The Last Dragons
Chapter 8; Taking to the water
Spine foothills; East of Narda; Two weeks later
Caleb could see the distant shimmer over the horizon from his vantage point just up off the track and it was because of his acute eyesight that he could tell that it was the haze coming off of the western ocean though he had never seen it before in his life. Caleb stretched his mind out but finding nothing but the villagers he relaxed slightly to his normally attentive state of monitoring all minds for deception.
He took his place in line about halfway along with the children as the column of some two hundred and fifty humans walked slowly down towards the coast. "Can you see it?"
Caleb glanced sideways at Roran and smiled slightly as he nodded. "We should reach the town tomorrow afternoon but I would suggest that the majority of the villagers stay in the forest to the west until we have secured transport."
Roran nodded and Caleb moved away to lift one of the children from Lucus' back so that the two month old Dragon could take off to hunt. "Be careful, Lucus."
"I know, Caleb. I'll stay out of sight."
"I just don't want you being a target before you have to." Caleb retorted to Lucus' irritated tone. "I'll join you."
Caleb didn't mean physically, he never left the villagers for long periods and whilst he did go flying with his bonded a few times in the spine they never went far enough away to be out of sight. He meant that he would let their minds merge so that they were both in both bodies almost equally. So that they both control both bodies. It was a strange feeling but one that promised to be extremely useful when flying or fighting in wars since there was no distinction between Rider and Dragon.
Celeb smiled as he experienced the sensation of flying as a Dragon and although he didn't feel his own pleasure at a kill he did feel Lucus' elation at following through on a hunt and being rewarded. It was why Caleb didn't hunt for Lucus with his magic any longer; Lucus didn't let him.
Caleb didn't return fully to his own body until the group stopped for the night within the tree line that looked out across the coast and across the plains to Narda which was just visible to them all as a blot against the line of blue as the sun set behind it. Caleb glanced at Roran's rather miserable face and sighed. The young man had fallen into a sullen mood over the last month as they cross the Spine and only spoke when he had to and even though it seemed to only make him more courageous to the other young men in the group it didn't bode well for Roran's future.
"Roran," Caleb started as they moved away from the party as they pitched their shelters. Caleb didn't shelter like the others preferring to sleep with the stars over his head or under Lucus' wing if it rained or snowed. It had been a point of great consternation in the cold mountains that he would wake as healthy as he fell asleep whilst others died in their sleep. "We need to talk about what is troubling you."
"Why?" Roran countered with a glare. "Is this for Eragon's good to? Do I have to be happy for this to work?"
Caleb took the sting in his stride. "No, Roran," Caleb told him. "I'm concerned about you. Apart from my brother and my mentor I know nobody else but a slight bit about Eragon and Saphira. I admit that I have come to appreciate your company in the last few weeks."
"My company?" Roran seemed shocked having obviously had his own impressions about his company lately.
Caleb laughed lightly and drew some attention to his rather melodious laugh. "We are very much alike in our attitudes." Caleb pointed out. "And we both have loved ones in the hands of the Empire. Mine a brother and yours a fiancé."
Roran snapped his head up. "So you think she is still alive?"
Caleb sighed knowing that Roran wouldn't want to hear this. "The Ra'zac are despicable creatures, a blight on Alagaesia which the Elves tried to eradicate long ago but failed in two cases." Caleb explained. "They take pleasure in the pain of their victims and the knowledge that they are causing pain to their loved ones. Katrina isn't necessary for them to eat, the Empire supplies them with humans to eat. She'll be a captive in their home until they can have their revenge upon you."
"How can you be sure?" Roran asked though it was obvious that he hopes had risen.
"There is a way, a magical way." Caleb told him before crouching next to a slab of sandstone. He muttered a few words and the top seemed to melt into a slab of polished stone. Roran jumped slightly before crouching as well. "This won't work if they are hiding her from scrying. Draumr kopa!" The top of the rock swirled with black and Caleb focused the magic on the image of Katrina in his mind. He'd talked to her a few times over his stay in Carvahall since she had spent a lot of time around Roran who Caleb had naturally stuck around.
The image stilled but it was still in darkness. "What does this mean? Is she dead?"
"No, Roran, we are looking at her but it is so dark that you cannot see her. The fact that the spell worked means that she is alive." Caleb reassured him.
Roran sagged onto the back of his heels and sat on the floor with an explosive sigh. "Will you help me get her out?"
"To that I cannot speak." Caleb told him. "Once we reach Surda I may not have much control over my own life. I will however do everything I can to ensure somebody does. There are a lot of people with grudges against the Ra'zac, myself and my brother, you, Eragon and Saphira. Finding allies to rescue Katrina will not be hard."
"Thank you." Roran told him.
"For what?" Caleb asked.
"For everything, from all of us." Roran told him sincerely.
"Come, Roran, the village Elders are having a meeting." Caleb told him.
"How do you always know that?" Roran asked.
"I can hear all of your minds and anything thought too loudly. In this case Baldor is searching for you to ask you to join them." Caleb told him as he rose elegantly.
