Tuatha du orothrim

A/N: Sorry for taking this long to upload a chapter, I can only blame the increasing amount of workload. The chapter is also a bit longer than usual, so it will hopefully keep you busy until I upload again. While writing it I was listening to : The Do - Dust it Off.

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Tick…

Aghh!, Kayla thought to herself and covered her ears in order to block the monotonous tone of the clock ticking by.

The Master of History and Ancient Language looked at her with a serious expression.

"Come on, keep writing. This is a test, students! One, you must pass in order to progress to the next set of classes!" Mirin said in a stern tone.

Kayla looked at her paper. She had written an answer to each one of questions on the paper and she did not doubt that they were the correct ones. She wasn't fluent in the Ancient Language, she had no illusions of that, but with the extra afternoon classes she had in the evenings while the riders had flying lessons, her skill and knowledge had progressed far beyond that of the other young riders.

The only problem?

She was not allowed to leave the classroom until the time was up.

Kayla pressed her head between the palms of her hands and counted the seconds. There was still half an hour to go but they had already been in the room for an hour and a half and she had finished the paper in the first forty minutes.

She leaned back on her chair and decided to look at the rest of the riders. They all seemed to be concentrating hard and writing down the answers. All apart from one.

Tristan gazed back at her and raised his eyebrows. Kayla returned the gesture and leaned back on her chair crossing her hands over her chest. She felt something at the edges of her mind, the weakest of probings and saw Tristan's eyebrows pressing together, a sign of concentration.

She smiled and entered Tristan's mind instead, with one swift move. He looked momentarily frozen in fear, like a doe.

Did you try entering my mind? Adorable, she said in his mind and tried to contain a laugh as Mirin shot her a serious expression.

Tristan cleared his throat and raised his hands in the air.

I tried to start a conversation with you, I had no intention of entering your mind, he said and she smiled again and played with her pen.

As if you could!

Do you know the answer to the third question?, he quickly asked her and Kayla looked at him, smiling again.

To the point, I see. Of course I do, she replied and found herself suddenly entertained. She stared at the clock and was happy to notice that there were only ten minutes left before her ordeal would be over.

Ordeal?, Aiedail intervened, hearing her thoughts.

Will you tell me the answer, please? Tristan asked and looked at his paper pretending to concentrate.

I have suddenly become very popular, Kayla said amused in Aiedail's mind and the dragon hmphed.

Tuatha du orothrim. Tempering the fool's wisdom. It's the first stage of our training. That's the answer to your question, Kayla said in her brother's mind. How appropriate for this situation…

Thanks, Tristan replied and concentrated on his exam again.

Kayla however was already in his mind and she couldn't help herself. That was the first time she had entered her brother's mind at will, without it being a group conversation with other riders. She started gently probing…

What are you doing?, Tristan asked alarmed and dropped his pen.

Aha! I knew it! You stole the last cake slice on my birthday!, Kayla exclaimed as she looked at her brother's memory from long ago, when it had been her birthday and he had sworn that the goat had eaten her birthday cake.

Kayla, stop doing that!, Tristan said annoyed and she reluctantly retreated from his mind.

As you wish, but if you want an answer to another question I won't give it to you, she said and sighed looking at the clock.

Five minutes.

Isn't it hypocritical of you not to allow access of your mind to other people and yet you easily enter their private thoughts and memories at will?, Aiedail asked and Kayla sighed.

I didn't enter any important memories just one and I only did because I am bored, she said and crossed her arms, annoyed.

Tuatha du orothim, Aiedail said and Kayla bit her tongue even more annoyed than before, just as he heard the bell in the classroom ringing loudly.

"Time is up!" Mirin said and went to take the papers from the students. Kayla quickly handed hers and exited the library before any of the other students could follow her.

Finally, she thought to herself, happy to be moving her body. She stared around her, as the winter sun streamed between the clouds and warmed her skin. So transfixed was she with the winter scenery that she didn't notice the dragons landing near her.

The young riders were already riding their dragons, ready for their lessons as soon as they had finished with their test. Vertigo did a slow dive to the ground and in an impressive acrobatic move Tristan jumped on his dragon without allowing Vertigo to touch the ground and then they rose to the skies. Kayla heard Rikon whistling as he, as well, rode his dragon.

