"Wow! Where did you get that?" asked Saphira nodding at the blade that I cradled in my arms when I walked into the meadow where our temporary houses were located. "Rhunon," I said simply. "She meant well; I think?" I said, not quite so sure any more. Saphira nodded her giant blue head slowly like she understood.
I smiled- Saphira always understood. She was a dragon!
I wondered what it was to be as wise and powerful as a dragon yet to have to bear so much responsibility also…
Then, as if to distract me, Arya walked briskly into our clearing; her face set into its usual impassive mask. Then her eyes widened in surprise, "What's that?" she asked pointing to the, my sword.
"Gift from Rhunon," I said and saw Arya's eyebrows contract sullenly. "She's rather scary you know."
Arya sighed and rubbed her temples. "Yeah, I know."
Then Eragon came in and I repeated the story again for him. At the end of it he said, "Well, I don't know if we've completed what we were meant to do here but I think its time to go and do something useful like…"
Saphira chipped in, "Like going to see all the people we planned to and ask if any of them no of any way to defeat the king. Were desperate." She shrugged and I tried not to laugh because a dragon shrugging is not some thing you see everyday.
"But after Oromis and Glaedrs funeral," I reminded them sombrely.
"Yes, of course," replied Eragon not quite meeting my steady gaze. I slept uneasily that night.
The next day…"Saphira! Saphira!" I shouted banging on her soft belly. "Wake up!"
"Uh," she groaned.
"Come on!" Then a little less enthusiastically, "It's the funeral." I looked down at my attire. I was wearing a black tunic over silvery grey leather pants with tough black boots on my feet. Arya and Eragon were dressed similarly. In my hair I wore a moonstone headband, black again with a single stone the size of a large pebble set in silver into the band, and my hair had been straightened and tied up. I knew moonstones were meant to be unlucky but I felt I should rearrange it for the day.
Later that afternoon all the elves in most of Du Weldenvarden had gathered in a huge semi circle around the ashes of the once mighty Rider and Dragon of the Old Ways. I remembered something suddenly. "Eragon," I hissed. "What about Glaedrs eldunari?"
He looked surprised and replied, "It's at the Varden being guarded by Blodgharm and the others; though they don't know what they're guarding." I looked back at the grave satisfied.
Then one by one the elves let out a keening sound; the start of a mourning song. I gently joined in worrying I would spoil the beauty of this haunting song.
After the song had finished Islanzadi stepped up to speak. Next was Eragon, then Arya, then the assorted lords and lastly Saphira. At the end of these speeches, when everyone was in tears (even Saphira which was highly dangerous as it caused a small tidal wave to erupt next to a dozen elves who, regretfully, got soaked. But because it was Saphira they didn't complain) the elves who had had the honour to dig the grave now stepped forward to close it.
When the grave had been filled over Saphira did something extraordinary. She stepped right next to the grave, almost on top of it, and touched her snout gently against the side. From where scale met earth cold, hard diamond erupted and soon the whole tomb was encased in the near impenetrable substance just as she had with Brom's tomb. I gasped. "Dragon magic!" I whispered in awe.
"Yes," said Eragon lifting me onto Saphira's back with ease whilst climbing on himself. Arya jumped up behind him and we were off. I leaned back against Eragon and let the tears fall freely as we climbed higher into the sky and flew over the treetops towards the honour feast.
When we got there elves were already dancing and the band was playing; although everything was rather half- hearted now I had no doubt it would perk up especially with the fifty barrels of alcohol that were being rolled in regularly. We all sat down at the HUGE table that stretched right along the clearing probably in order of rank. To my surprise I was seated four seats from the top next to Eragon and an elf I didn't know with Saphira behind me resting on a massive cushion like a well-groomed pet. Then the food magically appeared on the golden platters that shone in the middle of the table next to the goblets, plates and cutlery. I took some bread, fruit, vegetables, honey, cheese, biscuits, cakes and potatoes. Then I realised there were no things I was used to at home like sausages, ham or yoghurt. Then I remembered elves were vegetarians and started to eat.
Halfway through the meal I decided I still wanted some yoghurt if I couldn't have any meat. I thought and the right spell rolled itself off the tip of my tongue. "Man blafda hosino." A massive bowl of yoghurt appeared in front of me. I smiled and tucked in. then Eragon noticed what I was eating and asked what it was. After I told him it was passed along the table and when I eventually got it back it was empty. I rolled my eyes. The majority of the elves had enjoyed it and soon I was dishing out the spell left, right and center.
5 hours later
Eragon downed another pint of faelnirv as Arya looked on seeming vaguely disgusted. "Arya," he slurred. "Drink some," he said thrusting his tankard under her nose.
"As you wish Argetlam," she replied. And for a moment it seemed they were back almost a year ago when she still treated him like a child. She took some from the jug in the middle of the typical elven wooden table rather than Eragon's mug. She downed it in one go. Eragon looked astonished, "How did you do that?"
"Old habits," she shrugged. He looked at her curiously out of the corner of one eye as she downed one after another. On her sixth mug he decided to stop her as I looked on amusedly. She narrowed her eyes at him as he gently pulled the cup from her hands. "You're drunk," he stated accusingly.
"Sssso are ooo so ooo can't talk," she slurred. "Ow come ooo don show ii then."
"Because I'm a man and we hold alcohol better." As soon as he said that he realised his mistake.
"She's going to kill him now," I said to Saphira who lifted her head up from her third barrel of faelnirv. But Arya didn't seem to have noticed. I laughed at her vacant expression.
Suddenly the Queen cleared her throat. "And here is our latest masterpiece from Daganoff," she announced gesturing to a tall elf with long silver hair and careful green eyes. Two other elves pulled a large tarpaulin off the new statue. I was a naked elf covered only by a large dragons wing! "Hide me," I said to Saphira jumping behind her tail as she covered her eyes with her paws. Arya and Eragon however weren't quite as fortunate. They both fainted.
Half an hour later (I'm in Eragon's mind 'cause I magically learned mind invasion really quickly)
As Eragon gradually came around with a mouth full of hair he thought groggily, "Now whose hair is this; my hair isn't long enough and it's certainly not as dark and silky. So whose hair is it? Hmmmm." Then another voice entered.
"That's truly a question that scholars have been pondering for millennia," it said sarcastically. "Now if you would kindly get my hair out of your mouth."
He sat up and Arya went with him as she had fallen on top of his head. She sat herself ever dignified on the nearest vacant chair and sulked as the Queen, Saphira and I laughed hysterically…