The Last Dragons
A/N; I'll be the first to admit that the ending to this chapter isn't what could be called brilliant but I had trouble finding a suitable wind down to the last scene. It is as it is unless I have an epiphany and decide to change it.
Chapter 12; The Exile
Free Armies Camp; Surda
Caleb woke instantly as one of his wards triggered. Katrina had woken up. He slipped sideways out of his bed without spreading out his mind knowing that it would awaken Eragon, Murtagh and the Dragons. He pulled a loose cotton shirt over his head and slipped on his boots before placing Aidail on his hip. He placed a calming hand on Lucus' nose to tell his bonded that he could go back to sleep, his waking could never be subtle enough not to wake Lucus since their minds were rarely separate from each other even in sleep. They dreamt the same dreams and slept in the same half meditating state that Eragon and Saphira were beginning to experience.
Katrina had been set up in one of the healer's tents and as the only wounded female in the Camp she had it to herself. Roran was sleeping fitfully on a matting just outside the entrance and Caleb stepped passed him without waking him. Katrina wasn't alone in the tent. Two Surdan healers were with her as was Arya. Caleb was surprised that she was still here even after knowing that she'd gone with the woman to watch over her. Caleb was glad, he had been concerned that one of Du Gata Vrangr would try to pry into her mind to help her heal but Arya would have put a stop to it instantly.
Katrina was sitting up in her cot with her frail legs tucked up under her chin. The healers were trying to get a response out of her but her eyes were shaded and her mind locked behind solid walls of pain and despair. She wasn't actually feeling either anymore, just throwing it at anyone that tried to enter her mind. Caleb briefly brushed his mind across the surface but she wouldn't have noticed. "Thank you, healers. You may go. You're presence will only antagonise her further."
They both stopped trying to talk to Katrina and looked at him and then at Arya. Arya nodded at them and they bowed to her before leaving. Caleb walked across to the bed and sat gently at the other end. "Should we awaken Roran?" Arya asked.
Katrina flinched at the name but only in recognition. A light flashed in her eyes before fading again. "I would prefer Roran didn't see her in this condition right now. I want to bring her out. Roran has gone through so much emotionally since she was kidnapped." Arya nodded and stepped to the door. Caleb turned back to Katrina and let his mind spread out to her brushing against her pain and despair. Caleb struggled not to let it affect him and used his new family to protect himself. "Katrina, look at me. You recognise me, you knew me before this darkness."
Katrina's eyes moved and looked straight at Caleb though they barely focused on him. "Do you remember speaking to me and Roran in your dreams? I said we were coming to get you out. Katrina?" Caleb reached out his hands and cupped her pale face between his palms. She flinched but her eyes snapped into focus on his face in response and she gasped. Caleb pressed his hands into the sides of her face just hard enough that she felt them clearly proving it wasn't just a dream. "Do you remember my name, Katrina?"
"Caleb?" Her voice was barely above a whisper but Caleb and Arya both heard her. "And Lucus?"
"Yes." Caleb smiled widely. "Lucus is here too somewhere. Do you have any idea where you are?"
"I'm in a cave." She told him.
"Look around, Katrina." He let go of her head but her weak hands grabbed at his own hands before he could drop them completely. She held them in a fierce grip which was still rather too weak. She looked around and tensed at the sight of Arya. "You in a tent in Surda, in the midst of an Army of Surdans and Vardens. This is Arya, princess of the Elves."
"I'm…" She trailed off with a sob.
"You're free, and Eragon, Murtagh and I killed the Ra'zac to free you." Caleb told her. Caleb again brushed out his mind again and traced the edges of her mind. Walls of pain and despair came up again and she looked at him in shock. "I won't hurt you but you have to get used to it, we all do it without thinking."
"I will teach her how to block her mind properly." Arya spoke up gently and her musical words calmed Katrina.
"Arya is going to stay with you for a few minutes." Caleb stood slowly and Katrina let go of his hands and pulled them around her knees. "I'm going to go wake Roran up. He's been sleeping outside the door."
Katrina made to try to stand but Arya settled next to her and stopped her by taking her hands and speaking to her softly. Caleb smiled at them both before slipping silently out of the door. He stooped down beside Roran and placed a hand on his chest. He jerked awake with a gasp that mumbled something like 'Katrina'. "Caleb? Is something wrong? Is it Kat?"
"She just woke up." Caleb told him. "You can go in and stay with her now but no loud noises, no jumping up and down, no smothering her in any way. Let her come to you."
"I understand, Caleb." Roran stood quickly and tried to straighten himself out a bit. "Caleb, thank you. For everything. It wasn't your fault that the Ra'zac came nor that they took Katrina but you protected me, you saved us all. We'll never forget that. I'll never forget that."
"It wasn't exactly Eragon's fault either you know. Saphira chose and she chose well." Caleb told him.
"I know." Roran sighed. Caleb smiled at him and hugged him gently. "We'll come and see you both before we leave."
Roran hugged him back but was eager to get to Katrina and Caleb let him go before turning to walk through the camp. It was early morning and too early to expect many to up so he headed back for his tent and settled down against Lucus' neck gently rubbing the side of his head, neck and leg as he rested.
'The world's a brighter place today.' Lucus told him gently.
'I know what you mean, my love.' Caleb told him expressing all of his love of life in those words. Caleb was part of himself, if there was such a thing as Soulmates he and Lucus were just that. Their souls would be together through their long lives and on into death. They would love together, feel pain together and fall together. And that didn't bother Caleb because Lucus would be there at his side to protect and love him.