She saw Aiedail's leg muscles tightening as the purple dragon landed on the soft patch of earth. Two violet eyes looked at her, the question evident on them.

Kayla…, the dragon begun.

No, the girl cut her and Aiedail flexed her wings and took a few steps back.

It's your time to ride me, as all other riders have done before with their dragons.

Please, let's not talk about it. I thought you understood, Kayla pleaded and Aiedail growled once, loudly, and took off.

Kayla swallowed and watched the dragons flying away as she stayed behind.

By choice, she told herself and went back to the library annoyed, to do yet one more lesson with Mirin.

….

The next day she went to the Grand Hall for Magic Lessons with Idel. Preparations for the upcoming Games were evident as riders were rushing in and out of the Hall, decorating it and redecorating it, setting gigantic tables and water goblets to the sides. The elves and dwarves from the shore, who were not riders, had come to assist with that matter, alongside with some of the dragons.

Kayla saw an elf with a wolfish appearance running past her.

"Blogharm! These goblets will not be enough! We need scrying mirrors!" she heard Octavian say and his earrings rung. He was carrying some gigantic wooden tables and sweat was dripping from his forehead.

"Why doesn't he use magic? It would make his life so much easier" Adrian said next to her as he watched the exchange. Kayla jumped in surprise, as she hadn't heard the elven dorm leader approaching.

"Because…" Octavian started and set the tables aside, kneeling on the walls and smiling widely at them"… that would make me equally exhausted and would only exercise my mind muscles. My human body and muscles need just as much exercise as my mind. There is a reason why I am called Master of Sparring and Strength, after all" he finished and went to pick up the tables again.

"May, Maya not that side! Take the candles to the other side" Idel said and Kayla had to kneel on the ground, just as two light candles flew above her head, missing her by inches.

Idel sighed exasperated and raised her arms in the air, furiously shaking her head.

"Young riders, with me" she commanded and her voice was loud and clear despite the chaotic situation which was unravelling in the Grand Hall.

Kayla and some of the young students, Gwen, Adrian, May and Maya and an Urgal she hadn't seen before, followed the Master of Magic outside. When she had been told she would be placed in the experienced group she had been surprised. She knew she was good at magic, but she didn't know she was that good. What she lacked in experience she made up in skill and even though the other riders knew spells which were far more intricate than the ones she had attempted, she was still able to catch up to their level. Magic lessons were now her favourite part of the day.

"As you can see we can no longer train inside" Idel said and coughed.

Even though the weather had started getting better there were still clouds in the horizon and short snow storms still occurred. At the moment it was raining and wind blew from all directions.

Idel whispered some words under her breath and suddenly the rain that was around her, stopped falling on her. Her hair also remained in place and it appeared as if the wind was passing through her.

"How did I do that? Which spell did I use?" she asked the riders and most of them were eager to repeat her spell.

Indeed, soon most riders were protected from the weather elements just as the Master of Magic had done before, but Kayla struggled to remember the right spell. In the end she whispered the words wind and rain in the ancient language under her breath and caused the wind to bypass her. It was as if a giant wall had been placed around and above her, protecting her from the weather's elements. However, it was not like the spell Idel had cast.

The elven rider walked to her side and sighed, obviously disappointed.

"How many times will I tell you not to cast your own spells? Cast spells you already know, state your intentions in the Ancient Language! What you are doing might prove deadly one day. One of those spells of yours will drain you of all your vital magic and energy and you will die" she warned, not for the first time.

Kayla sighed.

She could understand the reasoning behind Idel's words, but following certain rules and stating everything in the ancient language seemed like an impossible task to her. Words were often not enough to describe the feeling of energy which burned inside her, as it took the shape she wanted it to. Even if she did state her intentions the result would not be satisfying enough. It would be like reading Urgal poems in the Dwarvish tongue. Something always got lost in translation.

After the end of the lesson she walked back to the human dorms alongside Gwen. The human dorm leader was surprisingly quiet. Usually she made remarks on Kayla's behaviour, most often praising her for her change of stance towards Aiedail or advising her on certain fighting positions during sword fighting. Not that Kayla minded the silence. It gave her time to think, to mull things over.