As they were walking through the trees Roran turned to look at him. "How old are you?" Caleb was shocked by the question but then again there were so many questions that the humans had no answers to about the Elves. Roran continued with a red face. "I mean, Elves live for a long time right? You could be a hundred for all we know."
Caleb gave him a small smile. "I will be twenty-one next month." Caleb told him with a chuckle. "I am little more than a child by Elvish accounts."
"But you're so powerful!" Roran gasped.
"As are most Elven Spellcasters." Caleb pointed out not wanting to go into the fact that Lucus was boosting his already large magical reservoir with each passing day. They came to a small clearing where the normal group had gathered.
"Where's Baldor gotten to?" Horst asked.
"Probably still looking for us. Caleb knew you were starting a meeting." Roran told them.
"Did he now?" Horst stared at him. Caleb smiled at Gertrude as he sensed her pull up her mental barriers again.
"We were just discussing our excursion into the town tomorrow morning." Horst explained. Caleb and Roran took their places in the circle though Caleb kept back slightly as he normally did since he wasn't part of the village and therefore he left the decisions to them. "Who are we going to take in? Caleb, what do you think?"
Caleb glanced at him with alert eyes, this was the first time they had actually asked for his opinion. "I know little about Narda except what I have read in books. I have never actually seen the oceans before." Caleb told them.
"So you are as blind as we are on this one?" Horst told him with a slight twinge of humour though Caleb knew it wasn't malicious.
"Indeed, however I would suggest a small group to act as representatives for a group of traders waiting in the south." Caleb told him.
"That would give us a reason to snoop around the merchants for supplies and ships." Gertrude told him. "Are you and Roran coming?"
"No." Caleb spoke up at the same time that Roran spoke the opposite. "The Empire knows what we look like, they are not looking for the rest of you yet."
"I still want to go." Roran glanced at Caleb but he wasn't looking for permission. "It's my fault that the village is in this position, I have to be there to find them a way out of it."
Caleb knew that he could force him but didn't want to strain their friendship. "Fine, but if Roran is going then I might as well." Caleb nodded. "Let me know when you are ready to go." Caleb backed away and disappeared to find Lucus who he knew had returned as soon as they had stopped to camp. He sat against the Dragon's side and rested his head against Lucus' neck. Lucus purred at him. "What's wrong, Caleb?"
"Just lonely." Caleb answered knowing that there was no point in lying. "I feel that when I next see Eragon and Murtagh it will be at the same time and I'll lose them both."
"They'll understand what you did." Lucus assured him.
"I don't even understand what I did." Caleb pointed out with a sigh before closing his eyes and whispering the spell to cast his mind across the Empire in a painstaking search of everything but nothing at the same time. "I don't like this." Caleb whispered mentally as he came out of it but Lucus and the Villagers were already asleep.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Narda
The walls of Narda were unlike anything that the Carvahall population had ever seen before but in comparison to Uru-baen they were nothing and Caleb told the small group as such. Roran walked beside him with Horst in front of them. Baldor was there as well as Gertrude and three of the other young men in the group. Caleb had discarded his travel cloak, still in good condition for another cloak donated from the villagers since his own expensive one was far too obviously out of place among the Villagers own clothes.
"Remember do not mention my name or Roran's within these walls." Caleb muttered to the whole group and they grunted in response. "Gertrude, try not to shield your mind in case there is a magician to notice."
"Are you sure?" Gertrude was worried, she knew what a magician could do to an unguarded mind.
"You can sense my mind?" Caleb glanced at her and she nodded. "Call out to me if you feel an attack and I'll deal with it, I promise." Caleb knew that having anyone with mind protections amongst a group of travellers was too strange to be overlooked.
As he approached the gate he realised that his words were useless, there wasn't anyone in the town with mind protections and that normally meant that there wasn't any Magicians. He kept his mind at a human normal just in case though. They were stopped at the gate and Caleb reached out to the three guards minds and kept a hold of them throughout the conversation just in case things got out of hand. "And who are you?" The soldier turned on Caleb who had been careful to arrange his hair to cover his ears from any angle. He'd already ascertained the trades of the others.
"My brother is a shop keeper in Teirm, he sent me and a couple of friends to guard the traders from wild animals and other things…" Caleb trailed off with an expansive gesture making it clear that he might as well be a mercenary. The soldier glanced at the sword at his waist and the bow on his back but shrugged to his counterparts.
"Right then, just keep that sword in it's sheath." The soldier told him. Caleb nodded abruptly. "Alright then, you can pass, but don't cause trouble or you'll be off to the stocks or worse."
Horst was admonishing Roran for his choice of trades and his rebellious attitude when Caleb raised a hand and pointed to a notice board off to their left. There at the top was Roran's face but it thankfully didn't look anything like the bearded man beside him. The reward for him alive was ten thousand crowns and Caleb heard the others whistle except for Gertrude who was the only one that had either noticed Eragon's and his own pictures under them or the rewards that didn't have any numbers in them that they could read.
Roran gasped as he took sight of his cousin's picture. "What crimes are we accused of?"
"Treason, all of you." She glanced at Roran.
