping voice called out from behind the volumous fabric and we made our way inside, being sure to kick Bernlak outside, something that pleased Dorran although he refused to show it.
Angela was seated on a plain wooden chair, her giant cauldron-esque mixing pot bubbling in front of her and Solembum curled at her feet.
"Kalanie, excellent, come here and lift your shirt up would you, I need to redo those bandages again." I sighed and complied, smirking at Dorran's turned-away face. No need to try to act the gentleman now, you see me naked half the time anyway.
Yes, but manners are still important, are they not?
He's just disconcerted because while you were unconscious I found it necessary to teach him some etiquette. Also, sleeping in the same bed before marriage is most unbecoming. Angela's intrusion into our conversation startled both of us. But I could help smiling and raising an eyebrow in the direction of Dorran's rolling eyes.
"Done, but I'm going to tell you this now, this will definitely scar and there is no way to heal it completely, even with magic. Whatever cut you was made from a material of a prohibited substance, something the elves call 'soul silk', a human word even in their tongue. It is also, I imagine, the same stuff her cuff's made of."
"So you know how to cut it, right?" I asked, mentally crossing my fingers and attempting to ignore the bad feeling rising in my stomach.
Angela smiled, cracked teeth gleaming as if able to read my thoughts.
"Oh, I know how to cut it. Yet, unfortunately I have by no means the tool to do so."
"Then, who does?" Dorran's impatience leaked through our connection and I felt my toes twitching, eager to know the answer and get this over with.
"The Goddess Endellion, she who guards the Cavern of Souls. No soul knows where she resides, yet all meet her once in their lifetime, then sleep with her for eternity. Only she has the ability to cut that metal, and from the look of things, you don't have that much time." I turned and looked at Sienna who's eyes were glazing as they had when she's lost control before. They returned to normal before anything happened, but I could sense her unstableness.
"Why not just kill her?" I bared my teeth at Dorran for openly suggesting such a thing and put a hand on the girls shoulder even as Angela shook her wizened head. "The metal is made from woven souls; they would continue to animate her even after her death, a very gruesome image, might I add."
"You speak as if you've come across this before." She smiled knowingly at my raised eyebrow and stood, ushering us from her tent.
"With the battle finished we have no more use for you two here besides transportation, so I suggest you leave as soon as possible."
"Wait a sec-"
"The clues to the Cavern lie in Ellesméra, I will tell Nasuada about your departure, now go already you're burning moonlight." She grasped my hands then retreated back into her room, Solembum trotting at her heels. I watched her go, confused because it was clearly day, while Dorran ran his hand over his face in frustration, "Just when I thought all this crap would be over, hell you're not even healed enough yet and we're already being sent on another mission? I say we forget about it and just tie the kid up so she can't bother us." My punch would have collided with his nose had he not known what I was about to do the second before.
"Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to live with that so stop making such heartless comments. We need to gather our things, don't bother with too much food, we can hunt on the go. Also, I guess we should tell Faolan we're going, other than that they'll just learn from Nasuada that we're gone." Dorran said nothing so I ignored him and we walked back to our tent in silence, Sienna shambling beside me. We made it back and were almost done with packing our armor when Faolan appeared, face red and teeth glinting, looking nothing short of constipated.
"I warned you about eating those beans Faolan." I quipped, shoving my helmet on top of the pile then tying everything up.
"I can't believe you're leaving already, especially without consulting me first! Plus, on top of that, you were planning to leave me here; I could hear the let's-tell-Faolan-because-we-feel-obliged-to-but-we-don't-really-want-him-coming tone in your thoughts! Well guess what, I am coming, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"That's nice." I replied, even though I tuned out the moment he burst through the flap. Sienna had been waiting patiently as we gathered our things, but she flinched at the huge werewolf's arrival, probably still reliving his harsh words earlier that morning. I clapped my hands and shouldered my backpack, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Nasuada's distracted with the remodeling of her tent so I say we move out as soon as possible and try not to be too noticeable, agreed?" With various nods we left the tent, avoiding the crowded areas as much as possible until we reached the outskirts of the camp. Unfortunately, the uninhabited part of the desert-like expanse surrounding the castle wasn't as deserted as I'd hoped.
Boden stood by a scraggly looking tree, his arms crossed and a pack hanging off his shoulder. He watched with unyielding tawny eyes as we approached, and with every step that drew us closer I felt a sense of dread.
There's really no end to people joining our party is there?
It's only 'cause we're so popular, Faolan answered his brother and I restrained a snort, I supposed it was a good idea to bring Faolan after all, if only as the comic relief.
"I heard you're going back to Ellesméra, I wish to accompany you."
"Well it is your home, it's not like we have any right to turn you away." I'd almost forgotten how his voice seemed to come from notes of the wind – and how soothing they were on the mind.
It's only elf trickery, ignore it, I swatted Dorran's inner voice away and focused on Boden's smile, as well as the strange scent that seemed to be coming from the branches of the tree. I glanced up to see a furred face patiently looking back, golden eyes undecipherable yet intriguing.
"Just as well, I also heard about your little quest and I have someone here you might be able to aid you in the completion of it." With Boden's voice the furred creature leapt down from the tree in a rustle of black-blue fur and clawed fingertips. The strange being made the traditional elf greeting and I realized then that he was indeed one of the fair folk, although what he'd done with his features was beyond any level of magic I was capable of.
Damn, he's hairy, I saw Faolan rub the side of his jaw unhappily where his stubble was no more than a few millimeters long.
I returned the greeting, noticing that the scent was stronger then; something similar to Dorran's yet more potent, almost overpowering. I had to restrain myself from wrinkling my nose.
"Greetings, I am Blödhgarm, son of Ildrid the beautiful. I understand that you are searching for the Cavern of Souls. I am well acquainted with the legends pertaining to it and you will most likely find me a valuable resource and of much help."
Cocky, I was surprised to hear Dorran's voice, but I couldn't help but agree with him, however if it was possible that he could be of some use to us then it wasn't my right to complain.
I nodded, "Your help will be greatly appreciated, are we all ready to leave?" With their conformations Dorran and I shifted, Faolan and Boden helping to strap on the saddles that Dorran had thought to bring. Boden helped Sienna onto my back, then proceeded to climb up himself when he was suddenly dragged down by Blödhgarm and forced to go with Faolan on Dorran instead after the wolf-elf refused to "mount a male". I personally didn't see how it was any different to riding a male horse, but my main concern at that moment was to keep an eye on Sienna for both signs of her becoming possessed again, or falling unconscious from overexposure to her riding partners scent.
With a huge gust of wind and a wide swoop of our wings we were airborne and soaring towards the vast sea of green rising on the horizon, minds set on our task and willing to go about obtaining it in whichever ways necessary. Yet, had I known what our sudden absence would cause and the many souls that would be lost because of it, I would have stayed home in my tent sipping ale and ignoring Angela to my heart's content. Cadara had once warned me about the witch's intent, how I wish I had disregarded the crone then, because I was going to regret it.
But of course it was too late, I was in too deep with the only choices to either surface or to drown – the only problem was deciphering the two.
originally had an ending written, i think, but its gone baby :P yup this was a short one, but of course it's setting up for the sequel, which i will post a link for on here, if you can post a link, can't really remember or not :P but whatever, the title of it will be dark are the shadows so keep an eye out for it if you wanna :/
again, loves to u all and
PLEASE REVIEW!
~Firesilk;D
