Dear Readers,
The beginning of this story is under reconstruction. When you read a chapter that has nothing at all to do with what you have just read, please keep in mind that is the previous version of the story and I am redoing it as quickly as I can. I apologize for the inconveniance. I am not trying to confuse you! Later on, after chapter 28, things mostly fit together with the revised chapters of the story.
This is Chapter 9, revised.
Thank you and enjoy!
DragonRider2000
Taya shifted the bag on her shoulder, making sure the opening was large enough for the baby dragon to breath. The three of them had racked their brains, and Raya had come up with the idea of sticking Taya's cloak in her travel bag and putting the dragon inside, so the bag didn't outline the dragon's form and it could be close to Taya and never out of sight… the bag, anyways.
The creature had been miffed when they'd attempted to stuff it in the bag, and it had fought against them valiantly until Taya had gotten frustrated and told it with her mind if it didn't go into the bag she'd leave it behind. In a flash, the baby dragon was poking its head out of the bag, staring at them with mournful green eyes. Since Raya and Sasha hadn't heard her threat, they hadn't a clue why he'd jumped in there so quickly. That is, until Taya told them she could communicate with her mind.
The prospect fascinated Raya, but Sasha was skeptical.
"If you can communicate with your mind, does that mean other people can, too? And if they can do that, what's to stop them from trying to manipulate you? Can you control someone that way?"
"Many people can communicate with their mind. It takes practice, and it is a very strange feeling. Effective, but still strange. Magicians can try to take control over you, yes. You have to train yourself and build a mental wall. You have to learn to never let your guard down, for anyone. Since you'll both be traveling with me and we'll be running from a very powerful magician, I'll have to teach you two how to build a mental wall and stay focused under the heaviest barrages." Taya replied, looking from one to the other.
This was just before they left Taya's room, so when they headed back downstairs, Sasha had a very thoughtful expression on her face.
Once downstairs they joined up with Colt and Dierik. Colt stayed close to Sasha, who gladly conversed with him, but Taya and Dierik knew Colt's motive and couldn't help laughing a little together.
As Nacar had thought, very few people came into the inn. The girls and the two Silwona's made the most of the peacefulness in the building. Raya was taught by Colt a vicious card game, and to his surprise she caught on so quickly that she won nearly every time. Sasha was engaged with Taya, Dierik and Nacar talking about horses, and Niera was busy cleaning up the kitchen. Soon though, everyone was forced into playing the game, and it usually ended up being a two player game against Taya and Raya. The former had learned the game back in Uru'baen, so the evening brought back good memories to her.
No one seemed to notice how Taya always had the bag in her lap or over her shoulder, and there had been a few gut-wrenching moments when she'd thought the little dragon would tear out of the bag. Only by insisting that he was endangering himself and her and he'd forever be ignored by her if he tried to escape, did he stop his attempts, but it left the little creature grumbling.
One time Taya couldn't help but shake her head when the baby dragon sniffed indignantly at her, faintly wondering if this was what it was like to have a naughty child.
Dierik paid her a great deal of attention, and she knew she was flattered. He was an interesting person to talk to, and it was easy to do so. There was only ever silence between them when they were both brooding over what card to play next.
When the game finally sputtered out, the five younger people decided to go outside and so Raya led the way out the back door, where they stopped. With her bag on her back Taya felt that the dragon was safe, just as long as she didn't lean up against anything.
"It always amazes me when I look up." Taya stated wistfully, looking up at the clear night sky. "There are so many points of light up there."
"Wow!" Raya gasped, nearly hurting her neck trying to look at all the stars at once. "I've never really noticed."
"Sometimes," Dierik said in a deep tone, as he too looked into the sky, "we forget to look up as we go along day to day. We forget to look around us at the land, and so we miss the beautiful things. Many people don't look up at night, but some don't want to, because they are afraid of such vastness. There seems to be no end to the night sky, no end to the stars. Most people like to see an end, to know there is an end in sight."
"How poetic, Dierik." Colt teased. The younger twin was sitting on the bottom step, twirling a piece of string between his fingers. "I still think you should be an inspirational writer, or a poet. Either one."
"Be quiet, Colt." Dierik growled, looking sorely tempted to knock his brother over the head.
"I actually thought what he said showed a lot of insight." Taya commented lightly, smiling down at Colt. "Some people are afraid when they cannot see the end of something. And even I am guilty of forgetting to look around. You can miss so much."