"What's the reward for them?" Roran obviously could only read numbers and not the lettering.
"It says that Galbatorix will bestow an earldom on whoever captures Eragon, but that those who try should take care because he is extremely dangerous." Gertrude told them all.
"Dangerous?" Baldor raised his eyebrows.
Caleb began to walk off knowing that they had stared at the pictures for too long, the others began to follow. Roran hadn't told the others about what Eragon was and neither he, nor Caleb or Baldor who had been there when Caleb had mentioned it first wanted to say anything for the time being.
"What did Caleb's say?" Roran asked suddenly looking at Gertrude. Gertrude shook her head slightly not wanting to say.
Caleb paused slightly in his stride before pulling up his cloak, it would be suspicious but after that poster he wasn't taking the risk. "A position in Galbatorix's court and another ten thousand crowns for the deaths of anyone helping me." They all gasped as their position struck home. "It also announced that I was an Elf." Caleb explained to Roran's concerned look at his raised hood.
"Let's split up and get the things we need." Horst suggested.
"If killing several soldiers and defying the Ra'zac gets you ten thousand crowns what makes you worth an earldom or a position in the court?" Baldor muttered.
"Buggering the King himself." Larne, one of the other young men laughed.
"Keep your voice down!" Caleb snapped as he cast a dark glare at him. "Laughing about that is enough to get you strung up."
"But what did you do?" Larne spoke regardless.
"You don't want to know." Caleb spun and began walking towards the tavern to listen in on the gossip whilst the others split up to do their various tasks. Caleb made sure that he was always in contact with Roran's mind in the throng though.
He spent two hours in the Tavern listening to the stories of Eragon the Shadeslayer presumably spread by the Varden's agents which differed greatly from the stories of pillaged villagers from a Blue Dragon and it's Rider called Eragon obviously spread by the Empire to garner support in capturing him.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Camp
It was early evening when the group arrived back at the villager's camp and they met up with the elders again to discuss everything. The villagers were listening to every word of Baldor and Larne's report especially about their wanted posters but Caleb kept out of it.
There was however unanimous outrage over the fact that their escape would be carried out on barges. An argument reigned but Caleb was busy elsewhere in his own mind, he was only interested in the final decision and whether he agreed with it and not the process to get there.
It was only when a woman called Birgit spoke up that Caleb took interest, her comment was actually a smart one. "What with the two hundred crowns Clovis is due and the money Darmmen and his brothers spent, we've used up most of our coin. Unlike those in the city, wealth lies not in gold but in animals and property. Out property is gone and few animals are left. Even if we turn pirate and steal those barges, how can we buy supplies at Teirm and passage south?"
Caleb was about to speak up when Horst interrupted him. "The important thing is to get to Teirm in the first place. Once we're there, then we can worry about what to do next." He told them. "It's possible that we may have to resort to more drastic measures."
Caleb let the matter lie since the others seemed to be happy with that. There were more arguments about the barges and the concept of piracy and Caleb drifted off into the trees. Roran saw him and stepped into the centre of the circle. "It's this or walk." He told them all before following Caleb off into the trees to his bed as the group fell silent. Caleb almost laughed as he imagined their expressions.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Camp; that night
Caleb woke from his trance as the feeling of evil and unnaturalness spread over his very soul and he was in a crouch with his hand on Roran's chest in an instant to wake the young man up without making him call out.
"What?" Roran groaned. "Caleb, what's going on?"
"The Ra'zac are coming." He whispered and felt a thud as Lucus righted himself and then heard his growls rumbling through the forest waking every member of the Village. "No Lucus, keep out of sight." Caleb told him and the desperation in his mind made Lucus comply without the normal argument. He settled onto his hunches but belied his young age with a small shaking of his tail as it swept through the pine litter on the floor.
Word spread quickly of the Ra'zac's approach as Caleb made his way to the edge of the forest. He linked with Lucus' mind again and his eyes glowed even more violet then they normally were as the scene changed. With Lucus' vision imposed over his own he could easily see the great form of the Ra'zac's mount in the air as it swept in close searching the plains for them.
It shrieked and Caleb heard the winces across the villagers even as his own ears attempted to send him to his knees in pain. Lucus growled lowly but forced himself to stop. Caleb could see through Lucus' eyes as a few of the children crawled towards the silver dragon in an attempt to feel safe and Caleb almost smiled. If anything would keep Lucus calm it was the children.
Their own pain wasn't all that the shriek caused though as deer and bird flocked from the forest as they tried to escape from the creature. He saw Roran creep back through the trees to try to help the other villagers to calm their own animals trapped as they were. Caleb turned as the Ra'zac flew over head and circled the camp casting a shadow as it blotted out the moon. Caleb felt the fear spread throughout the camp as it's translucent wings glowed in the moonlight and he felt his teeth grit.
Caleb ran silently back to the camp as the Lethr-blaka spun low over the ground again before tilting out to sea. Caleb started to relax when a loud hee-haw split the air. Caleb spun even as he heard the sound of an arrow flying and impacting with the donkey. The Villagers crouched together but Caleb remained standing as the Lethr-blaka started for them again slowly.