The sun was up by the time Eragon came out of his tent, he took in Caleb with a smile before he moved to Saphira who had woken at the same time. Caleb had sensed them waking but this time it wouldn't have woken him up. Eragon had taken his words to heart. Lucus moved his wings back onto his back so that Eragon could sit on the ground and lean on Lucus' neck.
"How is Katrina?" He asked.
"She woke about three hours ago. Panicked a little but Arya and I calmed her down and Roran joined her soon after." Caleb sighed. "She has a habit of throwing pain and despair at any she senses against her mind but Arya will teach her to shield herself properly."
"We leave for the Elves today?" Eragon asked.
"Better now while the Empire is reeling." Caleb nodded and pulled up some grass. He popped a strand into his mouth and chewed on it with a bit sticking out.
"How do you feel about going home?" Eragon asked. Lucus grunted and raised his head. Eragon dodged the wing to the head by ducking. "What?"
"Lucus agrees with me on the fact that the Elves aren't really home to us." Caleb told him without moving though his left hand now rested of Lucus' head. "If anything Murtagh is home to us. He's the constant, the unconditional love that you can always depend on. Even if he's loud, irritable when he wakes and generally gets into trouble at the earliest opportunity."
"I heard that!" Murtagh grumbled from inside the tent.
"I know you did. That's why I said it." Caleb pointed out. Eragon laughed. "Eragon, I don't think many of the Elves are going to be pleased to see me."
"But they want an Elf Rider. That's why they didn't like me, because I was human." Eragon pointed out. "You're their answer."
"No, I'm not." Caleb sighed. "They want an Elf, one trained as an Elf. I'm an Elf raised by the Empire. I'm just as much a disappointment to them as you were."
"Well then, they're in for a shock." Murtagh announced.
"I promised that we'd go visit Roran and Katrina before we leave so I suggest we split up and get everything we need for the trip." Caleb told him. "We'll meet back here in an hour, saddle the Dragons up after they eat and pay our respects to the leaders before we leave."
"When are we going to visit Roran and Katrina?" Eragon asked.
"Last thing. There's a clearing near her tent so we can leave from there." Caleb told him before pulling himself to his feet.
"I'll sort out the food and water, a weeks worth should do us." Murtagh grumbled.
"I'll do medicine. I think I'll go find Angela and see if Solembum's coming with me or not." Caleb nodded.
"Which leaves me going to get some new arrow making supplies for us and food for the Dragons." Eragon finished. "Is that it?"
"I think so." Caleb nodded and silently prompted Lucus to stay with Saphira and Thorn. He rubbed both other Dragons on the nose before collecting the rest of his gear into his saddle bag neatly and slinging his unstrung bow over his shoulder. There was nothing else he needed to keep in his tent.
He made his way first to the three tents shared by the men of Carvahall who were all preparing to leave with the Burning Wind in a few hours with the wounded. He found Joed, Uthar, Horst and Gertrude standing together outside a tent. He spent a while saying farewell to them for a time and told them about Katrina and gave directions to their tent for them to greet the pair if they wanted.
After about fifteen minutes of chatting he slipped away and sought out Angela who was more than happy to supply him with all the medicines he might need and she helped him pack it all away into a small leather pouch that could be tied to his sheath. Solembum told him that he'd find him before he left and Caleb accepted that without comment. He took the medicine back to the saddle bags and avoided the feeding Dragons so he didn't put off his own appetite. He found Murtagh there and Eragon arrived soon after. They packed away the food into the bags along with the arrow parts and spares until they were satisfied with everything.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
The farewells were simple and to the point. Caleb made an official farewell to King Hrothgar, Nasuada and King Orrin. The latter gifted him with a fine leather jacket, normally designed for archers. It was loose around the arms but formfitting around his slender chest. It was good for keeping the wind off of him and he'd changed into it and found it warm enough on its own so had left his cotton shirt for when he wasn't flying. It had a tie up front from the sternum up which he left half undone and ties up the forearms so the lower half of the sleeves could be untied and left to hang when using a bow. It was made for the use of nobility and suited him rather well.
Hrothgar presented Murtagh with a large gem stone set into a leather band that could be used to store magic even if Murtagh, like the Empire's sorcerers couldn't transfer the power. He and Eragon would teach him that. Murtagh had accepted the gift of forgiveness for his crimes against the Dwarf with moist eyes that he'd hidden well from anybody that wasn't his lifelong brother and he'd quickly fastened it around his wrist.
That left Nasuada to present a gift to Eragon which had turned out to be a new sword to replace the one that Murtagh now carried for lack of a better one. He'd refused to use the blade that he'd stabbed Caleb with and since Zar'roc really didn't match Saphira, Eragon had let Murtagh use it. Personally Caleb knew that Murtagh would be rid of Zar'roc as soon as a fitting place could be found for it. It was a powerful sword with many unbreakable spells placed into it. He didn't want to leave it lying around. The blade that Nasuada presented to Eragon was unused in combat but it was Elvin made if not to the same standards as the Elvin wrought Dragon Rider's swords like Zar'roc. It was lighter but stronger than the human swords and had magic in it's blade to prevent breaking. It was also tinted with a slightly blue sheen which pleased Saphira.
Eragon had had a teary farewell with Roran and Katrina. Roran had hugged all three 'brothers' and told them all to stay safe before he'd bravely walked forwards with Katrina in his arms to introduce her to Saphira and Thorn and for Lucus to greet her again with his hot tongue on her cheek which had made her laugh for the first time since Carvahall had been placed under siege.
Solembum had joined Caleb just as they took to the sky under the cheers and stares of over ten thousand men, women and dwarves. That evening the Free Armies would break camp and head for Dauth at the river estuary.
