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"I know. But I told them three days. I will wait the third day. If neither of them shows, then we will go after my father."

"You are expecting the Old One to send Eragon with you. Is that what you want?" Florina didn't answer and instead watched the lands at the base of the mountains. She wanted Eragon and Brom to both go with her to the Varden. She wanted them all to be safe. Eragon was still new to the world and he had the king's servants hunting him. She couldn't stand the thought of him dying because he didn't know how the world worked. It didn't help her worry knowing that Brom was a former Rider. It made the both of them bigger targets. "Florina, you cannot expect them to come after you while knowing the risk you all take."

"They will not be looking for three!" Florina thought suddenly. "They will be expecting me to have fled in a different direction. They are in danger!" Florina jumped to her feet.

"If you are right and they have been captured, will you go after them?"

"If they have been captured, there is no way I can free them. They will be in Galbatorix's hands soon. There is nothing I can do for them, just like there is nothing I can do for my mother. Not alone anyway. Brom was right. The only way to save my mother and Eragon and Brom and Saphira will be to fight with the Varden."

"What about the horse?" Kuldra pointed in Deloi's direction with her snout.

"Sell him. You and I will be able to fly to the lake faster than if I were to ride Deloi alone." Florina could tell that Kuldra was worried about this choice. The last time they had done that and Kuldra had gone hunting, Florina had been captured by Lord Tábor in Dras-Leona. "We need to get to the Varden. I have to know if my father is safe."

"Very well. Climb up."

"Not yet."

"What, do you have something here you need to find."

"I need to sell Deloi." Florina pulled her bow and quiver onto her back. She and Caleb had hidden them when she was starting to get strange looks from the people of Kuasta. She had a sword hidden in the cellar of her old house, along with some clothes. But she had yet to get anything from there. She knew that flying, she would reach the Varden in a few days. But she could not arrive in the tattered rags that Tábor had put her in. She wondered if the people of Kuasta would give her up to the Empire if she were to walk into town in broad daylight. She laughed at herself. They would sooner try to exorcise her for being a ghost. No, she would have to wait until dark. Kuldra was right, they needed to move on.

"Which way, Brave One?"

"Papa will have gone through Surda or along its border to avoid the Empire's soldiers. We will do the same, only we will be in the air."

Are you sure he is alive?" Florina pocketed the money from the sale and walked away from the square. Kuldra was waiting a few miles away from Belatona for her.

"He has to be. He sent that letter to Jeod to keep watch for me should I ever make it to Terim. He wouldn't have sent it unless he was safely with the Varden." Florina jogged down the road and then off once she found the spot where she had left Kuldra. Kuldra stood and spread her wings. Florina tied her bow and quiver to the saddle and then climbed on. As Kuldra took off, Florina made sure that her arrows were safe. Kuldra had a tendency to amuse herself by doing aerial acrobats. Kuldra flew south along the Jiet River. Florina thought about her life and how much it had changed since finding Kuldra's egg. She knew that had she never found the egg, she never would have gone to Brom. She never would have met Eragon. She and her father would have fled to the Varden together after Emily had been taken. She sighed. Angela's prophecy nagged at her mind. She was to learn of a death and a secret that would help to ease the pain of that death. She bit the inside of her lip and then hid that bit of information away behind a steel wall guarded by dragon fire. That was where she put all important bits of information. It was impenetrable even if she lost control of the outer walls. She had placed it there with magic. Each thought was protected by more than just the wall and the fire. If anyone did manage to break the wall, hundreds if not thousands of knives would attack the intruder. Not even Kuldra knew some of these thoughts and bits of information. She sighed again.

She watched the ground speed by as Kuldra flew along. Kuldra was right, the people did look like ants from this height. She suddenly longed for the ground. She loved flying with Kuldra, but she missed riding a horse with her companions. She missed Brom and Eragon. They were the only two who did not think her odd or were frightened of her because of her looks. They accepted her for her. She had been able to be herself with them. She missed it. She had no idea how the Varden would react to her. She was a Dragon Rider they had not been expecting. The politicians would be tugging at her from every direction. She would have to fight to remain neutral. She only owed allegiance to her family. No one else. She sighed again.

Kuldra didn't let on that she felt her Rider's frustration and anxiety. Florina, Kuldra knew, was afraid of the news she would learn. The fact that a secret would help her cope did not ease her anxiety. She felt Florina adjust in the saddle. They had already left the Jiet river far behind and were flying east along the border of the land of the Surdans. They flew in silence. Kuldra refrained from doing acrobatics. She was not in the mood and neither was her partner-of-heart-and-mind-Florina. Instead, Kuldra flew as fast as her strength would allow. "Stop here for the night, Kuldra. You are tired." Florina said as the sun was beginning to set. They were at the opening of a large valley. Kuldra flew in.

"I can keep flying."

"You need to sleep. Land by that lake. I think that is the river we must follow."