Caleb raised his hands and his magic pervaded the area silencing the nervous animals and humans alike as he prepared to launch a magical javelin at the Lethr-blaka though he didn't want to since he didn't know where the other one was. His Gedwey-Ignasia glowed silver in the darkness as his magic awoke lifting the leaf debris from the floor around him in a lazy spiralling circle but before he could strike a herd of deer broke through the camp and stampeded out into the open air scared off by the approaching creature. Caleb let out a sigh as the Lethr-blaka wheeled again before heading south along the mountains.
Nobody slept for the last three hours of night and Caleb didn't move from his place at the edge of the forest watching in the direction it had left. "That was far too close." Caleb commented to Lucus.
"You should have killed it." Lucus told him.
"Not unless I know where the other one is or it'll just give away my position." Caleb pointed out logically as Roran joined him to watch the sunrise. Caleb felt Lucus grudgingly agree with him and sent a wave of calming love to his bonded that made even him grin.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
South of Narda - two days later
Caleb didn't return to Narda again and neither did Roran until the day of their departure when he insisted on going. Caleb stayed with the Villagers as they trekked through the night to reach a small bay south of the town where Clovis, the barge owner, had agreed to pick up their 'herd'.
Caleb saw Lucus into the water and told the Dragon to stay out of sight as long as they were on the barges. He didn't like having the Dragon gone for so long but he didn't want Clovis and his men to know of Lucus since apart from the villagers nobody in the empire knew that he had hatched, let alone for an elf which would cause Galbatorix serious worry since Elvish Dragon Riders were particularly powerful, and especially ones that had been Spell Casters before hand.
With Lucus swimming unseen out in the sea never out of mental reach Caleb waited for the barges to arrive. He wore his hood and he would whenever one of the sailors were near since he didn't want to be recognised as a Elf in such close proximity. He had offered to fly with Lucus down beyond Teirm but it had been agreed that his presence was needed in case things got out of hand on the barges.
Caleb watched from the shore as the three barges rounded the headland and headed for the beach. Caleb reached out with his mind and was very aware when Clovis attacked Roran and was impressed when the young man defended himself.
It took three hours to load everything onto the boats but then longer to make sure that everyone was balanced properly in all directions. Caleb found Roran on the quarter deck. "I noticed you had a run in with Clovis." Caleb spoke quietly as he joined him at the banister.
"He wasn't pleased to see the Villagers." Roran told him and Caleb chuckled in amusement. Roran ran forwards to help push the barge off the beach but Caleb refrained from helping since he didn't want to show his magic to the sailors or his superior strength for that matter. Caleb felt the lurch as the water finally took the entire weight of the barge and with a small spin they were facing out to sea again. Roran rejoined him on the quarterdeck and Clovis soon joined them as well.
"Who's your friend, Stronghammer?" Clovis asked him.
"His name is Caleb, a friend of mine." Caleb turned at Roran's words but didn't move to lower the hood of his black travel cloak.
"You don't look like somebody from a village, especially with that sword and bow." Clovis pointed out.
Caleb gently pulled Aidail from it's sheath. "I'm not from Carvahall." Caleb told him bluntly before letting the sword fall back into the sheath. There was no doubt when looking at the sword that Caleb was trained by the best and was somebody that could fight. The bow too looked too powerful for a normal human to wield and in fact it was. Because of his strength Galbatorix had allowed Caleb and Murtagh to commission it's construction and it was far stronger than anything the humans used.
"You're just as bad as Stronghammer with your secrets." Clovis grumbled.
"No, Clovis," Caleb countered. "I am far worse." With that their four week trip south to Teirm was underway, four weeks where contact with Lucus would not be possible beyond their mental speech.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Four weeks later
Caleb stood on the stem of the ship as far forwards as he could get without actually stepping up onto the railing. He had his arms resting on the railing to support his weight and his head staring down at the water as it slipped to either side of the hull. They would arrive at Teirm tomorrow mid morning but even on a boat filled with a hundred people crammed together he had never felt lonelier before in his life.
There was no Murtagh to keep him company, Eragon and Saphira were out of contact, he couldn't bare to talk to Islanzadi even if she tried to contact him, Lucus was out in the water below them and he had to wear his cloak to avoid being recognised but it only served to alienate himself from the rest of the boat's occupants. He almost wished that he hadn't attacked Islanzadi like he had, she might have betrayed him but she had been honest in her desire to be forgiven.
Tonight though was far worse and it showed through the tears on his cheeks. Tears that hadn't fallen for years. For the next few nights there wouldn't be a single Elf who was left out apart from himself. Agaeti Blodhren had begun only a few hours ago as the Eastern lands slipped into darkness and even though the western coast had taken longer to catch up he had felt that well of magic as all of the Elves joined together to celebrate the bonding of Dragon and Elf. Something that he and Lucus should have been a part of over Eragon and Saphira though he didn't feel any anger towards Roran's cousin for his place there.