They flew north through the morning until they reached the towering monolith of the Hellgrind. 'I think now is a good time to destroy that thing.' Caleb commented after being permitted entry into all six of the other minds around him though Lucus really didn't count.
'I agree, the refugees from Dras Leona have moved away to either the South or the North and we can make it fall straight without hurting anyone.' Eragon nodded.
'They flee both to Surda and to Uru'baen.' Saphira pointed out in her deep calm voice.
'How about we show them they made the right choice?' Lucus commented but didn't wait for a reply before flipping over in mid air and diving down from the smoke that still trailed off towards the south.
'What are you doing?' Murtagh asked.
'Lucus would like to show off. It'll look more impressive with three Dragons you know.' Caleb pointed out. He heard Eragon chuckled through their minds and smiled as Lucus dove to just below arrow shot before opening his huge wings and swooping down over the thousands of refugees that were suddenly peering up at them in shock. A few dove for the ground but Lucus just roared happily and tilted his wings to the side to make a slow circle over the rabble of people. The air thudded as Saphira came down on their left and not a few people were thrown to the ground. Thorn dropped down a bit more gracefully and flapped his wings as he touched down briefly on the top of a hill sending up a cloud of dust before he joined them back in the air.
They turned back north towards the Hellgrind and as soon as they all realised they were just passing by there were assorted cheers from the crowd. They wouldn't get the same response from the North group, Caleb guessed.
The Hellgrind was as Caleb remembered it, tall and dark. Irregular and ghastly in the light of the raging fires still alive within the city a mile away. 'Are you two up to this?' Caleb asked. 'The structure will have weaknesses because of the tunnels they dug into the base. Just find any tunnels on the lower west side and we can tip the whole thing over onto Dras Leona.'
'Are you sure we have enough strength for this?' Eragon asked uncertainly. 'We'll have to collapse hundreds of tunnels.'
'Just take it easy and leave the stronger ones for me, I have the largest reserves.' Caleb commented.
'Of course, o' master Spellcaster.' Murtagh laughed before Thorn dove down to scrap along the ground on his red wings. Caleb felt Murtagh's mind reach out with a spell to find one of the tunnels and then another spell lashed out and one of the tunnels was weakened and collapsed. Eragon went next and the same happened except Eragon used a lot less of his strength to do it. Murtagh would learn not to use so much brunt force. Both Caleb and Eragon used the mountain to bring down the tunnels where as Murtagh had to learn not to just ripped down the ceiling.
Murtagh learnt fast though and didn't seem to begrudge the training. In their minds Caleb taught Murtagh a few new spells that were more effective for this sort of task and for half an hour the three Dragons glided around the Hellgrind as their Riders took out the tunnels within. Even Caleb began to feel the strain after a while though and knew that he was just as tired as Murtagh and Eragon. He knew they were close as he reached out a final time and snapped through the roof of a large cavern in the centre of the Hellgrind. There was a earth rendering crack and the three Dragons banked away as rock and dirt shot from numerous cracks in the outer wall.
The Hellgrind seemed to sag towards the west as the whole base crushed in on itself but the west was weaker and the shift in it's centre of balance was enough to send the whole thing tipping over. It gained speed as it slowly went over until it was falling like a felled tree. It crashed down with a ear splitting crack right across the palace and outer wall of Dras Leona. The Dragons roared out in pleasure at the sight but Caleb silenced them with a flick of his mind asking for quiet. He blended with Lucus and smiled. 'Blend with Saphira and Thorn. You can hear cheering in the south.'
'Where to now?' Eragon asked after they had flown in circles around the ruins for about ten minutes listening to those cheers.
'We need a place to sleep tonight.' Caleb spoke up to Murtagh trying to think of an ideal place.
'How about the Manor?' Murtagh asked tentatively.
'Do you want to?' Caleb asked.
'Wait? As in where you lived before the castle?' Eragon asked in confusion.
Lucus and Thorn both soothed their Rider's and Eragon and Saphira felt it through their connected minds. 'Yes.' Caleb said firmly. 'It's time we say a final goodbye to that world.'
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That evening
The Dragons circled the area several times as Caleb and Eragon reached out with their minds to all of the creatures in the area. Billions of little minds met theirs and they listened primarily to the birds and mammals looking for any disturbances. There were none. Lucus landed carefully in the centre of the courtyard in front of the house and folded his wings to let Thorn and then Saphira land and settle down. "Why is this place still empty?" Eragon asked. "It's a nice house, surely the locals would have used it."
"The house is nice enough but the locals don't like the person who used to live here." Caleb pointed out. "They were scared of Morzan."
Eragon paled ever so slightly and stared at the house in a more foreboding way. "Yes, little brother. This is where our father lived." Murtagh barely even looked at the house.
"I don't want to think of him as my father." Eragon told Murtagh fiercely.
"We know the feeling Eragon." Caleb told him. "But not every thing about this place is so bad."
"How can anything here be good?" Murtagh asked him.
"Come." Caleb told them before turning to the three Dragons. "We'll come back and unsaddle you all."
Lucus nodded even if Thorn and Saphira gave him strange looks. He felt more than heard Lucus talking privately to the other Dragons for a second and they settled down without comment. Caleb walked to the door and gently pushed it in. A wave of memories hit Caleb as soon as he stepped into the foyer and he glanced at Murtagh in concern knowing that he was doing the same even if Murtagh's memories weren't as clear as Caleb's own.
Eragon followed meekly through the hallways filled with pictures of Dragons in battles and great hosts of humans waging war before Murtagh stopped with a gasp as they passed Morzan's study. On the wall beside the door was a portrait of the man with Zar'roc held loosely point down in front of him. Murtagh gritted his teeth. Eragon stared in shock. "Is that…?"
