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 13, revised.

Thank you and enjoy!

DragonRider2000

Two days after the naming of Kabarak found the three girls wandering the street markets of Dras'leona. Their mission was to find weapons suitable for Raya and Sasha, and anything else that seemed reasonable and useful. It was a cool day, partly cloudy, and completely still. Because their venture was probably going to last most of the day, they all decided it was better and safer if Kabarak stayed behind at the Inn. No one was ecstatic about it, but it did give Taya and Kabarak the chance to make the link between them stronger from a distance. In this way the separation was positive.

To Taya, who had grown up with a knowledge of weapons, it was interesting to see how Sasha and Raya, who had never had anything larger than a dagger, reacted to the different, bigger swords they were looking for. More than once Taya had to drag them away from a sword that was no good for them, but they absolutely loved. What tickled her was she didn't mind being the 'bad guy', because being picky and finding the right weapon could save your life. Finally, after a couple of hours, Sasha and Raya's enthusiasm had died down and they took less time at the different venders because they knew more of what they were looking for.

Finally, at the same vender, Taya found the perfect swords for the both of them. For Raya, it was a medium length bright steel sword that was a lighter weight than normal, with a dark wood grip and curved-down cross-guard. The pommel was shaped rather like a ship, a solid half circle with a raised bump in the middle. The scabbard was plain brown leather, and when the sword was sheathed and attached to her belt, the sword was just the right length. Raya had an instant liking for the weapon, and was ecstatic when it passed Taya's inspection. In the meantime, Sasha had been perusing the merchandise, and picked up a sword from underneath another, and stared at it for a moment, then unsheathed it.

Taya glanced over at her, and then looked again, measuring the way she held the grip and the length of the sword as she held it before her, and a small smile lit up her face. It was a hand-and-a-half sword with a black ridged leather grip, a simple, straight cross-guard, and the pommel was solid steel with four corners, and a purple gem inlaid on the top. Sasha tested its weight, unaware that Taya was watching, and fiddled with the scabbard, which was black and silver.

Taya motioned to the vender that she'd be right back, and walked over to her cousin.

"May I?" She asked, reaching out her hand. Sasha grudgingly handed it over, and Taya inspected it closely. After a minute, she handed it back to Sasha with a smile, and then went back to the vender.

"I believe we have found what we were looking for." She said with dignity, and the man smiled with pleasure.

"I am very glad I could be of service, ma'am, and you certainly chose very wisely. Those are both excellent weapons. I believe the young lady's sword was made in the east, perhaps by a nomadic tribe. You see the little emblem on the sword, just beneath the guard? I had never seen such a sign before, but another sword dealer said he'd had a sword like it and was sure it was nomadic."

Taya thought about Xackzan and his two –handed sword, and remembered the emblem it had. It was not unlike the one on Raya's sword, or at least in the way the emblem seemed to flow. There was an elegance to it that showed how the maker of the sword had been proud of his work.

"It is possible." Taya agreed, and then when Sasha and Raya had turned to look at the bows on the opposite side of the stand, Taya produced four small curved sticks and a very small but long sheathed knife, saying softly,

"I would like to purchase these as well."

The man's eyes glowed with admiration. "You are, ma'am, the second person who seems to know what those are." He said, motioning to the curved sticks. "I commend you. You certainly do know what you are looking for."

Taya smiled in return. "I was surprised you had them, and I could not pass up the opportunity. I lost mine a little over a year ago and did not think I'd see another one. Here then is your money sir, and we will be off to practice."

"Thank you, ma'am. Good day to you!"

"And to you as well." Taya pocketed her small purchases and ushered Raya and Sasha out before they could try to buy anything else.

"Come on you two, it's time to get back."

They didn't argue, and quickly set out back to the inn and to Kabarak. Taya had been feeling the smallest bit of worry over their strained link, and it was already midafternoon by the time they reached the inn.

Taya ran up the stairs to her room, and Kabarak flew into her arms once she'd shut the door. She laughed, relieved to be close to him again.

You were gone longer than I expected. Kabarak huffed, staring at her with calculating green eyes.

