My update, dear readers. Thank you for your great encouragement and reviews. They are greatly appreciated. More reviews would be welcome, though. It would give me better feedback.
Thanks for reading!
Regards,
Karldin.
CHAPTER 13
"Master?"
Eragon turned as Varda seemed to be staring at him with an inquisitive look. They were in Celbedeil, and he had finished instructing her briefly on the long and bloody history of dwarves and Dragons. His young apprentice had been shaken by his fight with Ismira, no matter how much she tried to conceal it.
"Yes, Varda?"
Belgabad and Varda stared up at him with wide eyes, and Varda asked: "Are you a dwarf? Lord Undin told me you were a member of Durgrimst Ingietum yesterday, after…." Her voice trailed off, and a look of fear shot through her face. Eragon sighed, and knelt to look her in the eyes. No matter that she was a Rider…she was too young to see a battle, barely seven years of age.
"Do not be afraid of what happened, Varda" he said calmly. Varda shook her head, bravely trying to deny her fear. Belgabad nudged her side, trying to encourage her, but he could see that she was extremely troubled. Saphira spoke in his mind:
Eragon, you must bring her mind back to tranquillity as soon as possible. Her little Dragon tells me she has been having nightmares ever since that fight, nightmares of you being killed by Ismira. It is not allowing her to sleep, or to even function properly.
His heart clenched at what Saphira told him, and looked regretfully at Varda. It was as Umaroth had said; he shared such a deep bond with the young ones that he felt every bit of the suffering they would feel…the Eldunari had told him repeatedly not to coddle them so much. But he could not help it.
"Are you afraid for me, Varda?" he asked in a soft voice. The young Rider turned her face away, and he felt another pang as he saw tears flowing down the youngling's face. Belgabad looked at him pleadingly, and he took Varda's hands in his.
"Have you been having nightmares?" he enquired, and Varda turned to face him at last. He could see the fear written all over her face and one brief glance at her mind told him just how much she feared losing him. Her mind was maturing fast but she was not yet an adult.
"I am sorry" she said quietly, wiping away her tears with one hand. Eragon could admire her resolve, but he would not let his Riders become like Elves…at least among themselves, and with him. He would not let his apprentice become used to concealing her emotions so easily.
"You must not be sorry" reprimanded Eragon. "What did I tell you when you began the regimen?"
"You told me that we were not just Riders in Aiedail. You told me that we were all family" said Varda in a small voice. Eragon nodded firmly. He had made every effort possible to make that ideal a reality. There would be no falsehood and concealment in his city, only genuineness and love.
"I will never let my Riders suffer, not when I am alive. You are all my family. I raised many riders on Aiedail from their childhood, some I trained from their youth. But none of them would hide the fact that they needed my help, Varda" he said in the ancient language, and he saw Varda's face calm down considerably.
"Every time I close my eyes" said the young Rider, "I see her killing you with that red lightning, Ebrithil. I cannot…I cannot…" she whispered.
"Did I tell you the story of the crazy witch, Angela?" asked Eragon, with a twinkle in his eyes. Varda looked at him with a puzzled face and nodded. Eragon had told her a version of his story when she was five, a retelling that would not scare children.
"She can tell the future, can't she?" asked Varda in a subdued voice. Eragon squeezed her hand and continued: "Well, she told me that I would live forever… or so long that it might as well be forever. You know how she always predicts the truth, hmm? So I will live for a very very long time, Varda. You will not lose me."
Varda hugged him tightly, and Eragon could feel the utter relief in his apprentice. He could feel presences behind him, and one mental glance told him it was Arya and Gannel. But he did not turn back, only seeking to reassure Varda completely. He stood up with Varda perched securely in his arms. It was a foreign feeling to him, holding and raising children so personally…but it was something he would never ever want to lose.
As she buried her face in his shoulder he knew she was another person he could not bear to lose, much like Saphira, Laetri and Sahloknir and maybe even Arya. Varda looked at him with anxious eyes that seemed to demand an answer out of him.
"Ebrithil, will you be alive for the next…" she seemed to be struggling with something."…for the next five thousand years?" she asked with trepidation. Eragon wanted to smile at the young girl, he was sure that was the largest number she could visualize.
"Yes" he answered firmly. "For you, and for my Riders, I and Saphira will be alive even for the next five thousand years".