And there were so many things to think about!

There was that creature which had so unexpectantly barged through the connection with her mother in the goblet of water and she had yet to share the story with anyone. That creature had been terrifying although she could not put her finger on which part of it had scared her the most. Was it the hiss of a voice? The lack of face and the mystery behind the hood? The fact that it seemed to control the shadow wyrms?

As she thought more about this she knew she should have told someone. Possibly Aiedail although the dragon would have strongly advised her to tell Eragon or one of the Masters of Training and she could not do this. Sharing a bond with a dragon surely meant having support and understanding between the two sides. In her case though it felt more as if Aiedail was her guardian rather than her companion. Yes, dragons were wise, yes they had experience in things humans could not begin to understand but she was not a child!

As they were approaching the human dorm she noticed that Gwen looked tense. Kayla was not one for small talk, had never been good at those things, but the constant twitching of the human dorm leader's eyebrows convinced her that something was wrong.

Did it involve her brother?

Although she knew very little about the relationship Gwen and Tristan shared it was obvious that Tristan cared about Gwen. And Kayla did respect the human dorm leader as well.

"Gwen, is everything all right?" Kayla asked in an uncertain tone and her voice sounded hoarse in the end, reminding her very much of her mother's voice.

Definitely not good at small-talk, she thought to herself.

Gwen unexpectantly kneeled on the ground and sat down cross-legged. The Rimgar had been cancelled for today due to some errands Maud had to complete and the young riders had been advised to practise by themselves, although Kayla doubted that this was what Gwen had in mind when sitting in that position.

She touched the soft grass and sat down next to Gwen.

"I worry about the people and the riders in Alagaesia. I don't like the fact that its been so long without any attacks from the shadow wyrms" Gwen whispered.

Kayla looked at the dorm leader, surprised.

"Surely no attacks are a good thing?" she asked in an uncertain tone but Gwen shook her head.

"They have every reason to attack us. The riders are weak, weaker than them. If they exert a similar amount of power force as in previous attacks the riders don't stand a chance. And yet they refrain from attacking. Why? Are they gathering more power? Is there something specific they are waiting for? The Games? Maybe they want to kill Alagaesia's Queen…" she said and paused.

The girls both heard voices from afar and they turned around to see the other group of young riders landing on the ground. Tristan, Laer and Rikon were among them.

As soon as the boys started approaching them Gwen got up on her feet and walked inside the dorm.

Flight today was exceptional. A bit windy and rainy at first but then the weather improved. Clear skies, no birds, fluffy clouds and warm sun. Not too windy to cause disruptions either. You should have been there, Aiedail said as she landed next to Kayla, causing some dust and smoke to rise towards the girl's direction.

Kayla put her arm in front of her mouth and coughed, narrowing her eyes at the dragon.

Hey! You did that on purpose didn't you?

Kayla, it's time to ride me. The longer you wait the harder it will be for you to get used to my size and learn to fly with me, the purple dragon advised and the girl sighed, exasperated.

Why are we discussing the same thing again?

Because you know I am right.

Just let me be, all right? Kayla shouted inside her mind and started walking away from her dragon, fast. She heard the dragon growling and letting whiffs of smoke but she wasn't going to be intimated by that.

"Hey, Kayla, how were your lessons today?" a red faced Tristan asked her, a sign of exertion, as he walked back to the dorms with Laer.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" she asked and tried to calm down and not allow her anger to control her. Usually she was good at ignoring things, staying apathetic to events but lately she had developed a temper. That she knew and she had to master it in every means possible.

So lost in her thoughts was she that she didn't notice Laer walking alongside Onyx and she almost bumped on him. He looked surprised more than anything else and slightly scared. Kayla saw him tremble slightly and his irises turned golden…

"I saw it!" she shouted at him before he could move away.

"Kayla, calm down…" Laer started but she shook her head angrily.

"You are hiding something. Do the other riders know that you arrive late at night? What do you do in the woods?" she asked, the questions rushing out of her mouth before she could stop them.