You knew we would be gone for a while! We were lucky to be back this soon, so count your blessings. But I am very very glad we are back. Do you think it is safe for you to come down and stealthily observe us practice?

Hmm, to watch you hack at each other with steel sticks and possibly wound each other... I don't know about you, Taya, but I have had a strange feeling growing inside me for the past couple of hours. That was mostly why I was worried. I think, although it drives me crazy to do so, I will stay up here and watch through you. Only, I'm starving!

I felt something too, but I thought it was just being away from you… I'll have to pay more attention. Alright, I will bring you up something. Then the three of us will go to work.

Something filling, please.

I'll see what I can do. I can only smuggle so much at one time!

The dragon huffed and jumped back onto the bed, staring at her with mournful eyes. Taya shook her head and ran down to the kitchen. She found Raya fixing sandwiches, and Sasha putting a few things in a sack. At Taya's questioning look, Sasha folded the bag up and handed it to her.

"Upstairs." She said simply, and then snatched one of Raya's sandwiches. Taya nodded, grinning, and went quickly back upstairs.

Sasha was already ahead of me. She explained to Kabarak as she slipped into her room.

How very thoughtful of her. I'm glad to know someone thinks of these things.

Oh, of course. I forget all the time!

Kabarak gulped down the meat that Taya handed him, and then stuck his head in the bag once she set it down.

You can go back down now. He said with his head still in the bag. Thank you for bringing up the food for me.

I can tell it is much appreciated. Enjoy, Kabarak.

Of course. You go and enjoy beating the others with steel sticks.

Taya laughed and shook her head.

I suppose I shall. It wasn't necessary to say goodbye, so Taya just left the room, feeling Kabarak's reassuring presence in her mind. She locked the door with the key and with magic as usual, and then went back to the kitchen. Sasha and Raya were eating slowly, talking about different things, trying to pass the time until Taya got back.

"Before you say anything about how long it took me," Taya teased as she picked up her own sandwich and sat beside Raya, "it took me only five minutes. And a short five minutes at that!"

"I was actually going to say that. How did you know?" Raya demanded.

"The Hljodhr Evarinya said it plenty of times to me, or me to them. It was one of the easiest ways to tease each other, and everyone could do it for one reason or another."

"Were they all like that? Teasing all the time, telling jokes and such?" Sasha asked curiously, knowing Taya could talk about her friends for hours. Taya knew this too, but didn't want to sit there for hours even though she'd enjoy it. But she humored Sasha and replied,

"They all would, just not some of them to the extent of some of the others. There are three who are serious most of the time, and one who is joking most of the time. Everyone else is somewhere in between. But then you never know when someone is going to have a crazy day." Taya smiled widely, remembering something. In her mind's eye she saw Zen Drayson grinning madly about some joke, and Marthl Duven staring at him with one eyebrow raised in amusement.

"We were a very well balanced group. All of us had our issues, but each of us could count on someone to always be watching our back. I hope they are doing all right…" Taya fell silent, and Sasha and Raya looked at each other, not quite worried but knowing that it was best to get on with their day.

Sasha stood up and tapped Taya on the shoulder.

"Alright, come on! Let's go practice."

Taya looked up at her and grinned. "Good idea." She stood, and picking up the weapons went out into the yard next to the stable, followed closely by Sasha and Raya. She set her sword down, and then handed them their newly purchased weapons.

"Now, starting out we won't actually strike the blades together. We will work on drilling first, and getting you used to your new weapons. Believe me, it will be very difficult starting out, since fighting with a sword is foreign to you. So," She picked up her sword then and unsheathed it, and then stood in a defensive stance, "copy me."

Raya and Sasha did so, and Taya began her first actual lesson. She'd helped teach Zen Drayson a new fighting style, but she had never started anyone from scratch. Now she was teaching two people who knew nothing about the art of sword fighting, and she realized very quickly that she was a terrible teacher. She could fight very well, but she couldn't teach to save her life.

Sasha and Raya realized this as well, and they all prepared themselves for anything.

Throughout the lesson, Taya found that the best way to 'teach' was to slowly fight an invisible opponent, with Sasha and Raya trying to follow her every move. To their surprise, it worked. Then they began making progress, knowing they were starting somewhat to get the hang of it.