Her face lit up as he answered in the ancient language, she knew he had bound himself with his word. She seemed to be back to her old self as she began bombarding him with questions about Celbedeil. Eragon halted her questions gently, and turned to face the visitors.
"I was just instructing my young apprentice here" he said, indicating Varda. Arya nodded with shining eyes, and glanced at Varda. Gannel stepped forth and said, "I have important matters to discuss with you all, Shadeslayer. And they are not for the ears of children."
"I'm not a child" declared Varda determinedly. Belgabad supported her with a growl, staring at Gannel with his unnaturally green eyes. Gannel stared at them with amusement, and Eragon laid a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. With a great flash of Indigo light he disappeared from the dwarven temple and reappeared a few moments later.
"What was it you wished to discuss with me, Gannel?" he asked, having left Varda and Belgabad with Saphira and the other Dragons. Arya immediately raised her hand and hid them from prying ears with magic. Gannel's face took on a grave demeanour as he looked at Eragon with a piercing look.
"I will be quite direct, Shadeslayer" stated Gannel, stroking his large beard. "Mine King wishes for you to know that for now the dwarves will not be able to participate in the war against the Urgals, if our support is necessary. We must be ready against an elven incursion."
At this he shot a furious look at Arya, who stared back with a hard face. Eragon sighed, it appeared that the Elven Shade's plans were having consequences deeper than was anticipated. With the elves and dwarves tied down with these suspicions, the Urgals would be that much harder to meet in battle.
"I assume that the elves are the same?" he asked Arya, who nodded and shot Gannel a disdainful look. "I am sorry, Eragon. My people are very hard to rouse to anger, but once it is done they are like a force of nature. They cannot accept that it is Ismira who has done this deed, and resentments they have buried in their hearts for Galbatorix has been turned to Ismira. You know how foul it is to kill an Elven Child".
"You should have killed her, Shadeslayer!" spat Gannel. "If you had done this, then the conflict everywhere would have been reduced considerably. We would have no need to fear Elves, who still suspect our hand in Captain Damitha's murder"
"Yes, your king made that point very clear", said Eragon absently. Suspicion began to grown in his mind as he began to put together several happenings since his return, things that had somehow happened so much in co-ordination that it was an alarm by itself.
"Does it not strike you both as odd" he commented slowly, "that all the races are at war or at the brink of war within a matter of a month? Since I returned, Urgals have made their play and Palencar has responded enthusiastically. Elves and dwarves have high tension between them, and not even their rulers are able to contain them."
"You speak the truth" agreed Arya in a considering tone as they began walking the beautifully tapestried halls of Celbedeil. Gannel had gone silent, simply pondering the truths that Eragon had laid out for them. They stopped at the extremely detailed sculpture of the first Eragon, and Gannel spoke:
"That may be true, Shadeslayer" he conceded. "It all smells of some higher design we are as yet unable to perceive. But what is true is the fact that the four races are out of balance, and the fact that the Riders are only complicating and aggravating matters."
Arya looked at him sardonically, "Grimstborith, the Riders are not Guntera or Helzvog to simply wave their hands and make your problems disappear. We must strive for it no matter our powers".
Gannel seemed ready to reply heatedly, but Eragon cut in: "She speaks right. And I am afraid that without Elven support or without the Knurlan, the war will get that much harder. Are you sure that your peoples will not be ready within the foreseeable future, that you cannot allay their turmoil and point them towards our common goals?"
There was silence for a few moments.
"We cannot be ready as you demand, Shadeslayer" said Gannel, expelling a large breath. "I see the sense of your argument but it will take time to unwind the accumulated resentment and wariness of our chieftains. I will work towards it, this I promise you", he said earnestly.
Arya sighed, and absently tucked her dark tresses behind her pointed ears. Eragon gazed at her, seeing traces of worry and care in her entire bearing. Elves were not touched by time, true, but even the wisest of Elves were not left unmarked by the passing of the years. Lineage had put his old friend Arya in a position he certainly did not envy…she too carried a heavy burden.
"I will abdicate as soon as possible. Dellanir's laws can only be stretched so much" she said wearily. Gannel's eyes widened, and his hands started shaking. Eragon knew well the reason…if a sympathiser of Fiolr or Fiolr himself were to take the throne, then the consequences would be severe. Alarm shot through him in waves as he considered the idea though he did not show it.