Taya eyed her sister, knowing that she, Taya, had missed a lot by not reading between the lines.
Colt turned to look up at her, his eyebrows raised. Half his face was in shadow due to the light from the lantern, and he looked strangely like someone else in the half light. Taya started in surprise. But the moment passed, leaving a very shocked looking Colt Silwona.
"I never thought I'd ever meet anyone quite like my dear brother. I mean, he's so… poetic, all the time, and somehow he can pull it off, but I never expected you to be…"
Taya chuckled softly. "So weird? Sorry to disappoint you, Colt. A few people I know say I can be a little over-dramatic sometimes."
"Really?" Dierik eyed her in mock surprise. Taya narrowed her eyes at him and she was itching to jab him in the side when she stopped herself. These people weren't the Hljodhr Evarinya. She wasn't in Uru'baen. She hardly knew this man.
"You haven't known me very long." She joked half-heartedly, hoping no one noticed how off balance she really was. Since there was not much light and everyone was amused by Colt, nobody was paying serious attention.
Can I not get a grip on myself? I have to be so careful about what I do and say. But Colt... I swear I saw...
A comforting presence nudged at her mind, and she suddenly remembered her little partner on her back.
What should I do, little guy? She asked questioningly, finding the dragons comfort soothing. Confusion rippled through their link from the dragon, and she felt like laughing.
It's alright. I'll figure it out soon enough!
"But seriously!" Colt interrupted her thoughts with his sudden outburst. "You sounded almost exactly like Dierik, Tanyel, that it was scary!"
"Why, for once, did I think that you might drop the subject, Colt?" Dierik asked, shaking his head. "I should know you better by now. Sometimes I can't believe we are twins."
"Pshaw. You would be lost without me, you know it."
"It is true, I don't know where I would be if you weren't in my life. Probably sitting in the mountains, writing poetry."
"That would kill father."
Dierik's mood plummeted, and he didn't respond. Colt didn't seem to notice and began talking to Raya and Sasha, leaving Taya to wonder what Colt had meant, and why Dierik had reacted in such a way. Sighing, Taya touched her sister on the shoulder and said,
"I'm going to go check on the horses. I'll be right back." She walked off before Raya could respond and entered the stables. The lanterns were still burning brightly, and she walked over to Chester's' stall. The black horse stepped towards her, and then snorted warily.
Confused, she held out her hand, and the horse shook his head.
She was unlatching the stall when she realized why the horse was acting the way he was:
The baby dragon on her back.
"You'll have to get used to it sometime, Chester." She grinned, holding out her hand again, deciding against going into the stall. "Come on, the smell isn't going to hurt you. It can't be much worse than the smell of blood."
"And he would be used to the smell of blood?"
Every fiber in Taya's body froze, as if a blast of cold air had hit her. She jumped, whirling around and brought her hands to her mouth to muffle her soft yelp. In her minds eye she was staring at a tall man with black hair and black eyes rimmed with red, and she clearly heard the distorted voice…
Dierik reached out and touched her on the shoulder, his eyes speaking his own surprise and confusion, and she slowly lowered her hands.
"I'm sorry! I thought you heard me come in. I really didn't mean to scare you like that."
Taya nodded, unable to speak. The picture was so vivid… She'd heard his voice instead of Dierik's. The possibility that he had found her nearly caused her to collapse with fear, and her legs felt shaky. She couldn't lean against the stall because of her bag, and she dearly hoped Dierik didn't try to be a gentleman and help her sit down.
Her hand shot out to steady herself, catching the door of Chester's stall.
"It's alright, Dierik. I can't believe I reacted that way!" But she could…
"We are all startled sometimes. But I did come in rather quietly and interrupted your solitude." He eyed her. "Why would your horse be used to the smell of blood?"
She hesitated. Why was he so curious? Yet why was she so hesitant? She knew she should tell him the truth.
"There have been times when Chester has had to carry wounded soldiers, and be calm at the sight and smell of blood." She said quietly.
"It is not every day that an ordinary girl owns a horse that carries wounded soldiers."
To Taya, his reply sounded more like a question than a joke, but she did not answer him.
Who said I was ordinary? She thought to herself, and the baby dragon nudged her thoughts. He was confused by Dierik, and was wondering why he was there.
To talk, I suppose. She replied calmly, and the baby dragon took her word.