"Yes, Eragon." Caleb spoke up from behind him seeing as Murtagh wasn't giving an answer anytime soon. "This was his study. He spent most of his day in here which was a god send for us really. Our room was on the other side of the building."
"What was he like?" Eragon seemed to fear the answer and Caleb winced as Murtagh rounded on him.
"He's a bastard, that's all you need to know!" Murtagh ground out.
"Murtagh, it was only a question. He has a right to know." Caleb told him calmly. "We didn't see much of him. He gave up trying to separate us from each other or our mother early on. The only times we saw him were when he was furious about something and came to take his anger out on us."
Murtagh sagged against the wall and Eragon looked at him tiredly. "What did he do?" Murtagh winced again so Caleb came to the rescue.
"The King placed me here so Morzan avoided doing anything major to me but those same restraints didn't apply to Murtagh. You saw the wound on his back." Caleb told him. "Come on you two. We have other things to see here."
"What could we possibly want to see, Caleb?" Murtagh sounded wounded.
"You've avoided that room long enough, Murtagh." Caleb told him before tugging Murtagh's suddenly tense form down the hallway and around the corner. Passed Morzan's private rooms to another door. Caleb pushed open the door but left Murtagh behind as he and Eragon walked inside.
"Who's room is this?" Eragon asked looking at the faded comforters on the bed and small decorations around the room.
"This was Selina's room." Caleb told him. "Morzan kept it as it was. He did love her. Maybe not as much as Murtagh and I did but enough."
"What really happened to her?" Eragon asked.
"She died." Murtagh said rather harshly from the door way.
"When we were four I began to sense that she was pregnant. She asked me to promise never to tell Murtagh and no sooner had I realised what it mean she left. She slipped out during the night and Murtagh and Morzan panicked." Caleb said as he turned to look directly at his lifelong brother in the doorway. "I knew she planned to go to Carvahall. She gave birth to you, left you with Garrow and came back. She had a horrible choice to make, Eragon. One that you'd both begrudge her for."
"What?" Eragon asked staring at the bed in shock.
"She didn't want to leave Murtagh and I for too long and she didn't want to abandon you, Eragon." Caleb told him quietly. "In the end it came down to the people we lived with. You had a family that would love you and care for you whereas Murtagh and I didn't. So she left you there and came home."
"Why did she take me there in the first place? Why not raise me with you?" Eragon asked.
"She didn't want Morzan to know about you." Caleb told him simply. "She knew the risks of being Morzan's wife and she didn't want to leave all three of us under Morzan's care. She wanted you to be free. She couldn't offer that to Murtagh when he was born so she offered it to you so that you would have the light in your heart to counter any darkness in Murtagh's."
"What about you?" Eragon asked.
"I don't think she ever thought I'd have darkness in my heart." Caleb shrugged. "Sometimes I think I have more darkness there than Murtagh but we're the same really."
"What happened to her?" Eragon asked.
"As I told you, she left as soon as I could sense you in her." Caleb continued. "I was more attuned to lives than even Morzan but she knew that soon he would be able to sense you too so she left. When she returned she was heartbroken. Pained for leaving you and for leaving Murtagh and I here without being able to free us. It got at her and when she fell ill she lost the will to fight it. I felt her dying slightly more every day but I couldn't do anything. I don't think I could even now."
"It wasn't your fault." Murtagh told him and stepped into the room though it obviously pained him.
"So why didn't you ever tell Murtagh?" Eragon asked. Murtagh tensed up and before Caleb could speak he did.
"I was angry at Caleb for not telling me after the King told me about you but he's right. I would have been angry at her for saving you and not me. It would have been easier for Morzan to play me against you and her." Murtagh sighed.
"She made me promise to never tell either of you about the other." Caleb sighed. "I dragged it on too far. I should have told you both when you first met and when I slipped up and told Saphira that Eragon had a brother that I grew up with but I was scared that the two of you would hate me for keeping it a secret."
"We know why you did it and it's in the past now." Murtagh hugged him from behind and Caleb relaxed slightly.
"I remember sitting on this bed as she died. She was so horrified that I'd sensed her dying and come to her side. She would have preferred nobody to witness it but she made me make those promises and I made them. She died peacefully. I would have sensed any pain if there was any." Caleb continued the story.
"He ran through the house and out onto the roof and I followed. We both got soaked but I didn't have a clue why he was crying. Caleb barely ever cried unless it was me in pain." Murtagh told Eragon. "He didn't speak until we heard the yells around the house as the staff woke up and found her dead."
"That's how Islanzadi learnt about me. My mind struck out at everything but on a level higher than the King or Morzan could detect." Caleb told him. "I sent all my pain and anguish out around me and she heard it. From then on she trained me in the Ancient language and magic so that I couldn't be tempted by the King. I also gave her a spy in the Empire and somebody to go after a new Dragon Rider if it happened."
"That's not the only reason, Caleb." Murtagh told him. "That's only the reasons you've come up with after she abandoned you."
"I supposed." Caleb laughed. "She stopped contacting me with the dream spell when Arya was captured and of course I couldn't contact her in Du Weldenvarden. But I suppose she simply didn't want an Elf to go untrained in their ways."
"You'll have an answer in person when we get up there." Murtagh promised.
"You should know that there is something with the Elves that will surprise you." Eragon said carefully and seemed to have a quick mental conversation with Saphira. "I'm under Oath not to tell anybody about it though. I just want you to be warned so you aren't too surprised."