After an hour they took a break, but were right back outside drilling again. Stamina they found out was their weakest link, at least Raya and Sasha's. The swords quickly grew heavy in their hands and it was a chore to hold them up and move with them.

They'd only been working for a half hour after their second break and Taya was now drilling Raya as if they were in a real fight, except they still did not strike each other's sword, when they were hailed from the street.

Taya looked up, straight into the chocolate eyes of a young man, and she felt a chill run down her spine. They stared at each other for a long minute, and then Taya had to break the contact. His eyes unnerved her, and there was something else… she looked at his two companions, and she shivered. Taya did not know why these strangers had such an effect on her, but something was not right about them.

The two men smiled warmly at them, but the woman's gaze was chilly, and Taya felt as if she was standing on trial.

Kabarak… She suddenly realized why she felt this way. These people were strangers, and it was only two days after Thorn had tried to find the baby dragon. Was she paranoid? Probably, but she carefully hid any leftover trace of Kabarak in her mind, any feeling someone might detect.

The man with the chocolate eyes cleared his throat.

"Good evening. We would like to put our horses up here, and stay the night."

Raya handed Taya her sword, and then stepped forward. "I'll put your horses away for you, sir."

"Thank you. What may we call you?"

Raya blushed at his soft voice. "My name is Raya, sir." She took his reigns and the man dismounted, followed by his companions. The woman glanced at Taya again, and the latter did her best to hide her discomfort. On the outside she looked friendly and relaxed, but on the inside she was calculating every feeling running through her and those coming from the three strangers. The chocolate eyed man dropped a coin into Raya's hand, and the teenage girl quickly took the reins of the other two horses and led them away to the stable. Taya and Sasha stood facing the three, and Taya was the first to introduce herself, for the sake of breaking the awkward silence.

"I am Tanyel Cavrona. Raya is my sister. This is my cousin, Sasha Tatanya. Her father is the owner of The Tempest's Shelter. Welcome to Dras'leona."

The three bowed their heads, and the chocolate eyed man, who seemed to be their leader, replied.

"Thank you, Miss Cavrona. I am Eric, and my companions are Randen," he motioned to the man beside him, "and Aryana." The woman.

Taya smiled kindly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. How long will you be staying here in Dras'leona?"

"We are here on business, so we will be staying a few weeks at the least. Tell me, Miss Cavrona. Do you live here?"

"No, Raya and I do not. Our home was in Uru'baen, but we traveled here to see my family and pick up our cousin to visit more relatives in Feinster. Why do you ask?"

"Merely curious. You seem to know how to use your sword, miss."

Taya's smile did not go away, but her expression must have hardened because a shadow seemed to cross his face.

"When one travels, it is best to know how to defend yourself, sir. There are those around who know the art of sword fighting. You yourself carry a sword, so I would expect you know how to use it?"

He seemed slightly taken aback, but he took her retort well. "I meant no offense, Ma'am. I was trying to compliment you, but it seems I did not come across well."

Taya forced herself to relax, but the woman, who was dark haired and beautiful, was eyeing her strangely, keeping Taya on edge.

"I beg your pardon if I took your meaning wrong and came off rather harsh in my reply. I have met those who think women should not fight or carry a sword, and I am proud of being able to use one well." Both of his companions wore swords at their hips as well, and Taya thought they could use them as well as she could. These three were not ordinary, but she could not tell if they were friend or foe. Were they from the empire? Were they searching for her, and the only thing that had saved her from being recognized was her different hair and eye color?

Or were they Varden?

Eragon watched the blonde woman with the grey eyes, every part of him telling him she was what had drawn Arya and him to this place. They'd entered the city on the complete opposite side, but both he and Arya had the same strange feeling drawing them towards this side of the city and this particular Inn.

She said her name was Tanyel Cavrona, but he thought the name did not quite fit her. He didn't really know why, it was just a feeling.

She was tall and composed, with shaded grey eyes and long blonde hair. She held her sister's weapon, now sheathed, under one arm along with her own. She was striking, but not overly pretty. Nor was she plain. There was something foreign about her which he could not place. His instincts told him to tread carefully, but he knew she was why they were here, and he had to find out why.