Little one, too many things are happening too fast. The Elven succession is another affair we do not want to go badly. You know what you must ask of Arya…
I do, Saphira. Elves and dwarves are tied down till they resolve their problems, and the humans are going to war with the Urgals. I refuse to let the Riders out in force…something dark is happening, partner of my heart.
"Then" he said in a heavy voice, turning to Arya, "You must return to Ellesmera. If you are able to influence the succession, please do so. We cannot have Fiolr's faction take the throne of the most powerful race of Alagaesia".
Arya nodded, looking at him with a sliver of hope. "Are you not coming?" she asked softly. Eragon shook his head regretfully.
"I cannot get mired in Elven politics when this much darkness stalks the land. I have too much to do, Arya. We will fly out into the Kingdom as you fly to Ellesmera. I will go to the tower of Ristvak'baen, and will begin my search for the Shade from there." he concluded.
Arya's eyes widened, as did Gannel's.
"Why there, Shadeslayer? I believe the Rider Ildarien is taking a detachment of magicians to act as a strike force. Will not your work be impeded in such circumstances?" he asked incredulously.
"I will not participate in the war, Gannel, Arya. This is only so I can protect Roran's grandchildren and Carvahall…and something tells me my search should begin there. I will also collect Roran from Farthen Dur as we leave." stated Eragon, causing their surprise to heighten even more. He had sensed an undefinable darkness from near that place during the times he had reached out to Alagaesia and felt it was the best place to begin with.
"This is the unanimous advice of all the Eldunari to me. They believe that I must not take the field unless our Order is in danger. Apparently, I am far too precious to directly involve myself in such a risky endeavour."
"But you fought Ismira, and you may have to fight Urgals at Carvahall." pointed out Arya.
Eragon snorted. "Urgals I can deal with, and Ismira…She is a child compared to me, Arya. She is a powerful Rider, but to challenge me she will need another hundred years of tutelage not even a Shade can provide."
It was not a statement made in pride, for his voice was perfectly stating a fact. Ismira was as strong as any Rider on Aiedail, perhaps even strong enough to challenge Invida confidently and win…but not Laetri or Blodhgarm, and definitely not him.
"I am glad" said Gannel, "That you are our kin. I and Orik deeply regret our inability to help the Riders in their time of need. Rest assured, Shadeslayer, that we will put right our nation and come to your side whenever it is that you call for us", he said in a heartfelt voice.
"I eagerly await the day" replied Eragon politely and watched as the Dwarven priest shuffled away with an acknowledging bow. Arya was watching him silently and he assumed that she was still considering his declaration.
"What of Carvahall? You may have to fight there, you know. That contradicts the orders of the Eldunari" said Arya insistently. Eragon smiled and said in a distant voice:
"Something tells me that Carvahall will produce many Riders, that it will be an important place in the future. That many paths will converge there. Umaroth-elda agrees with me. It is a place I have to keep safe." he said in the ancient language, and Arya acknowledged him with a sigh.
"Shall we walk, Eragon?" she asked him, evaluating him carefully. He observed her a little more carefully, and noted that her dress of periwinkle blue was not at all reacting to their surroundings. It was far too still…as if she were wearing armor of some sort.
"Is there something wrong with my dress?" she asked him self-consciously, as he watched him observe her discerningly. Eragon smiled, and shook his head.
"No, Arya. Your dress is beautiful, woven by Niduen of house Miolandra I presume?" he asked curiously. Arya nodded, looking with wide eyes as he stepped into her personal space and caressed the right sleeve of her dress with two fingers. He could smell her perfectly, the scent of crushed pine needles bringing a sense of nostalgia to him.
"Eragon…" she whispered, looking at him with large and surprised emerald eyes.
"Forgive me" murmured Eragon as he hastily stepped back. "I am a student of these things, and I see just how much magic is woven into these fabrics. I doubt whether there is any other armour in Alagaesia that surpasses the clothes that you wear now…am I right?"
Arya seemed to gather herself within an instant but he still saw the pure surprise in her face. He shook his head, berating himself for his forwardness. The Nine often teased him for his curiosity about magic, even the students knew that.
"Yes" said Arya. "Though I am truly surprised at how you deduced such a thing. I wish you would not tell anyone, Eragon. Wiol eka."