"So we don't show too much surprise in front of the Elves?" Caleb asked with a smile. "Thank you Eragon. And I plan on getting the advantage over them. They won't know its me until we land and I don't plan on showing them I'm a Dragon Rider until the right moment."
"Are you going to ride with one of us then?" Eragon asked.
"Better to ride with Eragon." Murtagh grumbled. "I'll be under suspicion enough as it is."
"The Elves are very formal." Eragon pointed out. "But they take great faith in the Ancient language. If I speak to them of your loyalty to me, your brother, they will be forced to accept you."
"And I have ways to force acceptance as an Elf." Caleb spoke. "Even so a second stranger should probably ride with Saphira."
"Caleb?" Murtagh asked and Caleb stepped out of his arms to look at him. "I don't fancy sleeping in the house."
Caleb shook his head. "Nor do I."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
The next morning
Caleb woke before the others and Lucus rose with him. He didn't move out from under his bonded's wing though. Until he felt one of his spells drawing his power. His secrecy ward around Eragon was drawing power. Caleb was out from under the wing as Lucus scrambled to his feet and sent his mind out to the other two Dragons who woke with a start. Eragon was sitting bolt upright against Saphira's side with his hand on a small medallion around his neck. Caleb settled down at his side as Murtagh woke up.
"It's a charm the Dwarves made me. It uses my power to block anybody from scrying me." Eragon told him. "It's not drawing that much though."
"I have a ward around both of you." Caleb told him. "I'm blocking it as well."
Eragon sighed in relief and let go of the charm. "It's gone." Caleb nodded and relaxed as well. He'd felt the spell cut off.
"I was expecting the King to scry Murtagh rather than you." Caleb shrugged.
"The King?" Eragon looked worried.
"I doubt he'd scry you, Eragon. It would be unclear since he only has images taken from others to view you with. He'll scry Murtagh. The Elves would scry you." Caleb sighed.
"What about you?" Murtagh asked from where he stood watching what had happened in front of Thorn who was rubbing his head against his side. Murtagh stroked him without thought.
"By now the King knows about my training. Only the King has the power to scry me." Caleb shrugged. "I think it was probably the Elves scrying you, Eragon which means you can probably expect a dream spell in a while if they really need to find out what you're doing."
"I thought I had to be asleep for that?" Eragon asked.
"You weren't when I contacted you after I escaped from Uru'baen. It'll just make you fall asleep." Caleb told him. "If you start feeling tired all of a sudden let it take you and I'll join you like Arya did but don't tell them who you are travelling with. The Elves don't know about Murtagh, Thorn or Lucus yet and I want to surprise them."
"Won't they realise you're there?" Eragon asked before he blinked. Caleb chuckled as he felt Eragon's mind try to close. He struggled against it but Caleb just smiled at him.
"It's your mind, you are in control. You can block them out, show whatever image you like and hide me." Caleb told him just as Eragon nodded and let his eyes fall shut as the mind invaded his dreams. Caleb turned to Murtagh. "Can you keep an eye on us? If you're scryed against my ward on you will bring me out."
Murtagh nodded. Caleb muttered the spell to join Eragon in his mind and appeared seamlessly behind the invader. He waved gently at Eragon but the boy didn't react to his presence. Saphira had evidently followed Eragon in since she loomed behind him. The area was a vast lake of water and Eragon and the intruder stood on it like it was land.
Caleb eyed the Elf standing before him though her back was turned. She was as regal as ever for the Queen of the Elves. They'd just finished the proper introductions and Eragon spoke the last line showing that he had greeted her first as was proper. The next time Caleb met her he planned on refusing to speak at all. "Are you travelling alone? I found you west of Uru-baen."
"I have Saphira with me." Eragon told her in the Ancient language without pause. Caleb smiled, it wasn't a lie and obviously Thorn and Lucus had protected him and Murtagh from being detected by the spell.
"Are you then returning to us?" Islanzadi asked.
"I am." Eragon nodded.
"Eragon, I must know. Have you met Caleb?" She asked.
"We met at the battle in Surda." Eragon told her. "He saved King Hrothgar from a spell."
"That is good to hear." She told him. "We shall expect you soon?"
"Within the day." Eragon told her.
"We look forward to your arrival." Islanzadi nodded regally and vanished. Caleb stepped into her place.
"That was all very formal." He spoke up for the first time sticking to the Ancient Language.
"She knew I was hiding companions." Eragon told him.
"Probably. She wouldn't have been able to sense who we were but she would have sensed minds and she would recognise this place from her visits to me." Caleb told him. "It'll make her worry about who you have on the back of your Dragon."
"Will she realise it's you?"
"To be able to hide your presence from that spell you have to be a strong Spellcaster that knows the spell. It would have to be either Arya or I." Caleb nodded at Eragon before backing out. He found himself staring into Eragon's eyes and he smiled.
"Interesting guest?" Murtagh asked.
"The Queen of the Elves." Caleb told him with a small grin. "It's a shame I didn't teach Eragon to cast that spell I used on her last time she tried it on me."
"You two are awful." Eragon laughed before standing up and pulling Caleb with him. "I think it's time we hit the skies."
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
That afternoon
To surprise the Elves with the two male Dragons they had to be careful about blocking her spells but when Murtagh's ward triggered to show he was being scryed both him and Eragon knew it could only be one person. Chances were Islanzadi knew that the red Egg had hatched but not to whom and she wouldn't know all the details of what had happened. Galbatorix on the other hand knew Murtagh and Caleb so well that he could easily scry for them and he would have heard about Dras Leona days ago. His magic swept into them and Murtagh gasped in shock before Thorn snapped his wings rigid and growled. Lucus rolled him and Caleb closer to the red Dragon and Caleb struck out with his magic powering the ward he had over Murtagh's own one. The two wards melded together and flowed against the scrying magic but Caleb felt them both weakening under the onslaught.