"He is a magnificent horse." Dierik changed the subject, stepping forward to touch Chester's nose. The black horse reached out and sniffed him, still eyeing Taya fretfully.
"Thank you."
"How long have you had him?"
"Since he was a foal. My father's horse was his sire. Gypsie, my mare, is from my mother's horse. I raised and trained them both… can I ask you a personal question, Dierik?"
He paused in his stroking of Chester's head and glanced at her curious expression. "Of course!"
"What did Colt mean when he said you becoming a hermit and writing poetry would kill your father?"
"He didn't say hermit." Dierik was suddenly on the defensive, but Taya held her ground.
"That was what I got out of it. Can your father not stand to see you go?"
"No, it is not that." He sighed. "I had not realized anyone had caught that. Ahhh, Colt… No, Tanyel, it is not that my father cannot stand to see me go; it is that he wishes I was more like him. Colt may be my twin, but I am the older of us by mere minutes. So I am his eldest son. My father was in the army when he was young, and he was ambitious. He is now a general, and lives well. He made a few decisions that I dislike, and I have no want or love for war and battle. Chaos is not my strength, quietness is. Now Colt on the other hand is the spitting image of our father, in appearance and personality. But alas, he is not the oldest, and I am nothing like our father."
"I think I understand. Your father wishes you would join the army and win honor and glory in battle, so he can be proud of you, but he will not realize or recognize that that is not what you want."
The young man nodded glumly. "That is close to the truth of it. And it is not that he does not love Colt; he does. He just wishes that I would, in a way, be more like Colt." He made a funny noise in the back of his throat. "That is rather backwards, but that is how it is."
Taya smiled. "I think, like most fathers, no matter what you do he will be proud of you."
"Thank you for your support. Little did I know when I came in here to see if you were alright that you would be helping me."
"Of course I'm alright! I just wanted to check on the horses." Feeling suddenly flustered, Taya peered in at Gypsie, who nickered softly to her and stuck her quivering nose out to her, taking in the baby dragon's smell.
Taya checked her hay and water, patted her on the nose, and motioned to Dierik to follow.
"Now I have checked my horses, so it is time to be back with the others. Come on!"
They exited the stable to find Colt and Raya arm wrestling. Colt was clearly stronger, but Raya was so determined not to lose she was cheating and putting her whole body into it. Sasha was laughing and shaking her head at the two.
"She's strong, but not that strong!" Sasha told Taya, and then looked back at Raya, whose face was red and she was puffing with exertion. "Come on, Raya! Admit it, he's got you."
"I will… never… give up!" Raya cried, and Colt seemed to have pity on her and relaxed his arm a little bit, and then his arm was unceremoniously slammed to the ground by the ecstatic teenager.
"Aha!" She crowed. "I knew you'd do that! So all I had to do was wait for an opening. I win!"
"Why you little…" Colt was beside himself, mostly at his own weakness. He glared at Raya, which only made her laugh more.
"Another match!" Colt challenged, but to his surprise Raya shook her head, grinning wickedly.
"Uh-uh, no thanks! The ultimate trick is to know when your luck is run out and back out graciously."
Colt stared at her with his mouth slightly open, and both Taya and Dierik started laughing with Sasha.
"Women are tricky, Colt my boy." Dierik slapped his brother on the shoulder. "I think you should keep that in mind."
The twin batted his hand away, rolling his eyes, but he was laughing now too.
"I guess I am a stuck loser." He grinned crookedly, and Taya again saw a different young man in his place. This time she was not surprised. His memory would haunt her, as long as he hunted her.
"I think you'll live to fight another day." Dierik shook his head. "Come on, Colt, we should be getting home. These ladies need their rest."
"I am surely not going to argue with that, sir." Taya said slyly, smirking.
Colt looked rather disappointed, but nonetheless he stood and the two of them said goodnight. The three girls watched them go, and then looked at one another and then at the bag on Taya's shoulder.
"Is he alright?" Raya whispered, and Taya nodded.
"Yes, but he's very ready to be free. Let's go upstairs, shall we?"
"I'll get some food and be right up." Sasha said, and so they split up when they stepped inside. Taya and Raya went straight upstairs while Sasha went to the kitchen and found something for the baby dragon to eat.
Only when Sasha was in the room and the door closed and locked did Taya allow the dragon to venture forth from his confinement.