"As you wish" assented Eragon, studying her closely. "As to how, I have studied magic deeply and Laetri taught me much as well. I could feel the fey magics upon your raiment…do you fear assassination here in Tarnag?" he asked her softly.
"One can never be too careful" replied Arya in as soft a voice, as they stood in the corridor surrounded by tapestries of marauding dragons. They simply stared at each other in the silence and felt no need to make any small talk.
The first Eragon…he changed many things, Saphira, he thought wistfully as he stared into Arya's bright emerald eyes. He was surprised greatly by the fact that he had to consciously control himself from getting lost in their depths now. Loss and despair surged through him as he wondered on how the sunlight of the morning seemed to give her form an otherworldly shine.
He shook his head.
A hundred years of pain and torture has not taught me to let go of her. Even now some small lost part of me is attracted to her…Saphira, what is wrong with me? Am I someone who simply relishes my own pain?
You are neither, my Eragon, said Saphira to him in a voice of compassion and slight awe. I did not know it was possible to love anyone this much. What is not clear to your agitated mind is clear to my objective view.
What are you saying?
I once saw in Aiedail a young deer whose mother was just killed by the claws of a lion. It was cowering defenceless at the predatory gaze of its hunter. But before the lion could do anything else…its mother's still dying body threw itself at the Lion in a vain bid to defend its young. I have little doubt that it was already dead, but the instincts ingrained into its body would not let its young die.
I see what you are saying. Perhaps it is not an apt analogy…but good enough, said Eragon, wondering not for the first time what would have happened to him if he had rejected Angela's offer of prophecy.
A quick movement later, he found himself being embraced tightly by Arya who had buried her head in his shoulders. Slowly he put his arms around her, feeling alarmed as he felt a slight wetness upon his robes.
He looked down at the Elven Queen with an understanding look…she must be wracked with guilt for his suffering. Arya was never one for emotional displays, and he had often admired that about her and detested it at the same time. He felt slight tremors take her body, and slowly ran his hand through her curly black tresses.
Despite his difficulty to feel any type of true emotion with her, he could not deny two things. He could never see her hurt, and he could never deny her beauty.
"Did you hear what Saphira said?" he asked, wondering why Saphira had included Arya in that conversation. Feeling Saphira's denial of this, he winced as Arya tightened her hold on him.
"She and Firnen were linked…I heard it through Firnen" she murmured. Slowly she turned her face up to meet his eyes, suddenly seeming to realize their less than appropriate embrace. Eragon thought she would let go of him but she surprised him once more by holding on.
He had to put her mind at peace. His torment was his alone to bear, and no one else's. He had even spared Saphira from the brunt of his pain by cutting off their bond for close to two years.
I will NEVER forgive you for that! Growled Saphira angrily at Eragon, emanating enough rage to scare an army of Kull into submission. Eragon sighed as Arya laid her head back into his shoulder…it was nice holding her.
My dear one, I would take your anger any day over your suffering, he said to his dragon and felt her withdraw from his mind immediately. She had never let go of her anger against him for his actions after the incident with the Spirits, and would flare into a rage anytime it was brought up.
"Eragon" said Arya in her dulcet voice. "I am truly sorry" she said in a voice of deepest apology, and he was shocked as he saw slow tears stream down her flawless face. Never had she showed that much emotion for his sake, ever.
"Do not-" he began, but Arya stopped the words coming from his mouth by placing a hand on his lips. His eyes widened even more, and he felt Sahloknir's chuckles in the background of his mind.
"I have treated you deplorably in the past, Eragon" she said, looking straight into his eyes. "I had no right to dismiss your feelings for me, to assume and cast your feelings into what I wanted to see. And for my presumption you have suffered more than anyone I have ever known…" she whispered sadly.
Eragon truly admired her empathy, which he always knew burnt strong beneath layers of elvish coldness and decorum.
"Most of all" she continued with the side of her face against his chest, "I regret the way we parted. I sent you away with no real promise or reassurance, Eragon. I do not wish to make any excuses, but you must understand my frame of mind every time you told me your feelings for me".
Perhaps you should let her go, Ebrithil? Said Sahloknir in an amused voice. Eragon quieted him immediately as Arya showed no signs of wanting to disengage.
Quiet, Sahloknir he said shortly, feeling the amusement of the Golden dragon increase. Arya continued and with their closeness, he could almost feel the pure regret of the Queen.