"Eragon!" Caleb shouted across the wind and mentally cried out. Lucus growled as he used his own magic to counter a sudden awakening from Galbatorix. Thorn did the same but they weren't able to completely hold out against Galbatorix and Shruikan's magic. Eragon's magic smashed across to join their own and the attack was halted before it faded completely after a few minutes of struggling. Caleb collapsed forwards on the saddle and felt Solembum pull himself from the saddle bag and change shape behind him. The small boy wrapped his arms around him.
Caleb finally managed to gain the strength to look over at Murtagh who was pale and slumped over in his saddle just as Caleb was. Eragon was on Thorn's other side looking a bit better than the two other Riders but still looking rather worried. "Was that Galbatorix?" He asked with more calm then he probably felt.
"It couldn't have been anybody else." Caleb replied. "I never knew he was that strong."
"But we're stronger." Murtagh stated hopefully.
"If he wasn't holding back." Caleb sighed. "Then we'd better hope he never catches just two of us."
"Caleb?" Murtagh was more awake than Caleb. "You used up more than we did. Get some sleep."
"Yes." Solembum spoke up quietly though still mentally. "I shall watch you. You will sleep. Then we can have some fun."
Caleb chuckled but was asleep before anybody else could agree. He dreamt harshly of towering black Dragons and enormously powerful spells shredding through their Dragons. He woke a few hours later with a gasp and blinked around at them all. They were above the clouds now in the sunlight and it took a moment for Caleb to refocus, he wasn't used to actually falling unconscious.
He felt Murtagh's mind against his own and realised he'd thrown his mind out in much the same way as a person tried to rid themselves of a bad dream. "Pleasant dreams?"
"Not a chance." Caleb shook his head.
"I know." Murtagh chuckled derisively. He'd obviously slept for a while as well. "We'll have to tell Islanzadi just how powerful Galbatorix is."
"I know." Caleb sighed.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
As they approached Ceunon in the north Caleb manoeuvred his way from Lucus to join Eragon on Saphira. He pulled his rich black cloak over his leather jacket and pulled the hood up around his face. He held Eragon tightly around the waist as Saphira did a small roll in greeting.
Eragon chuckled and patted her on the side of the neck. "I think you should call ahead." Caleb shouted over the wind. "We wouldn't want any of them to miss this."
Eragon chuckled and reached out with his mind and down below the clouds. They were heading East towards Du Weldenvarden where Caleb had been able to search out the Elvin Army.
'Just stay above the clouds and watch but don't blend completely. I don't want my eyes to give anything away.' Caleb told Lucus gently. Lucus growled in agreement and set his wings rigid to glide in circles in the sunlight as Saphira and Thorn glided slowly down through the clouds. Caleb cast a spell over Saphira to keep them dry and could sense Murtagh doing the same thing. He'd cast the same spell over Solembum and Lucus for when they came down through the clouds.
"Ready?" Eragon asked.
"No." Caleb told him and let his head fall on Eragon's back where he hit it a few times. "I want to go find a cave in the Spine and live out my life but I don't think that'll happen any time soon."
"There's some nice caves down in the Beors." Eragon told him with a chuckle. He reached down and grabbed Caleb's hands gently in reassurance. "I'll protect the two of you from them."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I can kick them around if I want to. I'm more worried about them insulting me and Lucus taking revenge by eating a few of them." Caleb laughed. "He was born after Islanzadi stopped talking to me."
Eragon winced before tapping on Saphira to make her dive down. Thorn copied the motion and a second later both Dragons burst from the clouds and down over the spread out army of the Elves camped in front of the tree line.
It was surprising how quickly an army can go from patiently waiting to defensive. Caleb saw the shimmer of movement as troops circled around the clearing in the centre of the tents that had been set up. Archers ran up and swordsmen appeared around the clearing. Caleb heard it before he saw it. A roar from the trees behind the camp. Caleb went rigid and felt Lucus' mind blend with his own. Thorn flicked his wings nervously at the sound. "Your oath I assume?" Caleb asked. "A Dragon!"
Eragon nodded just as a huge gold dragon leapt into the air with huge beats of it's wings. Thorn went rigid and Caleb reached out with his mind to Murtagh and Thorn to calm them and remind them that Lucus was seconds above them. If the gold dragon attacked Lucus would be on it in a second. Saphira roared out and even that vicious roar from her was soothing and gentle as was her nature. The gold dragon roared back and Saphira dived down to land gently in the centre of the clearing. Caleb held on tightly as she settled her wait.
"Murtagh. Land next to Saphira." Eragon told his brother as he reached out his mind.
Thorn landed gently but didn't collapse his wings until the gold dragon had landed behind the gathering of Elves that Caleb could already see were the Council by their clothing. In their midst stood Islanzadi Drottningu. Caleb gritted his teeth but followed Eragon as he slipped off of the saddle and down onto the ground. Caleb jumped down without his normal grace looking like Eragon in his movements.
"Thorn! Calm down!" Eragon yelled and walked straight up under the Dragon's nose to prove he wasn't a threat. Thorn slowly closed his wings and settled down revealing the human Rider on his back who quickly jumped off of the saddle. Eragon look at Murtagh, his face clear for all to see, as was Zar'roc at his side, and then at Caleb hidden under his cloak. "Come on, let's get this over with."
"Another Dragon, Eragon?" Murtagh asked with a nervous chuckle. "It scared the life out of Thorn."
"And Lucus." Caleb spoke only loud enough for Eragon and Murtagh to hear him. "He was a second away from diving down here."