The three of them chuckled when he stepped out of the bag, because he began squeaking with joy. He twirled in a circle and then stared hard at Sasha, who held out a piece of meat for him. He took it gingerly from her fingers, but proceeded to attack it.
He was very amusing to watch, and so while he ate, they talked.
Taya told them about life in the castle of Uru'baen, the different things she'd had to do for training, and the different guests who would come there that she was supposed to cater to. She also told them the story of the Katzia's first visit there, which had a rather sad ending for the family. Raya and Sasha finally understood what happened to the youngest Katzia son, and why Taya had told Colt Silwona what she had about Larel.
"Colt lost his best friend when the family left for Uru'baen, and he's never seen him again. Larel Katzia thought he was doing the world a good thing when he stayed behind, but that was his mistake. Not everyone who thinks they are strong is really strong enough to live through Galbatorix. He did, with one of the Hljodhr Evarinya's help, but made the decision not to inform his family that he was alive because Galbatorix could find out and threaten his family, to break Larel. So we've kept his secret and will continue to do so until he is ready."
"That really sounds harsh!" Sasha cried. "To let your family think you are dead, and then all of a sudden you decide everything is fine and show up on their doorstep?"
Taya shook her head. "It is not that simple. It is a hard feeling to explain, Sasha, but if you had the choice of saving your family's life by saying you are dead, wouldn't you do it? And then when the danger was gone you would go back to your family, and wouldn't you think your family would be happy to see you and when you had explained yourself, that they would understand? This is what Larel hopes. At first I thought it was a little harsh too, but I quickly realized that under the circumstances he was right. It wasn't time, and Larel only wanted them to be safe."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I guess I would do something of the sort…" Sasha looked sideways at Taya, a curious light in her eyes. "Lenya never told her family what happened to her. They assumed she was dead."
Taya sighed. "My mother sent a letter to her family, telling them to leave Uru'baen. They did, but I don't think they knew who sent the letter. The risk of her sending the letter was great, and there would have been no way she would have signed it with anything. So once she was gone, she was gone and never heard from again."
"It's kind of odd that my mother hasn't talked to you about her yet."
"I'm sure she doesn't want to seem pushy. And besides, we are here for a month. She has plenty of time. But not tonight! I think it's time to call it a night." Taya looked out the window. "It is very late, after all."
Raya yawned and stood up. "I hadn't yawned until you said that!"
Taya smiled. "It's true! So go to bed."
"I'm going." Raya grumbled. "Come on, Sasha."
"Goodnight, Taya." Sasha scratched the baby dragon's head and followed Raya out the door.
"Goodnight!" Taya said softly, and closed the door behind them, turning around to look at the little dragon. He was curled up in a ball on her pillow, his eyes half closed. He was trying to stay awake, but he was fighting a losing battle. Taya shook her head and after cleaning up she nudged him over and slid under the covers. The little dragon then curled up at her side, and she was strongly reminded of a cat.
Soon we will find a name that fits you. She whispered softly to him as her eyes closed. The baby dragon seemed to agree, but it was only slightly aware. Taya smiled, and allowed herself to fall asleep.
Even in her dreams, there was a shadow that she could not escape.
Three people sat around a small campfire under the stars, talking quietly to one another. Around them was their small camp, their horses picketed close to them. There was an odd shimmer around the camp, and anyone riding by wouldn't even have known they were there.
Two were men, and the other was a woman. They were all dressed in plain travelling clothes, and themselves looked plain, except the woman and one of the men seemed more graceful than the average person.
Yet despite their plain appearance, at the side of one of the men was a brilliant steel sword that no average person could own or wield. The woman too carried a sword, but it was smaller than and not quite as stunning as her companions. The last man, who was the rougher looking of the three, had a hammer tucked in his belt. At the moment he was talking.
"I don't see why we need the barrier. It's just a little… strange, and eerie. Everything is too silent."
"We can't risk our fire being seen, or freezing." The other man replied softly. "And if anyone comes near, which I doubt, they won't be able to hear us, but we will hear them."
"And if the Red Rider is scouring the land as our agents say he is?" The man with the hammer shot back.
The woman stared at him from across the fire. "He will not see us, or feel us. He is very powerful, but there is magic that he does not know."
"He must be looking for something important." The man with the sword said hastily, breaking up a potential argument. "The reports we've gotten say he is flying fast but searching. Now what could he be searching for?"
