A/N- Wow, I'm updating! It's madness, I know. I've recently begun reading Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, and it's rekindled the wish to take up my keyboard and continue the story of Kairin and Faeria! Hooray! I hope all of you regular-reviewers will still read my story. I'm very sorry for leaving the story on a cliffhanger like that, too. I'm sure Kairin and Faeria don't appreciate it either. One more thing, since I haven't updated and everything in a long time, I forgot some of the finer points of my own story. I'm going to write this chapter based on what I remember, and when It's up I'll go back and read it to refresh my memory.

A/N 2: The Sequel: I put this up here because in the next chapter I want to get into a lot of Eldest things, and start making my storyline more interesting. This means that one, there will be some Eldest spoilers and two, I have to finish Eldest before I can do that. Also, in my reviews people have been saying that they've not read Eldest yet, so I might have to come up with some chapters that don't have to do with Eldest. Mostly that means that my next chapter won't be up for a little longer then I'd like. It's all very confusing. Leave reviews for comments and suggestions, cause I need them. Thanks.

Chapter Fourteen

Kairin and Faeria didn't dare slow their breakneck pace. Nothing went through Kairin's mind but the need to go faster, to arrive at Farthen Dur sooner. She only stopped when she felt that Eriere was in danger of collapsing. During these brief pauses, she often lay a damp cloth on Leaire's forehead and conversed anxiously with Faeria, who lay sprawled on the ground, resting her weary wings.

"I can't bear this. Are we close to Farthen Dur, Faeria? Can you see it from the air?"

"For the last time, Kairin, we are at least a half a day's flight away from it; we should be there by nightfall if we continue this tiring pace."

"We will then. We'll go faster, even."

"No, Little One, it would be unwise to strain to go faster when we are close to our destination. It would only make the rest of us as unwell as Leaire. Where would we be then?"

"I couldn't bear it if she died, Faeria. It would be my fault. It's because of me that she was captured by Durza."

"And it was because of you that she escaped his prison. You would hold no blame if she were to... If we didn't get there in time. Durza would be at fault."

"I'm sorry Faeria, But you cant make me change my mind now."

She stood and walked to Eriere, reaching with her mind. Once she had confirmed that he was rested enough to gallop again, she secured Leaire to Faeria and watched then fly above the trees. Jumping on to Eriere, she spurred him forward and galloped into the forest.

They rode without stopping for the rest of the day. Kairin pestered Faeria through their mental link with her worries until the annoyed dragon blocked her from her mind completely. Kairin was left to worry in the confines of her own mind.

It was the most welcome sound that Kairin could have imagined when the roar of the waterfall reached her ears through the darkness. When Eriere finally broke into the clearing Kairin leapt from the horse and ran as fast as she could to the stone. Faeria landed behind her a second later. Seizing a rock from the lake's shore, she skidded to a halt and thwacked the rock against the waterfall's edge repeatedly.

"Ai varden abr du shur'tugals gata vanta!" she shrieked. The dull roar of the waterfall was the only sound in the clearing. It was still. The rock slipped from Kairin's fingers as she turned to Faeria.

"It didn't work..." she breathed. The last syllable had barely left her lips when a loud grating noise sounded from behind the waterfall. Kairin spun around and began to run towards the noise, tripping over her own feet. She scrambled off the ground, ignoring the pain in her knees and sprinted to an opening in the rock that Kairin wouldn't have guessed was there a moment eairlier.

"Faeria! Come here!" Kairin yelled, staring in awe as a short, stout man with a beard peeked from behind the door. "A dwarf!" she thought to herself in excitement. Faeria ambled to the door, Eriere not far behind.

"Who are you? Are you from the Varden?" asked the dwarf, not taking his eyes off Faeria.

"My name is Kairin, and this is my dragon, Faeria," she extended her palm, showing the dwarf the shining oval on her palm. "Hasn't Leaire told you of a new Rider?"

The dwarf narrowed his eyes. "We weren't sure if that's what she meant. We must use a kind of code, in case of interception."

Kairin nodded hurriedly, barely taking in a word the dwarf said. She turned to Faeria and took Leaire's limp body from her back. She held her body delicately and tunred back to the dwarf.

"Look, Leaire's hurt. She needs help, and now. Please, can we go in?" Kairin waited with bated breath as the dwarf looked both her and Faeria over. With a short nod, he stood aside and allowed Kairin to scurry past him into the dark tunnels of Farthen Dur.

A/N- Yes, very short but I figured I should get a new chapter up as soon as possible. As soon as I post this, I'm going to start on chapter fifteen, so just hold on! R&R, please.