He saw the dark shadow pass under the boat as Lucus felt his pain and sadness but he knew that Lucus would give him his silence. Lucus had only felt loneliness through Caleb and didn't understand the pain like he did. Lucus had always been loved and hadn't even been in a proper battle in his three months of life. Caleb envied him.
"Are you ok, Caleb?" Roran asked from behind him. Caleb had felt him approach but hadn't commented on it because he didn't know if his voice could hold out. "You've been standing here for four hours."
Caleb was tempted to just ignore the young man but he knew that he couldn't do such a thing to Roran who had been the only person other than Murtagh to trust him since Islanzadi and Eragon had never actually met him. Roran was about to give up and slip off again when Caleb spoke up in a raspy voice. "Every century the Elves all join together to celebrate the anniversary of the binding of the Dragons and the Elves." Caleb explained. "Supposedly it's a joyous event for all Elves and not a single Elf is left out of the celebrations."
"When is it?" Roran asked not quite understanding why Caleb had brought it up.
"The Agaeti Blodhren, or Blood-Oath Ceremony in your tongue, began three hours ago. I felt it start." Caleb sighed.
"You felt it?" Roran frowned.
"From over the entirety of Alagaesia." Caleb sagged slightly onto his arms. "It calls out to every Elf to join in but since I'm an outcast and unable to reach the minds within Du Weldenvarden I am not able to join what should have been my first one. It tears at my heart to be forced to remember that I am an Elf while at the same time being tortured with the knowledge that I'll never fit in with any of the races in Alagaesia."
"I'm sorry." Roran spoke up after a few moments. He was obviously lost as to what to do and Caleb didn't blame him. The Agaeti Blodhren was a very important experience to Elves but it didn't hold any stand with the humans. They couldn't understand the pull towards the essences of their beings.
"Just leave me in peace until the morning, Roran." Caleb told him. Roran wasn't offended and after placing a comforting hand on his back he walked off down the ship. Caleb heard him having a whispered conversation with one of the Villager Sentries as he left and only listening in enough to know that Roran had told the young man to keep an eye on Caleb but not let anyone disturb him.
"I wish I was there." Caleb thought out.
"Where?" Lucus replied and Caleb blended with him to ease the pain of his exile. He found himself staring at the water and swimming beneath the keel of the ship at the same time and he found that he liked the experience.
"With the Elves. Where I'm supposed to fit in." Caleb told him.
"Do you think that will ever be possible?" Lucus asked.
"No." Caleb told his bonded. "But I shouldn't have to miss the ceremony just because the Empire raised me."
"You're not an Elf anymore." Caleb almost snapped back into his own body at the bluntness of Lucus' statement. "You're not a human or a dwarf either, or even a Dragon."
"Then what am I?" Caleb pleaded.
"You are Caleb, bonded to Lucus, and we are Shur'tagal." Lucus announced with a fanfare as he sped out through the water. "You are Murtagh's brother and you'll be Eragon's too. Friend to Saphira and Roran. You'll have a family again. No matter your worry over their reactions."
"But they'll see me as a traitor for hiding each other from them. For lying to them."
"They'll understand because you did what you thought was right and I agree with you." Lucus assured him and Caleb felt himself warm up slightly.
By the time he separated from Lucus' mind he had come up for air three times and flown through the air too far from the coast to see it from the surface and he came back to his body to see that the sun had risen clear of the mountains in distance even though he'd been flying in the sun for a while now.
Caleb muttered a spell to hide the traces of tears down his cheeks and make the redness of his eyes disappear before strolling carefully down the deck to where he could see Roran who drew him aside. "Are you feeling better?" Roran asked.
"Slightly, the ceremony still pulls at me though." Caleb answered honestly.
"Do you feel up to coming into Teirm with us?" Roran asked. "We need supplies and we need to try to find another ship, one that can carry all of us."
"And three months of supplies." Caleb pointed out logically. "Which makes these barges useless."
"Exactly. So are you coming?" Roran asked again.
"I could do with taking my mind off of things." Caleb nodded. The barges beached about a mile north of Teirm in a hidden inlet and Caleb along with Roran, Loring, Birgit, Gertrude and two sixteen year olds, Nolfavrell and Mandel, met on a hill to the west as the rest of the villagers made camp in hidden areas of the inlet.
Caleb knew that taking four of the people that had been in Narda into Teirm was risky but he and Roran were needed and only Gertrude knew what she needed although Caleb knew about all of the herbs she needed but he would be busy with other things. Mandel however was only there because he was fallen off of the wagon as Roran had said and Caleb's friend had insisted on it.
They completely circumvented Teirm so that they could approach from the south and that in itself took them most of the morning but if Teirm was a trap which it could well be it would be worth the effort even for a little bit of anonymity. Gaining entry into the city was far easier than getting into Narda even if the guard was three times the size since they arrived with a large group of traders and farmers and could easily split up and head in with the others. It also meant that Caleb's cloak and hood went unnoticed.