"Whatever it is, I doubt it will interfere with our mission, and we do not want an encounter with the Red Rider." The woman replied smoothly, and the man with the hammer could not argue with her there.
"I suggest we get some sleep." The man with the sword said, looking between his two companions. "We'll start just before dawn."
"No watch?" The man with the hammer asked incredulously.
"With the barrier, there is no need. If someone does pass this way, above us or on the ground, we will know. They will not." The woman replied, and moved to the side away from the fire.
"I find that-"
"Hush." The man with the sword whispered, silencing the other man. "She is right. Tonight we will all rest easy. We still have a long road ahead of us."
The other man nodded grudgingly and moved to his bedroll. This left the man with the sword still by the fire. He looked up into the starry sky and sighed, then moved to his spot and then the only sound was the horses and the low burning fire.
The next few days passed by rather slowly for the three young women. This was mostly because they spent a lot of their time planning. What to do with the baby dragon, how to get out of the empire unseen by the Red Rider, and travel as quickly as they could to the Varden in Surda.
Taya had yet to come up with a name that fit the little dragon. Anything she, Sasha or Raya came up with was rejected by everyone. The little dragon seemed amused whenever they would sit down and think of names that might work for him. While some names seemed to sound alright, they just didn't fit the intelligence of the little dragon.
What astonished Taya about him was how fast he learned and reacted. She remembered Thorn when he hatched, and it had taken a week or two before he had really started to communicate or pay much attention to learning. Her dragon on the other hand was attentive at all times, watching with intense green eyes. He never complained about being in the travel bag anymore, and seemed to rather enjoy it after finally getting used to it.
On the second day after he hatched, the three rode out to Leona Lake and stopped only when no one from any direction could see them. Then Taya let the little dragon out of his bag, and he stood as if frozen on the grassy ground. Then he cautiously nosed around, taking a few steps, and then he bounded forward, spreading his wings. A slight breeze picked him up and he let out a terrified squeak and fell the couple inches to the ground.
This made the three of them laugh, and the dragon, sensing their amusement, tried again, only this time to let the wind pick him up.
Taya watched in fascination as the little dragon thought about it for a minute, and then slowly stretched his wings again, crouching. He cocked his head to the side, and his body quivered. He leapt forward and jumped high, and this time he kept his wings stretched out as the breeze lifted him up off the ground. He wobbled and nearly fell, but he strained his wings to steady himself, and he did a full two circles above them and then he banked around and headed straight to Taya.
Her heart was racing with adrenaline as if she was the one flying for the first time, and she was really. Through her bond with the little dragon she could feel the exertion he was putting forth.
Then the little dragon wobbled again when he was almost to her, and she lifted her arms just in time to catch him as one of his wings seemed to lose its strength, causing him to fall.
"Wow!" Raya exclaimed, her eyes full of wonder. "That was incredible!"
"Especially since he is so young." Sasha agreed. She was smiling widely at the little dragon, which was breathing heavily in Taya's arms. "I don't know anything about dragons, but that seems like a lot for one so young!"
The little dragon vibrated in Taya's arms, and she laughed.
"He's a fast learner. And he's smart. All dragons are, but there is something different about him, or at least I feel like there is. That could just be because I'm bonded to him."
"He's strong, at least. And he's going to have to be. He will be growing up in the wilderness, on the run."
The little dragon lifted his head and looked at Sasha, who stared back. He arched his neck, and snorted.
Taya's eyes widened and her heart started racing. The dragon slowly turned his head and locked his green eyes with hers.
"We will be strong…" Taya whispered, transfixed.
"What is it, Taya?" Raya asked cautiously, looking at Sasha in confusion. Sasha was watching her cousin and the little dragon with narrowed eyes, trying to understand what was passing between the two of them.
"We will be strong." Taya said a little louder, and she looked up at the other two with sparkling eyes.
"We will be strong together, and grow with one another. He told me so. I could see the words in my mind, and hear a thought without words. He is different, very different from most of his kind."
"And he still does not have a name." Sasha pointed out, but it was obvious she was astonished.
Taya smiled. "Don't worry, he will. The name will come in time."