"I have to let him explain." Eragon told him after a moment. "Come on."
With that Eragon turned and strode confidently over the grass of the clearing towards the Council and Islanzadi with the towering gold dragon behind. It was easily bigger than Shruikan. Caleb glanced at Murtagh before following slowly. He could feel and see all of the bows being held loosely and knew that the Elves would only need a second before they'd be all over Caleb. He was nervous and quite a bit scared. He shoved that all down though and straightened his back. He wouldn't let his supposed kin overcome him. If they didn't accept him then it was their loss. He'd done more for this war than any of them could imagine.
Eragon came to a halt five paces from Islanzadi flanked by thirty of the Council Elves. He saluted her and began to speak the formal greeting. "Atra esterni ono thelduin."
She nodded before continuing. "Mor'ranr lifa unin hjarta onr."
"Un du evarinya ono varda." Eragon finished the ritual by speaking the last line sealing his agreement that Islanzadi was his senior. No other Elf could expect a Dragon Rider to start the ritual and definitely not add the last line.
"You bring guests." Islanzadi spoke in the Ancient language. Murtagh was completely lost.
"Not all of my companions speak the Ancient tongue. Could we please speak the common tongue so they may both understand?" Eragon asked in common.
Islanzadi studied Murtagh and then tried to see passed Caleb's hood without success, she then turned and took in Thorn watching everything around him suspiciously. "Very well." She nodded. There was a ripple through the crowd at this and Caleb knew they could all hear perfectly.
Murtagh took the opportunity to step forwards and use what Caleb and Eragon had taught him. He saluted by bringing his fist up to his collar bone before starting the same ritual greeting as Eragon had. "I am afraid that is all I can offer." Murtagh said in common after he had finished the third line. "I am Murtagh, son of Morzan. Beside Saphira is my bonded, Thorn."
This time there was general outcry from all there at the admittance that he was the son of the first and last of the Forsworn. Eragon stepped forwards. "Much has come to light since I left here last." Eragon spoke loudly to quiet everyone there. "Murtagh and I share parents in Morzan and Selina. We are brothers. Judge me as you will him."
There was a round of muttering but none could deny Eragon's loyalties. "You were the Dragon I watched leading the Empire's armies in Surda. You attempted to kill the Dwarven King."
"An act prevented by Caleb." Eragon told her so that Caleb didn't have to speak up. "It was Caleb that confirmed that we were in fact brothers. He grew up with Murtagh. He trusts Murtagh as much as I do. It was him that freed Murtagh from the Oath that King Galbatorix enslaved Murtagh with. Do you mistrust Caleb as well?"
There was general outrage at this comment. Or more the accusation in Eragon's voice. Islanzadi went rigid but didn't speak. She didn't look at Caleb either so it was obvious she hadn't recognised him. "Who is this Caleb you speak of?" One of the Councillors asked.
"That can be left till later, Meastin." Islanzadi spoke up. "If Eragon trusts Thorn and Murtagh then who are we to question him?"
A figure appeared through the crowd and his mind swept through them all. Caleb closed his mind off like a ball of iron and felt Murtagh do the same. He could own up to mental training without harm. "Oromis-Elda." Eragon greeted with the same salute.
"Eragon-Finiarel." Oromis greeted in return. "Thorn is a welcome sight if he is as trustworthy as you claim him and his Rider to be."
"He is." Eragon nodded.
"Then I say we stop being suspicious about the arrival of another Dragon on our side and greet them as Elves should." Oromis said after turning to address the Council and Queen.
"Who is your other guest, Eragon?" Islanzadi asked.
"He is well versed in Elvin customs, if he wishes to speak I will leave that up to him." Eragon spoke up. There was definitely an outcry at this. The Queen had asked for a name and Caleb, in his silence, had refused to give it. Eragon had also admitted that Caleb could do the ritual expected of him and again Caleb had refused.
Caleb took a half step forwards but didn't salute or start the ritual greeting. "I see not the Queen of Elves but Islanzadi Drottningu and I trust her not enough to bless her." Caleb spoke quietly but viciously. His voice flat but to somebody like Islanzadi who had had such a hand in raising him it was his and she knew it even if she had only heard it once in the last year.
She stumbled back in shock and two of the Council members reached out to catch her. The effect was instant though. Three of the Council drew swords on him even as a young Spellcaster standing behind them threw a silent spell at him. The spell restrained his arms and legs and forced his mouth closed. The most effective way to block a human Magician. The young man stepped through the Council and looked smugly at Caleb. They probably thought he had attacked her with more than simple words.
Eragon and Murtagh looked warily at what was happening waiting until they'd have to intervene. It wasn't necessary though. Caleb's magic roared around him and lashed out with a silent stream of words in his mind. The magic vanished from around him as his magic battled against the Elf's and crushed it. Another sweep of magic sent the Elf flying backwards. Saphira and Thorn flapped their wings in agitation but the gold dragon roared at Caleb.
Caleb stopped and looked at it. He wasn't sure he could defend against that Dragon if it struck. He didn't really want to. Three of the Council Elves struck forwards with swords but Caleb crashed his mind into the first one and stabbed straight through his defences sending him to his knees. He left instantly but left the fact that he could have done more.
"Stop!" The scene froze as Islanzadi's magic crashed down around them all. The last two Council members were frozen in their tracks and Caleb felt magic restraining him. The Council members didn't even try to fight it and were released instantly but Caleb waited patiently for her to find her stand before him. He brought his magic to bare against hers and brought it down on the restraints. Islanzadi rapidly withdrew her magic. Caleb took a step closer to Eragon and the boy nodded at him gently. "How is this possible, Caleb?"