"We keep going. I will not let you sleep outside again. Not when a warm bed is so near to you."

"Kuldra, land!" But Kuldra refused to listen. She saw the river Florina was talking about and followed it. Kuldra could see better in the dark than her Rider could and was not worried. She knew that night fell early in the mountains, but that would not deter her. She wanted her Rider safe for at least a little while. After yelling herself horse, Florina finally gave up and let Kuldra take her where she would. Florina was not worried about her safety. She wanted Kuldra to rest. It was obvious now that the dragon had plans of her own and would not let them go easily. Florina began to wonder what Kuldra would have done had Brom and Eragon not shown up when they did. Both dragon and Rider were fiercely protective of the other. It was the reason they worked together so well.

It was two hours after the sun had set behind the mountains when they heard the sound of water crashing into water. Ajihad had mentioned that there was a waterfall at the lake. "Or did Papa mention it?" She shrugged and told Kuldra that they had arrived. The gold dragon descended in spirals until she landed on the rocky shore. Florina slid out of the saddle and landed in a crouch. She was stiff from riding all day. She took a deep breath and then stood up straight. They were in a nice little clearing next to the lake.

"There is only one way into this valley and one way out. We are safe here."

"Unless the army comes in after us. Then we are in trouble."

"I can easily fly us out of here."

"I know you can." They both turned at the sound of the brush rustling, even though it was barely audible. "What do you suppose?"

"FLORINA!"

Her first feeling was of cold, hard rock at her back. She couldn't smell anything. She didn't hear anything either. "Where am I? Kuldra, where are we?" She waited for an answer. She didn't receive one. Her eyes snapped open and she saw darkness. Her first thought was that the past five days had been a dream and that she was still in Dras-Leona. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw that she was in a room made of hewn rock. She was not in Dras-Leona, but she was not sure where she was at all. She wondered if she had been attacked by the Varden. She couldn't blame them. After all, Kuldra had landed at their front door. "No, that's not it. The Varden know better than to attack a dragon and her Rider. Then who attacked me?" She moved and found her hands behind her back. A door opened and a flameless lantern preceded two men into the room. She could tell immediately that they were twins. Both men were completely hairless and wore purple and gold robes and were taller than any man she had ever seen. What unnerved her were their eyes; black and shaped like those of a snake. "Where is my dragon? What have you done to her?"

"Silence, Woman! You have no power here to be asking those questions."

"No power! I have more power than you snake eyed buffoons!" She jumped to her feet. She could feel the magic the two men possessed. But it was not stronger than her. Alone, she could easily defeat one. But both of them together would prove a challenge. Together, they were just slightly stronger than her. They each grabbed one of her arms and slammed her against the rock. She struggled against them. They whispered words she knew. Her mother had used the same words when she was teaching Florina to shield her mind. Florina threw up walls of her own, using dragon fire in the front and steel behind. She watched the two men cringe as they encountered her walls. Their probes rammed against her walls. She flinched, but did not let her attention waver. She sent her own attack at the men. They howled in rage and increased their attack, combining their power. Florina called on her bond with Kuldra. No matter how far apart they were, they were connected in ways that only a Rider would ever understand. She felt Kuldra. She was alive and chained. She had been unconscious before. Now she combined her strength with Florina's and the two of them fought the Twins before her.

"What is the meaning of this?" A deep voice yelled. Their concentration wavered and dragon and Rider entered the minds of their enemies. With a quick word, the two crumpled to the ground, howling in agony. The pair retreated and Florina looked at the man. His skin was that of ebony. He was bald, but not hairless as he had a neatly trimmed beard that covered his chin and upper lip. A tapered red vest over a purple shirt emphasized his broad and powerful shoulders. His grave yet intelligent eyes bore into her dark ones. He flinched as he looked into them. She was in a rage and it was visible.

Florina concentrated on the ropes behind her back. "Jierda!" Her muscles protested as her shoulders rolled back into place. "Where is my dragon?" She asked again. The man started as if he recognized her.

"Florina?"

"Where is Kuldra?" She demanded. The man said nothing and led her out of the room and down a large cavern into a grand room. The gold dragon was chained, just as Florina had felt her, but was now conscious. "Jierda!" The room echoed with her yell and the breaking of the chains. The men guarding Kuldra scattered when Florina approached her partner-of-heart-and-mind-and-soul. "Are you well?"

"I am now that you are in my sight, Brave One."

"What happened?"

"One of the Bald Ones came up behind you. They threatened to kill you if I did not follow them quietly. Another was waiting for me here with a group of men. I was chained and the man carried you away. Who is this?" Kuldra asked, seeing the third man.

"I don't know. He arrived just after we joined minds."

"The Bald Ones."

"Crying for their mother." Florina turned the man. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"I am the leader of the Varden. I am Ajihad."

So, what did y'all think? I enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the part with the Twins. Thanks for reading and plelase review.