So very sorry about the long delay everyone. I hope this chapter lives up to expectations... despite being more of a filler chapter really
Vrael sighed as he walked in amongst the elves who were wandering about among their own camp. Almost every single elf turned to stare at the elf from a time long since past. Vrael knew he had some explaining to do, but for the moment, he kept walking, following Arya through the tents. It was not long before they reached the one that Islanzadi was sleeping in each night.
"I will get Naegling," Arya said, before she ducked through the tent flap into the tent. It was only a few minutes before she came back out. She grinned, offering him the sheathed golden bronze sword. "Here you go. Look after it."
"I will Arya," Vrael replied. He knew better that to do something stupid with the sword. He knew how to look after any Rider's sword, and he was not about to cause Naegling to be damaged by some mistake he made. "Hopefully by tomorrow's end, I will have Islingr back." The gold sword looked exactly as he had always remembered it to be, though the energy that he could feel it contained was something quite surprising.
He just hoped that the sword was still the way he remembered it to be. Otherwise he was going to have to get someone else to try and restore it. And that he knew was not going to be easy. He would not be able to ask Rhunon for help, even though she had found a way around her own oath for Eragon's sake.
"How did you manage to cope with knowing who has that sword?" she asked.
Vrael paused at the question. "That was something that was not easy at all for me to get used to. Though from the start I knew there was a chance it would not be left behind at Utgard Mountain. As I said, I had to send Islingr with the mirage that was meant to be us for it to be completely real."
It was hard to believe how long he really had been hidden away from everyone else in Alagaesia. And yet, he still knew everything that had happened in the time he had been gone. Or at least, he had not been where any knew he was. It felt quite strange to not be able to remember where he had been hiding.
Arya nodded, though she did not quite seem convinced by his words. "Where though were you both?"
"That I cannot tell you for some reason. One day I will be able to, but I do not think it will be any time soon," Vrael replied. He paused. One day he would be able to tell all of them, he knew that much. "For now I just need to think about what is going on, not what happened in the past."
He knew that he would have to try and come up with some way of helping to fix the damage that Galbatorix had caused, though he would not be the one who was going to lead the Riders this time. Unless Eragon himself did not feel like taking on that role at this point which was something he could certainly understand. Being the leader of the Riders was a big responsibility, and he knew it was not one to be taken lightly at the moment.
That said, he walked away, heading back out to where he knew Umaroth was resting. Despite that it felt good to be amongst other elves, he had grown too used to only having Umaroth for company. I guess that's what we get for hiding away unknown about for the last few centuries, he thought as he walked back to the great white dragon.
You will always have me, Vrael, the white dragon replied, looking down at him. We should sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day, for all of us.
That was something he could certainly agree about. Helping the Varden with its final assault of Urubaen would be no easy task, and he knew there was no chance he was going to let Galbatorix kill him a second time. That was why he had opted to go with Eragon and the others in the morning, once it was time that they went into Urubaen. If any of them knew Galbatorix and the way he worked at all, it was Umaroth and himself.