Roran had grumbled slightly when he and Arya had refused to stop once inside the city, especially when they could not give him a good answer as to why. The relief they had all felt once they were past the gates and in the city was great, as that was one of their most difficult tasks. The danger increased the longer they stayed in the open, and gallivanting around an enemy held city looking for something completely unknown was not a risk he liked taking. But he had no choice but to follow, as his companions were an elf and a dragon rider who could both use their minds and magic.

Now Eragon could sense his cousin's curiosity. Roran in his own simple way must have picked up on whatever it was surrounding this blonde haired swordswoman. They had observed the spar for only a minute or two, but it was clear that Tanyel Cavrona knew how to fight. He'd have to find out just how well.

Tanyel Cavrona was watching Arya acutely even as she spoke, and Arya had hardly taken her eyes off her, studying her carefully. Eragon wondered what Tanyel Cavrona was thinking. He could hardly detect any emotion behind her eyes, which was puzzling.

Eragon looked over at Roran, who looked back, and Eragon cleared his throat.

"Well, I think we will go in and set our rooms up. Would you care to spar with me a little later, Miss Cavrona?"

Arya seemed to stiffen, but he made no notice of it. Tanyel Cavrona looked over at him slowly, and he detected surprise. Her cousin Sasha seemed even more surprised, and she threw a quick glance at Tanyel. Tanyel thought about it for a moment, and then replied easily.

"If you'd like to, Eric. And please, just Tanyel will do. I will be here, so whenever you'd like. Although, it will be dark soon."

Eragon nodded, and motioned Arya and Roran to follow. "I look forward to it, Tanyel."

She didn't reply, but cocked her head slightly to the side as she watched them troop inside the building. They waited until the three were inside, and then Taya looked at Sasha.

"What do you think of them?" She asked quietly.

Sasha frowned. "I don't know what to make of them. Especially the woman, Aryana. Whoever they are, I don't think they are here by accident. Do you really want to spar with Eric?"

"I think it will give me better clue as to who we are dealing with. I think all three of them are fighters, and good ones at that. We will see how well I compare. If he gives me a hard fight, and doesn't go easy, then that will narrow our options down as to who they are. I know what you mean about Aryana… there is something substantially more different about her than even the other two."

"I just thought she was too focused on you. What do you mean?"

"Just that I get the feeling I'm not seeing everything there is to be seen. But you're right. They aren't here by accident."

At that moment Raya came out of the stables. "So, who are they? They had really nice horses."

"They are here on business, or so they say. They are coming back out in a few minutes and I am going to have a spar with Eric, the one you talked to. He asked me first."

Raya raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why would he do that?"

Taya looked over at the door, her eyes narrowed. "Maybe he is searching for answers just like I am."

Eragon walked up the stairs to the second floor, turned the key in the lock on one of the doors, and tossed his bag on one of the beds. After one look around, he knew where the little cracks in the boards were, the little specs of dust on the window sill and the floor, and the smudges on the glass lamp. His senses were finely tuned, and he could hear the rustle in the next room, which was Arya's room.

Roran entered behind him and put his bag on the other bed, and then said,

"If she's smart, she'll think something is in the wind, Eragon, with you asking her if she lives here and if she wanted to spar. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking she might want a real sparring partner." Eragon retorted, going to the window and looking out. The view was towards the street, so he watched a few people walk by the Inn before he turned back to Roran, who was looking disapprovingly at him.

"Eragon, have you ever heard of keeping a low profile?"

Eragon waved him off, but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Arya came in. Her face was impassive, and she answered Roran's question for Eragon.

"Eric has a good idea. This Tanyel Cavrona is the reason we came to this side of the city, to this Inn. I think we all realize that now. I actually think Eric did a pretty good job of acting as if he was interested in her." She eyed Eragon with the slight smile on her face. "But we will see what she thinks of it all. She is intelligent, that much is certain."

"I think the moment she saw us she was cautious, almost anxious." Eragon added. "Her cousin too."

Arya nodded. "We must really do our best to play our parts, better than we thought. The best way to learn who this woman is and what drew us to her is by getting to know her and her cousin and her sister. That shouldn't be too hard."