Melcar Di'Acor walked down one of the long dimly lit hallways of Uru'baen castle, his strides long and purposeful. He passed no one, as the only people that lived in the wing of the castle he was in were the Hljodhr Evarinya, a few castle guards and a handful of maids. The castle guards had been stationed elsewhere since Princess Corsallen's disappearance. The maids had been hers, and they too had been sent to other parts of the castle in the last week. So Melcar was alone with the rest of the Hljodhr Evarinya, alone with the memory of Taya wherever he looked.
But that was the last thing on his mind as he walked along.
He stopped in front of a door and knocked. There was silence from within, but he didn't move. He knew the door was locked, so he did not try the handle. He knocked again, and this time he heard a rustle from inside. Then, from the door a husky voice asked,
"Who is it?"
"It's Melcar, Weston. We need to talk."
The man on the other side growled. "I don't need to talk to you. Leave it alone."
Melcar heard the faint sound of retreating footsteps and knocked louder. His patience was thin, but he knew if he lost his temper he would get nowhere with his friend.
"I said leave it alone!" Weston Kliviyan suddenly flung open the door, and Melcar stood his ground against the slightly bigger man.
"How can I when it is my duty to keep us together?" Melcar shot back. "I need you, Weston, as much as you are wishing that I didn't. Will you hear me?"
Weston glowered at him for a minute, and then turned and retreated into the room, Melcar following behind. He took a deep breath, and watched his friend turn towards him in the middle of the room. Melcar noticed the few things spread out on the bed and cold fear froze him where he stood. He nodded to the travelling gear.
"Going somewhere, Lieutenant?"
Weston stared back at him, his face expressionless. "How could I, Captain?" He said quietly, and Melcar knew that he was talking to the real Weston. He breathed a sigh of relief, and he noticed that Weston looked sharply at him.
"Are you alright, Melcar?" Weston asked, taking a step forward. Melcar shook his head and said slowly,
"How can I be when my people are turning on one another?"
Weston's face darkened. "You were looking for Zen all night, weren't you?"
Realization hit Melcar. So, Weston had been out that night too. That was why his gear was laid out like it was, not because…
"I never found him either. He was always a step or more ahead of me, but I doubt he knew anyone was searching for him. I lost him completely halfway through the night, but kept looking. I don't understand… I never found out what he was doing." Weston looked at his gear, and then stared back at Melcar incredulously.
"Did you think I was leaving Uru'baen?" He asked in surprise.
The Captain of the Hljodhr Evarinya nodded sadly. "The thought did cross my mind, Weston. Since the other day when you walked out I've been worried you were angry enough to do something of the sort, and then when you brushed off Ayda and disappeared from sight I thought I had actually lost you too. I can't tell you how relieved I was just a few minutes ago when Raneck told me that you were here. I came here to lay the whole thing out to you and hope you'd… well, I don't really know. I was so mad when I set out, I don't really know what I was going to do. Now, I'm just thankful you are here."
Weston stared at him, and then shook his head. But instead of explaining anything to Melcar, he said instead,
"Sit down before you fall down. I'll get you a drink."
Melcar raised his eyebrows, but did what he was told and sat down on one of the chairs around the fireplace. Weston came over and handed him a glass filled with a dark liquid, and Melcar took it without hesitation.
Weston sat opposite of him, on the edge of the cushioned chair so that he was leaning his elbows on his knees. He took a drink, and then set it down, staring at it.
"When you told us," He began slowly, still not looking at Melcar, "that Zen had met with Galbatorix and with Sen, I thought for some reason that it was some sick joke. Why, or how I could think that you would do something of the sort, I don't know. I felt like Zen was being picked out from the lot of us because of his love for Taya, and he was being blamed for things and that was making him distant. And since it was coming from you, and you wouldn't tell us what you thought happened to Taya… It's hard to describe what I thought that night. And when Ayda tried to get me to talk to her, I couldn't talk to anyone. And to top it off, I ran into Zen and he acted exactly as you said he would. I couldn't believe it. His coldness hit me like a brick wall, and then he said something about finding someone and revenge. I came back here immediately and packed my stuff, determined to follow him. I saw him just as he was leaving the stable."
Weston paused for a moment, and then continued. "I know earlier that I was angry at you for being right. I just never could believe that Zen…"
"I know, Weston. I know. We know the Zen who can hardly keep a straight face, and his personality acted as a shield for his darker side… and Taya's disappearance is what unlocked that man. Zen allowed those darker thoughts to eat at his mind. Taya is his ultimate weakness and that always, always worried her. But it was never so obvious that she meant so much to him until now, when she is gone."