A shimmer went through the crowd at the recognition in her voice. And the pain. "A lot can happen in a year, my mentor." Caleb told her before slowly lowering his hood.
"This is the Elvin Spellcaster that the King was raising?" Oromis spoke up suddenly looking wary. The gold dragon hissed and strode a few steps forwards. It limped heavily and Caleb realised in horror that it walked with only one complete front leg. Thorn saw it too and his low growl was echoed in Caleb's head by Lucus.
"I trained him myself since he was five." Islanzadi told him.
"Kindly stop talking about me as if I am not here." Caleb snapped at them both.
"How dare you speak to the Queen that way!" The Elvin Spellcaster that had attacked Caleb cried in outrage. "You are an Elf."
"Yes I am." Caleb said bluntly while still looking at Islanzadi. "Do you begrudge me for not speaking the rituals?"
"No. I do not." Islanzadi sighed and a collective gasp of horror and outrage went up around them. "Caleb. How is this possible? This is not your power, how have you done this?"
"How do you think?" Caleb asked without remorse. "My magic has grown in the last year. If you had not abandoned me with only the King as consul then you would have learnt how just as I did."
"How did the King do this to you?" Oromis spoke up.
"The King increased my magic." Murtagh spoke up suddenly. "I will tell you how but not here. He didn't touch Caleb. He didn't have a chance."
"You abandoned me when I needed you the most. I found out about Arya without your help when I could have rescued her. I found out about Eragon the hard way. Did you not think I could help? Or were you simply finished with your spy in the Empire?" Caleb spat before turning his back on her and walking back towards Saphira and Thorn.
"Caleb!" Eragon cried after him.
"Stop him!" The one called Meastin yelled. Noise erupted around them as a hundred bows were drawn and aimed at Caleb and Elves began to jog forwards to block his escape. Saphira and Thorn were up in a second, their wings sending gusts around them as they roared at the approaching Elves. The gold Dragon reared up and it's roar drowned out Saphira's and Thorn's.
"Silence!" Islanzadi's voice rang out both mentally and physically but none of the Dragons did more than silence their roars. Saphira and Thorn both waited patiently for somebody to attack Caleb and the gold dragon was watching Caleb carefully.
Caleb turned to look at Islanzadi. "You wish to know what I am?"
"Caleb, please just tell me so we can move passed this?"
"I am an Elf brought up by humans, raised first by the Foresworn and then the King of the Empire. Three Dragon Riders stand before you and yet you cannot recognise a forth." Caleb said and raised his hand. Lucus roared in glee and burst through the clouds. In a second he was landing heavily just behind Caleb and reared up to cover Caleb from attack. He'd been on the edge of doing so for the last five minutes. "Where did you think the Silver Egg had gone, Islanzadi?"
The gold dragon thumped to the ground and walked slowly through the elves to reach Caleb. He lowered his massive head down to Caleb's eyes and Caleb blended completely with Lucus so that it was the both of them that met the Dragon's eyes. It's mind reached out slowly until Caleb allowed it in. "To have the Elves hopes answered with such fervour warms my heart as much as when Saphira first came to us." His voice was deep and powerful and Caleb knew that Lucus was tempted to go to the Dragon as a kitten would its mother.
"I would not have my chosen Rider treated in such a way again." Lucus announced to everybody there. "He has been betrayed by all sides in this war and it is only his brothers and true kin, the Shur'tagular, that keep him in this fight."
"We should still study his mind to ensure his loyalty." Meastin spoke up.
"If you do such a thing then you will have to breach the mind of a Dragon also and I will allow no such thing." Oromis spoke up. He looked up at his Dragon for a moment before looking at the Council. "Glaedr tells me that his heart is as true as any other. Lucus is a strong one as is Thorn and his Rider."
"Threaten them again and I will help them tear you apart." Glaedr announced mentally. Caleb looked at him in shock. Caleb reached around Lucus' neck and pulled Solembum from the saddle bag and placed him on the floor. The werecat looked up at him before shimmering into the boy he was.
"You're definitely not a boring one to follow around." Solembum muttered. "I'm hungry."
Caleb shook his head at him before waiting patiently for one of his brothers to get to him. The three talked together with Glaedr watching over them while Oromis spoke to Islanzadi.
"Whatever they decide we stick together." Eragon announced. "Like Lucus said, we're the only ones that haven't betrayed you so far and I don't intend on starting now."
"What are these betrayals you speak of?" Glaedr asked as he tilted his head down to study Caleb closer.
"Islanzadi trained me through the dream spell but a year ago, when Arya was captured, she stopped contacting me. She promised that she'd always be there. I thought she'd hurt herself or lost the ability to contact me but it turned out she simply no longer wished to." Caleb started. "The Free Armies drugged me and tied me up after I released Murtagh from his oath."
"And the Empire?"
"When I tried to escape with the Red and Silver Eggs I was captured along with the Red Egg. I was beaten pretty badly and drugged. Galbatorix tortured me." Caleb refused to elaborate on the methods involved since he still refused to talk about it with Murtagh or Eragon. Murtagh had known some of it from what the King had told him before making him swear the oath. It wasn't until the Oath was in place that Murtagh had found out that Caleb had escaped which was probably a good thing otherwise Murtagh would have refused to take it and would be dead right now.
"Do not worry, Elfling. You are as much of an Elf as any other and as much of a Dragon Rider as my own Oromis ever was." Caleb smiled up at Glaedr at those words. Lucus grunted in envy and rather obviously stuck his nose in front of Caleb to be stroked. Glaedr laughed.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
End Chapter