Eragon ignored her underlying meaning and fingered his sword hilt. "I'll be heading back down now."

"One more thing." Arya said, looking directly at Eragon. "Do you think we should find our contact tonight or wait until tomorrow?"

Eragon frowned. "I think it would be best to wait until the morning. Although what we came to do is urgent, now we cannot for the sake of Tanyel Cavrona and our cover make it look like we are rushing. We must make them believe we are comfortable… even though we are in our enemy's very claws."

The other two nodded and Roran started out the door first. As Eragon was about to leave, Arya caught his arm and said in a soft whisper,

"Do you feel that?"

Eragon froze. "What?"

"There is darkness here, Eric. There is also magic. Be careful."

Eragon's muscles relaxed, but in a ready sort of way. He felt deeper into his surroundings, probing out with his mind. There it was, somewhere around. Not so much darkness, but a blankness that spoke of something being wiped away. What it meant, he could not fathom, but he would bet almost anything that it had something to do with Tanyel Cavrona.

"I will, Aryana. I will."

Taya smiled warmly at Eric as he stepped outside, followed by his two companions. He smiled back, and then looked up at the darkening sky.

"Well, we have a few minutes at least. Ready?"

"Very much so." Taya replied. Sasha and Raya went and sat on the fence by Randen and Aryana, and the two began a conversation with the former. Aryana kept to herself, watching Tanyel and Eric with narrowed eyes. Every once in a while Raya looked over at her curiously, but Aryana never seemed to notice.

Tanyel and Eric unsheathed their swords, and took stances opposite each other. Tanyel wasted no time, and moved in quickly. Eric met her with ease, and they tested each other for minute and then backed away. Eric started then, and they went at each other for a couple minutes before breaking away. The thing was, they were both very good and they knew it, but both of them weren't trying their hardest, or doing their best.

They had an audience, as the other four had their full attention on them, and Taya felt the most uncomfortable because of the woman Aryana. Her dark eyes followed her every move as if she'd seen them before, as if she could tell exactly what Taya was going to do at exactly that second. Eric seemed to be that way as well, because he was always right there with her. But then, she was always right there with him. They were even at an easy spar… but she wondered what she'd be like if they ever went farther.

Her ankle twisted on a rock, and she fell a little bit, and then side stepped on her bad ankle and stopped her sword an inch from Eric's leg, and then swung again and did the same to his wrist. The surprise on his face made her smile, but then she found his sword close to her side and she sprang back as the blade reached for her neck. She retaliated, but they were back to square one again, stopping each other before they could get anywhere.

Eric did manage to snag her once or twice, but she had been prepared for it. She knew if she seemed too good, they would be even more suspicious… but she knew she had to do her best job of faking her skill. Luckily, that wasn't too hard, since she'd been doing just that earlier with Sasha and Raya.

Their spar lasted close to twenty minutes, and by then it was getting difficult to see, even with the lanterns Sasha and Raya lit a few minutes before they stopped.

"You certainly do know how to use your sword well, Tanyel. That was a good spar. Thank you."

"Thank you, Eric. You're a good fighter, too. How did you learn? I had a bunch of friends back home, and we've all sparred since we were kids." This was true; they just had not necessarily sparred together when they were kids.

"My father taught me as we moved from town to town. He was an excellent man and a superb swordsman. He was a good teacher."

"I would say so. We'll have to do this again. I enjoyed it very much."

"As did I. We will be here for a little while, so how about tomorrow afternoon?"

"Unless something unexpected requires our attention tomorrow afternoon, I think that could be arranged Eric. I am helping teach Sasha and Raya, as you saw earlier, so if you had any interest in helping me, it would be appreciated. I'm not a great teacher." Taya shrugged, smiling slightly.

Eragon grabbed at the chance. "I would certainly be able to help you any way you needed me to, Tanyel. Randen is also a fair swordsman, so I can volunteer his help as well."

Randen's eyes widened in surprise at this, but Taya gave him no time to object.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you. We can use all the help we can get."