"I was broken by Durza, Eragon. I felt much older than my hundred years of age when you rescued me…when you first asked me for my love during the Agaeti Blodhren, I was torn. I did not wish to hurt you, but I never did feel for you in that capacity then. You were far too young, a child to my experience. It felt very wrong, even more so after I lost Faolin" she confessed in a low voice.
"I understand, you know. Better than you would think. Alanna tried to court me after she finished her apprenticeship in my guidance" he said gently. That had been a very hard time for him, and he had been forced to tell Alanna what had truly happened to him. To say his then apprentice had been mortified would be an understatement.
"She did?" asked Arya in a curious voice, and Eragon chuckled humourlessly. "She did indeed…it reminded me of how I had asked you during the Agaeti Blodhren, perhaps too much. Let me show you" he said, and felt Arya's mind open to his. He carefully touched her mind and felt her awe at the overwhelming strength of his mind. Closing his eyes, he let the memories flow through their link.
The stars in the sky were bright indeed, and Eragon took in the entirety of the sky from the top of his tower. His lips curved in a small smile as he saw the star Aiedail shine brightly over his city Aiedail.
The city of the Riders was awash with merriment and joy as the Riders celebrated Agaeti Blodhren, in conjunction with the celebration on Ellesmera. He could see the elven Riders cause fireworks to appear high in the sky and light up Aiedail's soaring marble spires and vast squares with abandon.
Saphira was drinking, and he had to use magic upon himself to rid himself of the effects. As he stood upon the parapet of the tower and observed his city, he felt a strong sense of pride in himself. Today he was fifty years of age and he had accomplished much in such a small period.
"Ebrithil?" came a soft voice behind him, and he saw the extraordinarily beautiful form of his apprentices Alanna. Dusan smiled at him as he seemingly appeared out of thin air next to his sister, but Eragon knew better.
Dusan seemed to like the anonymity invisibility offered, and had taken to walking around so. Eragon shook his head at him, and rose to greet his apprentices.
"Dusan, Alanna. Thank you for coming" he said quietly, and nodded at the night sky. "It is a beautiful sky tonight, is it not?" he asked idly, and Alanna nodded.
"It is, Ebrithil" she said, and remained tranquil. Even as children they were extraordinarily composed, and he loved that about them. It was as if they had learned half of what he had intended to teach them.
"Dusan and Alanna, I have trained you now for twenty years" he said calmly with a hint of pride in his voice. "You have learnt much, and have become a great hope for our Order in the centuries to come. I have summoned you here to tell you something important".
"Yes, Ebrithil?"
"Your apprenticeship is now at an end" he said with a hint of sadness, he had enjoyed teaching the two children very much. They had become a great solace to him, pulling him out of his torment ridden years like saving graces along with Laetri and Saphira.
They looked at him with open grief upon their faces, but Dusan mastered himself fast. But Alanna was looking at him with pure sadness…and an emotion he did not want to place.
"I knew this would happen" murmured Dusan. He looked as if he wanted to say more, but stopped as he saw Alanna. Something seemed to pass between them for a moment, and he bowed to Eragon deeply.
"Ebrithil, It was an honour to learn under your guidance. Even though you will not teach us formally anymore you will always be our teacher, and the person who will always watch over us. After our parents died in the war, you were everything to us. You were more than just a teacher…you were like my father and brother at once" he said, speaking in the ancient tongue.
Eragon felt a slight wetness in his eyes, but willed it away.
"I am honoured that you feel so, Dusan. You will become a great Rider…one whose name will be remembered for centuries to come" he replied solemnly, and noted that as Dusan withdrew respectfully Alanna had not moved an inch.
As they watched the fireworks and the heavenly city's celebration, he waited for Alanna to speak.
"Ebrithil, may I broach…a somewhat personal matter with you?" she asked cautiously. Eragon nodded curiously. Alanna seemed to gather herself visibly, and she stepped up close to him. He could see the light of magic in her face, and a kind of pure and innocent beauty that made him want to shield his apprentice from any harm.
She was an extremely beautiful young Rider, someone he was proud to have taught.
"After…after all these years of learning from you, Eragon-elda, after seeing with my own eyes your wisdom and kindness and your great power…I have found that I can understand you to a certain degree" she said, her lavender eyes piercing and holding his gaze.