They found a hostel to stay in and Caleb surprised them all by paying for the rooms with five gold pieces for the rooms and a hot meal. To Caleb it was no problem since he had money from his life in Uru-baen. They spent the day searching the city for what they needed without actually doing anything about it before returning to the hostel for food and sleep. Caleb offered to sit up for the night on watch and after setting up a ward on the room to warn him of intruders or eavesdroppers he fell into a trance and started listening to the minds of everyone in the city hoping to catch something useful. The advantage of this was that he worked out exactly how many magicians were in the city and whether anybody was actively looking for himself and Roran without alerting them to his presence. He did find one thing of interest and that was that only one ship in the harbour was suitable for their use but that didn't answer what they would do about food and supplies.
Caleb woke the others at dawn to start the day and after assuring them that he was rested enough he told them about the ship in the harbour and told them to focus on finding out about large supplies.
"There's a herbalist named Angela that lives in Teirm, I'd like to visit her shop." Gertrude told him. Caleb glanced at Roran and then at Mandel and soon the two headed out towards the upper city levels where the nicer areas were. The others split up to listen to rumours about supplies and Caleb found himself in a tavern for most of the morning listening to people stories again and with the occasional bribe he found out about a man named Jeod who had had such bad luck with pirates that his sponsors were forcing him to declare bankruptcy and were auctioning off everything he owned.
It happened that Roran and the others who had met up for lunch had been told the same thing by a man in the greengrocers. Caleb agreed with them that waiting for the auction in two days was out of the question and together they headed up to the large mansion which just screamed of wealth though Caleb had seen grander mansions in Uru-baen.
It took them some work to get passed the butler at the door because of their scruffy appearance but eventually they managed it and were lead to a study where they were greeted by a man who looked rather weary of everything but by the look of the room he either knew a great deal about Alagaesia and how it worked or liked to pretend that he did. Caleb felt the man's mind recede behind iron tight mental defences as soon as Caleb's mind was sensed and he smirked from under his hood before taking up a position at the back of the room.
"Do sit, I won't stand on ceremony in my own house." Caleb remained standing as the others all took up the soft leather seats. "May I offer you pastries and a glass of apricot brandy? I cannot talk for long, but I see you've been on the road for many a week, and I well remember how dusty my throat was after such journeys."
They accepted and Jeod ordered his butler to fetch the assorted drinks and food. "I am at a disadvantage." Jeod continued. "I believe you have my name, but I don't have yours."
"Stronghammer, at your service." Roran started without a pause. The others all introduced themselves with fake names but Caleb kept silent. The others stared at him for a moment but after they all saw Jeod shrug off his silence he continued.
"It's only fair that you know that I'm in no position to buy or sell goods, nor have I gold for investing, nor proud ships to carry wool and food, gems or spices across the restless sea. What, then, can I do for you?" Jeod told them rather bitterly as if remembering better times. Caleb began to think that it wasn't pirates that had made this man what he was today. Perhaps he had another past-time that had garnered the Empire's attention. Caleb had heard of it before. Malcontents slowly driven under because the Empire didn't have sufficient proof to simple execute them for treason. Caleb begun to wonder whether he had run into Eragon when he had sensed Eragon here. It was a bit of a reach but it made sense in a strange kind of way. He only half listened as Roran listed off supplies to Jeod who in the end, although interested in the idea of a long voyage by sea, was unable to help them.
Jeod, trying to be a polite host asked Nolfavrell a question about their journey even if he used his fake name and Roran saw the risk in these questions so inverted the conversation back to Jeod. "I'm curious, sir, as to the nature of the shop next to your house. It seems odd to have such a humble store among all these grand buildings." Caleb had noticed it too but he'd seen the same thing of rich eccentrics in Uru-baen so hadn't commented at the time.
A smile lit Jeod's face as he told them all of Angela the Herbologist who had left a few months ago. Five to be exact, the same time that Eragon had been in Teirm. Caleb made a note to sneak in and have a look.
"That's who Gertrude wanted to meet, isn't it?" Nolfavrell asked Roran who spun on him with a glare to silence him after his slip. Caleb however was watching Jeod who had gone very still. Roran, not seeing this stood and placed his glass on the table to leave before meeting Jeod's eyes and seeing the recognition to the name. Eragon must have mentioned it.
"It can't be." Jeod muttered before studying Roran carefully. "Roran…Roran Garrowson." Roran was fast but he couldn't compare to Caleb's mental speed as Caleb lashed out with his mind and slammed straight into Jeod's barriers. The man back-pedalled instinctively making Roran stop his assault. Caleb smashed the barriers after a brief struggle of only two seconds and the man collapsed. Caleb however didn't enter the man's mind but only withdrew.
Caleb nodded to Roran who still had his hammer in his hand. The only reason Caleb hadn't simply killed him was because he had used the term Garrowson.
"It is Roran isn't it?" Jeod asked, he didn't look alarmed at their weapons but he kept half an eye on Caleb who still hadn't moved from his place at the back of the room.
"How did you guess?" Roran sighed in defeat. Caleb decided it was time to speak and tell them what he had deduced.
"Because Eragon came this way and evidently this Varden spy helped Eragon and his mentor Brom." Caleb spoke quietly but Jeod's suddenly very pale face told him he had got it exactly right.
"Is that true?" Roran asked with a small glare.