The other rider looked lost of words and she considered entering his mind. Only for a little bit. Only so she could solve the mystery that troubled her, one of the many…

"Sweet little sister, leave these poor creatures alone and let's go for a walk" Tristan said gently, pointing at Laer and his dragon and grabbed her arm a bit more forcefully that he needed to.

"Why?" she asked and wriggled out of his reach.

She didn't say a word but the energy inside her mind instantly became alive and she saw Tristan's tunic catching fire. He took it off, threw it on the ground and started stepping on it, all the while looking at her with a concerned expression. Laer approached them, the question evident in his expression.

"Do not blame her, my sister is having some anger issues, amongst other things. You know, woman problems and the sort" Tristan said smiling to Laer and tried to take Kayla to the side.

"Anger issues? Woman problems? TRISTAN" Kayla said out loud and felt her anger increasing.

"Sorry, got to run" he said to a confused and flushed Laer and Vertigo pushed Kayla to the side, away from everyone else.

"Tristan what's going on? Let me be!" Kayla shouted angrily and watched the nearby rocks trembling. The energy inside her mind was very much alive and it was very hard to control at the moment. Her anger wasn't making things easier.

"Kayla, you need to calm down. What is going on?" Tristan asked her and she paced up and down, all the while trying to relax, breathe, calm down, do everything she had been taught to do in situations such as this.

Laer, Onyx, Aiedail and Gwen were further away from them and hopefully they wouldn't be able to hear what she was about to say to Tristan. She took in a deep breath, trying not to think of the hooded figure that had disturbed her spell but it was hard. She had tried to ignore it but the fear still clouded her thoughts and dreams every night.

When I did a scrying spell a few weeks ago I think I did something wrong. I tried scrying our mother but a Shade or something entered the conversation instead. And it could see me Tristan. I don't know how, I don't know what it wanted from me. I …, she was saying quickly in his mind and Tristan raised his hands in the air.

Kayla, speak more slowly and out loud, he advised her but she shook her head.

No. I don't trust them, she replied in her brother's mind and Tristan's eyebrows pulled together. He looked back at the human riders and their dragons and then at her.

Who don't you trust?

Laer. He arrives late every night. I don't know what he does in the woods and there are many things we don't know about him. Then there is Eragon… Every time he looks at me I feel like he knows something he is not telling me. When he entered my mind I could tell that he did not trust me. I could tell that he wanted to dig further, find every memory of mine and…., Kayla said and paused.

Tristan was holding her hand and looking at her with a serious expression.

You haven't told him or any other riders about the Shade appearing in your goblet of water either. Why should they trust you when you don't trust them?

Do you trust them? Even Gwen, do you fully trust her? Do you trust Vertigo? Should I trust Aiedail?, Kayla asked again.

If they wanted to harm us they would have already done so, don't you think?

But there are shadow wyrms and Shades on the loose. Everyone says there have been no attacks but Gwen is right. What if they are just gathering their power? And then they will attack our mother and everyone else?

Kayla slumped on the ground, her knees giving way. She noticed that the rocks had stopped trembling. She looked up and saw Aiedail. The she-dragon stared at her with such a sympathetic expression that she almost cried. Kayla had tried to block her from the conversation with her brother but maybe she hadn't succeeded.

Tristan kneeled next to her.

I cannot guarantee that all the riders here are trustworthy. I cannot guarantee that the shadow wyrms and shades will not attack Alagaesia and our mother. But what I do know is that I trust you. I also trust Vertigo and you should trust Aiedail as well. They are our dragons. To harm us would mean to harm themselves and they would never do such things. You also have to share some of this information with the leaders. They might be able to offer some help. And if you think that Laer is not trustworthy either then you should tell Eragon. I trust Laer but I might be wrong and you might be right. I have indeed seen him out in the woods more than once, her brother said and she nodded.

As quickly as her sudden eruption had come, just as quickly it left. She felt calmer now, more at ease.

I will go to Glieonard and speak to Eragon now. Thank you, she whispered to her brother.

I will come with you, Tristan replied and Vertigo and Aiedail followed them close behind.