"You seem to be in terrible pain" she whispered, and Eragon flinched. She intertwined her hand with his and continued, "I can hear your screams every night, Ebrithil. It tears my heart to see you suffer so. You are too important to me…too precious."
"What are you saying, Alanna?'
"I want to share your life, Eragon-elda, your pain and your joy. As a former student, as a fellow Rider…and as your mate" she whispered, laying her heart open to him. Eragon stood frozen with shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.
She was only some five years younger than him, but he did not see her as a potential mate. He would have to tell her everything. He could not let her have this fester within her like within him…
"I would like to show you something" he said, and reached out to her with his mind.
He cut his link with Arya, and gently disengaged from their embrace. She looked at him with a sense of wonder and faint relief, knowing that he really did understand. Eragon slowly began to walk towards the exit in her company and let silence prevail for a time.
"I do not resent you, Arya" he said suddenly. "What happened cannot be changed. Like I had to break Alanna's heart because I myself was broken; you did the same to me. I cannot fault you for that because I can understand".
Arya took his hand in hers, and rose on her toes to kiss him gently on his cheek.
"You have always been patient and forgiving with me, Eragon. I see how much you have grown not only when I remember your fight with Ismira…but when I see you with Varda and when I hear of your life" she murmured.
Then she said something that really shocked him.
"You are everything I ever wanted to be. I want to be like you, able to follow the heart and ideals at the same time" she said, tightening her grip on his hand and looking down at the ground. "Even in your youth you made me learn several things, important things. But now…you have far surpassed me in all ways."
Eragon opened and closed his mouth with surprise. You are really not good with women, Ebrithil needled Sahloknir, but he paid no attention.
"I choose to be a Rider" she said firmly. "Even in your brief stay here you have shown me that my abdication from the throne is long overdue. I crave the freedom of the Riders, to fly with my Dragon and my brethren freely in the skies. I will go to Ellesmera for now and anoint a favourable monarch in my place. And then, I will come back to you and fly by your side as a fellow Rider, Eragon, if you will still have us", she promised him in an emotional voice.
"You are welcome to fly with us, Arya. Always. Despite what I said in the past you will always have a place in Aiedail" he said, and turned to her mischievously. "And there is one thing I can never surpass you in, Elf Queen, not in a hundred thousand years."
They walked out of the sculpted doors into the city of Tarnag, noting the slowly increasing hustle and bustle of the city. Arya turned to him curiously.
"Oh, and what is that?"
"Your beauty" he smiled, and Arya threw her head back and laughed melodiously. The dwarves stopped working as they beheld him put an arm around Arya's shoulders and join in her laughter. The dwarves seemed giddy with joy, and birds trilled in every tree in Tarnag.
For the first time he felt true hope that he and Arya would one day reach a place of peace…perhaps even one of joy.
….
"Uh, excuse me" said Palencar politely to the Rider Barristan, who for some reason had taken up residence in his favourite chair. The Rider never looked up, dozing happily in his elf-crafted chair.
"Barristan, wake up" he asked quietly, a frown forming on his face. It was night in Illirea and he too was quite tired after a day of debates and verbal war with his nobles. True, he had stirred up quite the storm with his firebrand personality that day and had done quite well in rousing the nations.
"Go away" rasped Barristan, curling up in the chair.
He glanced once at Nuada, who looked slightly amused at Barristan's actions. Ildarien looked annoyed, very much so. He pointed his hand to the pail of water in the corner and said:
"Adurna Risa"
Three balls of water rose from the pail and deceptively floated towards Barristan's face. Palencar grinned…he had always liked pranks even as a boy. Memories came to him, memories of how he used to wake his mother by splashing his glass of milk on her face. It had become a game to him at a point of time, waking early exclusively for that reason during his early boyhood.
"Still feeling sleepy?" asked Leya in a quiet voice, and the Riders all seemed to lean forward with anticipation. Barristan shooed them away sleepily, and Nuada nodded to Ildarien. The raven haired elf gladly released his spell and the water splashed on the sleeping Rider with a splat.
"What the-" exclaimed Barristan, drawing his sword with a yell. Leya laughed openly at him, merriment dancing in her eyes as she took in the sight of Barristan traipsing around like some befuddled calf. Palencar shoved him away and sat down on his chair quickly, glaring at Barristan.