"When I saw your poster with Eragon's I figured that the Empire had tried to capture you but that you had escaped." Brom stared at them in respect. "In all my imaginings, I never suspected that you took the rest of Carvahall with you."
"Eragon was here?" Roran wasn't really asking but Jeod answered.
"Aye and Saphira too."
"Saphira?" Birgit asked in confusion.
"You don't know then?" Jeod asked.
"I do, but I didn't tell them what Eragon did." Roran admitted.
"I think it's time we drop pretences and speak the truth, Roran Garrowson." Jeod told him instead of telling the others the truth. "I can tell you why the Empire is chasing you but in return I need to know the reason you came to Teirm…the real reason."
Roran turned to look at Caleb with a questioning look and Caleb stepped forwards slightly. He reached out with his mind again and met barriers once again that stalled his progress. "Lower them or I'll just destroy them again and take what I need. I only want proof that you met with Eragon and that he and Brom trusted you." Jeod hesitated for a moment before lowering his barriers. Caleb found the memory easily and ignored everything but the memories of Jeod helping Brom and Eragon.
"How did you know I was a spy?"
"A simple deduction for a person in my position. There hasn't been pirates in this area for many years and you are plagued with pirates wearing the Empire's uniforms." Caleb withdrew carefully before turning back to Roran. "Your cousin trusted him."
Roran relaxed slightly and he launched into an explanation of everything that had happened since the Ra'zac had arrived. In exchange Jeod told them about his position as a Varden Spy but that somebody had betrayed him and the Empire had run him into the ground because of it. "All I can say is that there is a new Dragon Rider in Alagaesia and it's your cousin, Eragon." Jeod told them eventually. The other Villagers gasped at this but more because of who the Rider was than the presence of one. They'd lived with Lucus nearby for many months.
"You're not shocked." Jeod observed Roran for a moment.
"I was told months ago."
"By who?" Jeod flickered his eyes around the room at the others but they were all looking at Roran in shock.
"By me." Caleb spoke simply. "It was because of Eragon's new status that I travelled north to protect Roran from being captured and used to subdue his brother."
"Who are you?" Jeod stared at him. "I haven't felt a magician that powerful in years. Not since Morzan."
Caleb nearly lost it but directed his anger away but casting out with his magic. "Thrysta!" The glass on the table exploded inwards at the force of this magic. "Don't mention that name to me nor compare me to him!" Caleb growled low shocking everyone, even Roran. "Morzan was nothing but a bastard." Caleb spat before lowering his hood and revealing his eyes.
"An Elf!" Jeod gasped obviously feeling very relieved that Caleb hadn't tried to kill him.
Caleb raised his hood again before walking to the window to stare out of it while the others thought up a plan. He could feel Jeod's curiosity about him so after the others left he stopped Jeod and Roran from following them out.
"Jeod, you're the one that helped to free Saphira, correct?" Caleb asked still looking out of the window.
Jeod nodded and Caleb caught it in the reflection in the window. "With Brom's help."
"I apologise for my reaction to Morzan's name. I have a bad history with the man." Caleb told him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before this Roran but I couldn't afford to since I am sure you have been brought up to hate the man, and rightfully so."
"It's ok, Caleb. What is it?" Roran told him.
Caleb knew it was because of his high-strung emotions that were making him tell Roran and Jeod his secret but with the Agaeti Blodhren's pull tugging at his soul he didn't have any choice. "I have another reason to hate Morzan, he raised me."
Jeod frowned and Caleb turned to see his hand twitch for his sword but then he seemed to rethink it when faced with Caleb. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before Roran but I couldn't risk you not trusting me."
"You were raised by Morzan?" Jeod frowned. "I knew of only one son to the last of the foresworn."
"There are two son's of Morzan but I was placed under Selena and Morzan's care after the Empire captured my mother and I was born in Uru-baen." Caleb explained all the while staring straight into Roran's eyes.
"Selena? And Morzan." Roran collapsed backwards. "Eragon? He's…"
Jeod snapped his head around to face Roran and his eyes went wide. "Eragon is Morzan's son as well?"
"That's the other reason I didn't tell Eragon he had a brother, it would devastate him to know that he was Morzan's son." Caleb explained. "As far as I know only the King himself and the three of us know of this information."
"How do you know?" Jeod asked.
"I was at Eragon's mother's bedside when she died when I was five. I'd already found out that she was pregnant and that she had given birth to Eragon in Carvahall but she made me promise not to tell Murtagh until I had to." Caleb sighed before turning back to the window.
"Murtagh probably knows now as well." Caleb let himself realise for the first time in months. "The King threatened to tell him and he probably has now. Murtagh will know that Eragon is his brother but Eragon won't."
"Oh, god." Roran gasped.
"As I said, nothing you have gone through can compare to what Eragon must." Caleb told them. "I need to get to Surda so that I can keep you safe so that when he finds out about Morzan and Murtagh he wont be completely devastated by your death as well."