There was a momentary pause when everyone was somewhat at a loss for words, and then Taya asked,

"Would you all care to join us for supper? There's no use standing out here in the dark, and I know the three of us are famished and the food of the Inn is very good."

"Thank you, Tanyel. That would be wonderful. Lead the way."

Taya bowed her head slightly, and with Sasha and Raya with her she led the way inside, feeling rather awkward on the inside. Sasha and Raya went back into the kitchen, and Taya led the three to a table, where they all sat and Eric immediately began asking her questions about herself, and her home and other such things. She found him amusing and rather funny, and he almost seemed like he was trying a little too hard. Randen broke in a couple times, each time casting a meaningful look at Eric which Taya thought she wasn't supposed to catch.

Just before Sasha and Raya came out with the food, Taya looked over at Aryana, and asked,

"So, Miss Aryana, where do you come from? You've spoken very little since we've met. I'm curious." She noticed the way that both Eric and Randen paused and slightly looked over at Aryana, but this too she acted as if she hadn't seen.

Aryana held her gaze coolly for a long minute, and Taya was able to glimpse something of the woman behind her emotionless expression and her dark eyes, but it only confused her more and made her even more wary.

"I come from the north, Miss Tanyel. I am the diplomat of my group, and I rarely speak unless it is required."

Eric looked slightly taken aback by her answer, but Taya merely bowed her head and replied,

"I will respect that, Miss Aryana."

Aryana bowed her head in return and then Sasha and Raya came up, each carrying two plates. They set them down and disappeared again, and Taya began asking Eric questions, and sometimes Randen. So by the time Raya and Sasha came back and sat down with their own supper, Taya knew quite a bit more about Eric and Randen. They never told her what their business was in Dras'leona, and she never asked. Eric did say they had come from Gil'ead.

They stayed at the table for a little while after they were finished eating, but Aryana left fairly soon, and was followed a little later by Randen, and then lastly Eric, who promised to be outside in the yard the next afternoon. When he was gone, Raya started snickering, and Sasha had a bright smile on her face.

"What?" Taya demanded, narrowing her eyes at the two of them.

"I think he likes you." Raya grinned widely, and Sasha nodded.

"I agree with Raya. I think he likes you a lot."

Taya leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, staring in the directions of the stairs. In her mind's eye she saw every smile he'd given her, heard most every word he'd spoken to her, and she was skeptical.

"Perhaps." She said without emotion, and Sasha gaped at her.

"What, you don't think so?"

"I'm thinking that you two need to get yourselves together. These strangers who say they are from Gil'ead… there is more to them than you would believe, just as there is more to me than most would think. Understand this, you two." She stared them down, and they recoiled slightly. "They are not to be underestimated. They are dangerous. I will not put anything past them, and that includes any attention from Eric. You should consider this, and do the same."

"Do you think…" Sasha leaned closer, whispering, "Do you think they are from the Empire?"

Raya's eyes were wide, and she was no longer smiling. Taya looked back towards the stairs.

"It is possible, but I do not know for sure. I will find out though."

There was silence, and then Taya stood up. "I'm going to my room, and I'll probably fall asleep, so if I'm not back down tonight, I'll see you two in the morning. Be careful." She gave them both a hug and went slowly up to her room. Once inside and with her wards and shields firmly in place, Kabarak jumped into her arms and she fell onto her bed, stroking his wings.

You've had quite the day, my dear Taya. He said, slightly teasing.

You would know. What do you think of it all?

I think you are wise to be skeptical, and not to trust every appearance of sincerity. Granted, this Eric does seem to be quite taken with you, but there is that something about him and his companions that is not to be scoffed at. I'd say keep doing what you are doing, and sooner or later the answer will present itself. I just wish you'd been up here with me for more of the day.

Sorry, Kabarak. I'll try to be here more tomorrow. We have nothing really planned, except sparring in the afternoon/evening. If they are gone in the morning, I think we'll take you out to the lake so you can hunt and stretch your wings. But we'll have to be extra careful. If I could guess, I think at least Aryana can use magic, and it's likely that Eric can too.

I agree. Try not to worry about it too much tonight, Taya. They'll still be there to worry about tomorrow.

Thanks, Kabarak.

You're welcome, Taya.