"This is my chair, Shur'tugal" he said firmly, and Nuada looked amused at the king. The Rider seated himself in one of the many chairs in the chamber and replied:
"Duly noted, majesty. However we have important news to consider. I believe we can stop worrying about Baron Holcomb and Carvahall for now." said Nuada with the faintest trace of smugness. The others looked at him interestedly, and Palencar was particularly interested.
"And why is that, Nuada Shur'tugal?" he asked. Nuada actually seemed excited and relieved at the same time as he considered them all before he spoke.
"Eragon-elda is going there!" he said with a wide smile, and the same smiles broke out on his fellows. Palencar looked on feeling puzzled as Leya heaved a sigh of relief and Barristan seemed to slump with his emotions.
"I do not understand" he said, looking at the suddenly uplifted Riders. "Eragon Shur'tugal is but one man, however powerful he may be. I do not think he can actually hold back an Urgal army" he said reasonably, and paused in his critique as he saw the Riders looking at him pityingly.
"If Ebrithil takes the field against the Urgals" said Barristan in a voice wringing with certainty and passion, "it will be over for them. I do not really know of his abilities, Majesty, but he has powers and prowess that are indescribable. At least, that is what Yaela told me a few years ago."
"Excellent" said Palencar, clapping Barristan doubtfully on his shoulders. "Are we to stop our plans then?"
Nuada shook his head. "On the contrary, we must execute them with more diligence. Eragon-elda is going there for another reason entirely, but he has promised to shield only Carvahall from harm. You can be sure that he will uphold his promise…not even the entire Urgal nation will be able to take Carvahall as long as he is present there."
Palencar sat silently, contemplating the situation. He was no one to order Eragon around, nor did he want to. If there was anyone he could trust with the well-being of his people and Alagaesia it was the Lead Rider. If what Nuada said was true, he would take advantage of the fact that Carvahall would be a safe haven and use his troops with that strategy.
"His help is appreciated even if coincidental" he said finally. "This frees our troops from going to Carvahall's aid, and from holding it. We can now concentrate these divisions upon the frontlines and bolster our numbers. Gokukara knows that we need numbers when we meet those damned Kull!"
"So we proceed with the five-pronged attack?" questioned Ildarien. Palencar thought furiously…he was done wasting time with the grandiose notions of the so-called "War College". The final decision lay with him anyways, and he had humoured them long enough.
"We reduce it to four-prongs", he said grimly. "The Kingslayer has freed us from a great task, and we will take advantage of that fact. Nuada, can you ride with me and Barristan as we come in with the main army? I think your talents as a statesman and strategist is too valuable."
"I agree", said Nuada. "I assume that our infiltrating nighthawks are on their way to scout the Urgal nation?" he asked gravely. Palencar nodded.
"Veteran Captain Lord Garven is leading a platoon of fifty nighthawks to enter the spine through different passes. I daresay they will have the information needed by the time we begin to mobilize" stated Palencar. Nuada clasped his hands solemnly.
"So we are well on our way. Ildarien, have you selected the men you find suitable for your force?" he asked the raven haired Rider. Ildarien nodded.
"It was hard, but I did it. I believe my men to be capable of what we are to execute, and I trust them. They are worthy", he said in a firm voice. Silence fell in the room as they considered the sudden turn the war had taken in its planning stages. Barristan rubbed out some water from his eyes sleepily and Palencar could not fault him. Even Riders would get tired after working industriously over battle plans for three days straight.
"Of course", he said suddenly, pinning the Riders with his sharp gaze. "All this will work only if Carvahall is unassailable. I have the deepest respect for the Kingslayer, but will he be able to hold Carvahall during the war?"
Ildarien snorted.
"Your Majesty" he said calmly. "Let me assure you that this is what will happen: Eragon-elda will go to Carvahall, and the Urgals will attack there eventually. But they will do so only once, this I promise you. I have heard personally from the Eldunari that Eragon-elda is Vrael's equal at the least. I would give anything to see him fight in a true battle, him and Laetri both."
Palencar could not help but feel awe at this passionate statement. They spoke in the ancient language, and he had to believe what they said. Nuada held his gaze and said:
"They will understand what it means to face the Lightbringer and his Dragon, Your Majesty" he said in a tone of finality. "You need have no worries about Carvahall. I personally promise you that it will be safe from all harm."