"I'll do everything I can." Jeod put in helpfully.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
Dragon Wing - The next evening
They rested well in the mansion but Caleb kept to himself and Roran, in all honesty avoided him. Caleb couldn't help but wish for the time to come when they'd have the Dragon Wing out at sea and Lucus could join them without being spotted by anyone other than the Villagers. He was also partly looking forward to showing Lucus off to Jeod who had done so much for Eragon and Saphira but never in fact met the Dragon.
Caleb stayed out of the fierce struggle to get the Villagers passed the city and onto the ship so that he could concentrate on destroying the minds of the magicians rushing to the walls. And as each one fell they got ever so slightly further away as the Dragon Wing spread her wings and drifted out to sea.
Caleb joined Roran on the quarter deck beside Jeod and Uthar who Jeod had found to captain the ship and command the crew of Jeod's friends who needed to escape just as much as he did. The crew were ushering the villagers down into the hold and organising them into parties to ply the oars and soon Teirm was just a burning blaze behind them as the docks burnt. The sun broke the horizon to the East and Caleb smiled as he finally felt free.
He no longer had to feel the pull of the Agaeti Blodhren, so enticing yet out of reach and now he finally had Roran onto the road to safety. "Keep us away from the coast." Caleb ordered Uthar who frowned and looked at Jeod and then back to him.
"They don't have anything fast enough on shore to catch us up." Uthar pointed out.
"I'm not talking about what's on the shore but above it." Caleb wandered off but he distinctly noted as the ship heeled ever so slightly to put them further out to sea. "Stay hidden for the time being. The Ra'zac will come to investigate soon and I don't want you seen."
"Yes, Caleb." Lucus' voice told him though he was obviously impatient to be back with Caleb and Caleb felt the same way.
The sun was high up in the sky when a cry from the crows nest caught Caleb's attention. "Ra'zac!"
Caleb whirled around and dropped his hood to look out across the water. He heard the sailors gasps as they either saw the Lethr-blaka or saw that he was an elf. "Can you kill it with magic?" Roran asked from his shoulder.
"No." Caleb sighed. "Not at this distance." Everyone who was an archer was running onto the deck and gazing at the Lethr-blaka in worry.
"Why does it stop?" Uthar asked.
"The Ra'zac fear deep water, this is why I told you to keep us clear of their arrows." Caleb said as he shrugged off his cloak and grabbed a single arrow and his bow. He handed the other arrows to Roran and Caleb could see Baldor, an accomplished archer looking at the rather fearsome bow in wonder. "They can't come within your arrowshot." Caleb told Baldor who he knew was the best that Carvahall had to offer.
"Then what are you doing?" One of the sailors asked him in confusion.
"You may have noticed that I am not human." Caleb told him before knocking the arrow. He turned and sighted the arrow directly at the Lethr-blaka and he pulled the string back to its full extent. He paused before twisting the bow so that the arrow pointed up at the sky before he released it with a loud twang. The sound seemed to echo across the ocean as everyone followed the arrow's path.
The Lethr-blaka shrieked as it tried to dodge but from its hover at the waters edge it couldn't move fast enough and the arrow buried itself deep in its shoulder joint. It's left wing spasmed and it collapsed down onto the beach with a series of pained shrieks. It's cries made the ship shake with their ferocity and Caleb almost had to cover his ears in pain. Cheering erupted from the villagers and sailors alike as they saw the thing that they all dreaded being brought down as they stood in safety.
Caleb unstrung his bow and slung it again into its casing before accepting the quiver of arrows again. He handed both to one of the children, "Go put these somewhere safe for the journey." He told the child who nodded before running off down the hatch with them. Caleb turned back to Uthar, Jeod and Roran with a smile on his lips. "Get us completely clear of any eyes on the shore and then I think we may have a guest that I know you, Jeod, will want to meet."
Roran's eyes glinted for the first time in months and Caleb couldn't help but think that he's gotten his revenge for his chest wound. "Come, Lucus." Caleb revelled in the words having wanted to say them for so many weeks. The ship was no more than just out of sight of the coast when Caleb turned to the open sea with a smile spread across his face. Roran smiled and word spread quickly amongst the villagers who all began to mutter excitedly. The children rushed onto the deck to await their friend.
"I don't understand what's going on." Jeod frowned and by the looks on the Sailors face neither did they.
"Watch." Roran said simply and with only a seconds pause the water exploded up the side of the ship and Lucus burst from the water spraying water in all direction. The sun hit his wet scales and reflected off in every colour imaginable lighting the ship in every colour of the rainbow.
Lucus flapped twice to steady himself before landing on the deck in front of Caleb. Jeod almost fell to his knees in shock even as the sailors backed away in fright and the villagers cheered at the display.
Caleb stepped forwards and hugged his purring Dragon around the neck before turning to Jeod. "You're not just an Elf are you?" Jeod asked in awe.
"No, Jeod, Uthar, meet my bonded, Lucus. My dragon." Caleb smiled as Lucus licked the side of his face excitedly and Caleb couldn't help but swing around and pull himself up to sit on his back. Lucus bunched his muscles and sprung up off the side of the ship for a long awaited fly. Now Caleb didn't feel so lonely.
XOXOXOXOXOXOX
End Chapter