"Riders, where are you going at this hour?" Gwen asked them and Tristan quickly told her that they had to go to Glieonard. She insisted on following them there and it took them a bit longer than expected to reach the city.

As preparations for the Games were still taking place the city was alight with movement and energy. Eragon was in the Grand Hall advising the elves on the intensity of energy used during spells and that they should take turns when casting the spells.

Kayla did not particularly like the Dragon Rider Leader, but she needed to tell someone of her encounter with that weird creature. She didn't even bother with the usual greetings Mirin had taught them to use when addressing their Leaders or their Masters of Training. Without approaching them she spoke to Eragon's mind and explained to him everything that had happened.

The leader looked at her and his eyebrows pulled together.

I have no reason to mistrust Laer. He has shared with me information about his past and heritage. But the fact that this creature or Shade managed to break our defences and interfere with your spell is quite worrying, he said and indeed he looked worried.

He jumped from the top of the tables that had been set up and reached her side.

Tuatha du orothrim. I take it you know what this means?

Tempering the fool's wisdom, Kayla said and sighed exasperated.

You are not doing a very good job at that though, are you? At the moment I am afraid you are the one who is quite dangerous here. So I do have every reason not to trust you considering your skill in magic. Learn to wield your magic, temper your anger, ride your dragon and prove me wrong, Eragon said in her mind, not unkindly.

Riders go back to your dorms. We have a few more days of intense preparation before the Games start and a few challenges planned that you might find intriguing. Rest well and empty your minds of all thoughts, worries and fears. Tomorrow is a new day, Eragon continued talking to the all the young rider's minds instead of just hers.

On their way back to the human dorms Eragon's words stayed in Kayla's mind. She hated to admit it but the Dragon Rider Leader was right. At the moment she was the most dangerous person on the island and he and the others around her had no reason to trust her.

She had left Tristan and Gwen lead the way back and they were talking amongst themselves although their conversation was not audible enough for her human ears. Also she wanted to give them some privacy.

When Laer appeared from amongst the woods she was not surprised to see him.

"The elusive forth rider" he said to her and smiled in a gentle manner.

He was wearing his usual training gear, dark leather pants and a dark linen shirt which matched his hair – now falling loose on his shoulders - but contrasted his skin tone. She was certain she could see his usual dark eyes glowing golden.

"Oh? This description seems to be more fitting for you" she said and allowed him to walk next to her side. Onyx and the rest of the dragons were flying somewhere above them in the dark sky.

"You do not trust me" he stated and she hmphed.

"Eragon, obviously does, however" she replied annoyed.

"Why don't you trust me?" he asked and seemed genuinely curious.

"I do not know who you are, where you come from, you walk often outside in the darkness and most importantly you entered my mind at will when no one else has managed to do so" she said.

He laughed once, humourlessly.

"What causes most fear is the different, the unknown. Whatever people don't understand they want to destroy. How… Surprising" he said again, humourlessly.

"Or fitting. We don't know much more about the enemy either. That's why everyone is so afraid of it, them whatever it is" she replied.

Laer paused then and looked at her with an expression which was half surprise half respect.

"You understand then" he replied.

"No, I don't understand. That's why I am afraid. I don't understand you, your motives, your abilities. I don't understand myself, my abilities and how to control them. I don't understand our Leader's motives and thoughts and most importantly I don't understand the enemy" she said and sighed.

He held her arm and looked into her eyes in a very intense manner, half smiling.

"Kayla that's the reasoning behind your actions. Every single action is powered by this thought. And… "

"And…?" Kayla asked, suddenly interested in what he had to say.

Laer looked at her once again, his eyes glowing golden.

"And something you have not shared with anyone else. Something that scarred you in the worst way imaginable"

Kayla looked at him, suddenly afraid.

"Did you enter my thoughts?" she quickly asked and he smiled politely, shaking his head.

"How little you know of magic. There are so many other ways to guess one's intentions or thoughts. Magic is only one of them" he replied and after this they walked back to the human dorms in silence, each in their own thoughts.

A/N:Next Chapter will be called "The Games" and will be posted within the next two weeks, again on Sunday/Monday. Don't forget to leave reviews, follow/fav!