Weston nodded. "I'd never dream of actually leaving Uru'baen and the Hljodhr Evarinya, but the way you put it has made me realize how my actions did make it look like I might. And as we are all off kilter because of Zen's actions, it is easy to question everyone else. And the fact I was angry with you, Melcar, was ridiculous. If I'm having a hard time dealing with Zen, I can only imagine what you are going through with the lot of us."
Melcar sighed. "Ayda said something of the same sort the night I caught Zen in Taya's garden. I hope I don't have an argument with everyone."
"You won't. Raneck tried to talk to me about it when he saw me this morning, so I know he's on your side, and I know he's really worried about it all because of Kyra."
At the mention of Kyra, Taya's personal maid and best friend, Melcar's expression darkened and he glared angrily at the half empty glass in his hand.
"So you heard?" He asked quietly, and Weston nodded.
"Raneck told me when he was trying to get me to listen to him. Where was she sent?"
"For now she is in the kitchens. I hope with all my heart she stays there… but something tells me she won't."
"Don't say that! Not everything has to turn out for the worse."
Melcar barked a laugh. "I only hope that's true, for all our sakes. But I know Galbatorix well enough to know that he won't ignore the rest of us for long. The Hljodhr Evarinya has never, except at the very beginning, answered to him, and with Taya gone there is absolutely no way he can or will use us now. He will want to be rid of us. All of us."
"Even Zen, if he truly is on Galbatorix's side?" Weston couldn't help but ask. He was curious as to what Melcar would say, especially with his previous statement.
"Zen may have gone to Galbatorix, but there is small chance that he actually went to his side. You said he mentioned something about 'finding someone and revenge'? I think Galbatorix is fueling Zen's weakness and using him to either find the person who stole the egg, or tear the Hljodhr Evarinya apart. Of course, Zen will be looking, fueled by Galbatorix for the person who took or killed Taya. He will certainly never find that person, but Galbatorix will never tell him that and Galbatorix knows Zen will never listen to one of us. When Zen is of no use to him anymore, he will be tossed aside just as others have. It is simply Galbatorix's way."
"So if we go, he goes."
"Or vice versa. Zen is still considered an Hljodhr Evarinya by Galbatorix, I am sure. He was with Taya for so long when Galbatorix thought for sure he was dead…" Melcar stopped suddenly, and a small smile wiped the dark look off his face. The change of expression greatly relieved Weston, because he never liked to see Melcar stormy. Melcar was completely disconcerting when he was in a dark mood, especially when he looked straight at someone with his black eyes with their swirls of gold.
Weston cocked his head to the side, waiting to hear what had made Melcar smile.
"You know Weston, it is truly amazing to think of all that has gone on in this castle right under Galbatorix's nose." Melcar finished his drink and set it on the table. "Everyone thinks he in invincible, and he is inhumanly powerful I know, but he is not all knowing, and he does not control everything. He may try to, but one thing Taya taught me was that nothing is certain. I thought for sure I was dead when I refused to kill my brother so many years ago, but Taya found me and healed me. Larel thought he was dead when Sen tried to kill him, but Zen and Taya didn't let that happen. And we do not know for certain what really happened to Taya. And we do not know for certain what will happen to us."
Melcar looked directly into Weston's eyes, and said softly,
"We have to hope that we can make it through whatever Galbatorix throws at us, and to do that we have to work together. We have all made hard decisions in our lives, Weston, and there are hard decisions coming our way again. I was wrong to think that you would ever leave us, and I am sorry I ever did. As you said, Zen's actions have caused us to question one another's loyalties. But now, we know where those loyalties lie, and we know who we can count on."
Weston smiled. "That we do."
Nodding in satisfaction, Melcar stood and Weston followed suit. They walked to the door, and then Weston asked,
"What should we do about Zen, Melcar?"
"Keep an eye on him, that is about all we can do for now. I'm worried about his mission, but I can't always be watching him myself, not with the rest of the Hljodhr Evarinya counting on me to keep us together. Would you…?"
"I already am. Don't worry about it."
"I will anyways, and I won't lose track of him myself. But I appreciate it. Thanks, Weston."
"Thanks for knocking some sense into me."
Melcar chuckled. "The sense was already there. You just didn't realize it until I came along and braced you. Take care Weston, and I'll see you later."