As promised, back to Florina. Enjoy!
"Insolent Child!" His punch sent her out of the guards' grip and across the floor. She pushed herself to her elbows and spit out blood. She looked at Kuldra who whined silently. She shook her head. She was taking the entirety of the blame for leaving the castle and fighting over Gil'ead. She would not let Kuldra take any part of the fall. She would never let Galbatorix do anything to her. She looked at the boots coming towards her and stood. She was surprised she still had Naegling on her belt. She had expected that to be taken from her the moment she and Kuldra landed in the dragon hold. Galbatorix stopped in front of her and wrenched the bracelets from her wrists, the energy in the gems now gone after she had used it to fight with. "You are more trouble than you are worth. So much so that I am beginning to doubt Emily's word about you being my daughter."
"That is good because she is lying to you. I am not your daughter."
"I did not say you can speak!" He roared as he struck her again. Even though she moved to dodge, she wasn't fast enough to miss the full blow. He struck her shoulder, making her stagger. She glared at him. "The only thing that keeps me from killing her is that she is telling the truth. You are my daughter in blood, but not spirit. Maybe it would be different if you had been raised here, had I known about you."
"What makes you think that I would have followed you then?" She avoided the blow this time and responded in kind. He glared at her. She only had half a second's notice before Shruikan swept his tail beneath her. She landed on her back and Galbatorix placed a heavy foot on her chest.
"Listen well to me, Florina. You are in my castle now. You are not in the isolation that you once called home. You are not among friends here, as you claim. It would be wise of you not to mouth off to those more powerful than you." She spit at him. He growled as he wiped it off. "Well then, if that is how you feel. From now on, you have a guard. He will be with you at all times. If you disobey me again, he has orders to kill Kuldra." Florina stopped struggling and looked at Kuldra in fear before glaring at him again. "Yes, I will put my only child through the pain I felt when I lost my dragon. If you disobey me again, I will ensure you suffer. And I won't let you die. I'll make you live on, knowing that her death was entirely your fault. Am I understood?"
"You bastard." She hissed as he pressed down on her chest.
"Am I understood?"
"Yes." She said through gritted teeth. He removed his foot and called a guard over while she stood and walked over to Kuldra. Her vision came back to her, suddenly having new meaning. Before she could say anything, Kuldra picked her up by her shirt and deposited her into the saddle and walked into the dragon hold. The guard followed after a nod from Galbatorix.
"She is a stubborn child. She must have gotten that from the man who raised her. And from Emily."
"She knows," Murtagh said, "that if you have raised her, she would be fighting against the elves and the Varden. It's possible that she may not even be a Rider. Kuldra's egg was found in the cove near the city she lived in."
"Yes, I remember. Your father had tracked Oromis and Glaedr to the ocean where he caught up with them. Oromis had a golden egg in his possession, which is what I wanted. Oromis managed to fight off his pupil, but he lost the egg in the process. Morzan was never able to find it. But they weren't anywhere near Kuasta when they fought."
"The egg must have been carried by the sea current to the cove." Galbatorix nodded and dismissed the younger Rider.
She glared at the guard that stood just a few feet away, watching them. "There is nothing for it. You have to leave."
"Brave One, I told you that I would never do that."
"I will not let him kill you!" Florina spun to face the gold dragon she was closer to than life itself. "I would rather be separated from you, knowing that one day we could be together again than lose you forever. I am under the bastard's control, not you. You are still allowed to go hunt. The next time you do, don't come back. Go to the elves or the Varden and fight alongside them. Please," Kuldra lowered her head and looked at her Rider with one large golden eye.
"Why do you do this to yourself?"
"Do what to myself?"
"You make yourself suffer. It doesn't make any sense to me."
"I would suffer the fires of hell to make sure that you lived. Kuldra, in my vision, Galbatorix had won. Eragon and Saphira were bound to him just like Murtagh and Thorn are. And I am being married to some lord. I want to refuse, but Eragon shows me that you and Saphira are being held at sword point, which is why he didn't stop it either and that forces me to go through with it. Now that Galbatorix has commanded this soldier to kill you should I disobey even the slightest command, I cannot let the happen. You are half of me. I doubt even Galbatorix could keep me alive if he were to kill you."
"You would live, just like Brom did. When his Saphira was killed, he fought against the bastards that killed her."
"And he died before he could kill the last of them. Kuldra,"
"Brave One, you have the fight of your ancestors running through your veins. If I were to die, you would fight until he was dead and then you would allow yourself to die."
"I can't risk you. You have to flee. And take Elduna with you. It would be best for both of you if neither one of you were here."
"You fear that he will find your true name. But we don't even know ours."
"That didn't stop him from finding Murtagh's. Please, Kuldra, you must leave. For me."
"Fine," Kuldra snorted, "I will go. But you must keep Elduna with you. She can help you and you know it." Florina removed the saddle bags, tears brimming. "I will see you again soon, Brave One."
"I love you. Fair winds." Kuldra blinked slowly and padded to the cave entrance. Florina wiped her eyes after removing the mail gloves from her hands.
"Where is she going?" The guard asked.
"She left to hunt. She doesn't like being fed. She prefers the hunt." Florina struggled to keep her voice calm. She knew that she may never see her partner-of-heart-and-soul-and-mind again. She picked up her bags and shield and walked out of the cave to her rooms. After taking off her armor and Naegling, she went to the baths. For her, the world was suddenly a lonelier place. Once safely in the baths, the guard standing outside the door, she allowed the tears to fall. She hated that she had to send Kuldra away. But it had been to save her life.
"Look, a dragon comes!" Lifaen looked up and saw a flash of gold.
"Florina!" He thought joyously. "She's won her freedom!" He hurried to where the dragon was circling to land. He arrived at the same time Islanzadí did. He was confused when he saw an empty saddle. "Kuldra," he asked cautiously at the queen's nod, "where is Rider Florina?"
"She, she remained at the castle." Kuldra keened and the hearts of the elves fell. They knew, then, what Florina had done. She had sent her partner away to save her life.
"What happened after Rider Oromis and Dragon Glaedr died, Bjartskular?" Islanzadi asked, fighting back her own grief.
"We fought Murtagh and Thorn. He led us back to the castle where Galbatorix was able to snare us once again. He punished her, and threatened her."
"Threatened her how?" The queen asked, dread filling her heart.
"He told her that, if she ever disobeyed him again, he would kill me and force her to live." Lifaen paled. Florina had told him how close she and Kuldra were. He also knew what had happened to Brom when his dragon had died as well as other Riders. To lose one's dragon was to lose half of yourself. It was rare that a Rider lived through it, especially when they were as close as Florina and Kuldra were. Islanzadí also recognized the severity of the threat.
"And so she sent you away. I can't imagine what she must be feeling right now. What is she going to do when you don't return from your hunt?"
"She'll say that she won't know where I've gone. Which will be the truth as we didn't decide where I should go. She told me to either come here or go to the Varden. You are the closest. What news do you have of the Varden?"
"They have taken Feinster and now march to Belatona."
"And you?"
"We are preparing to march to Bullridge. After that, we march to Urû'bean where we will meet up with the Varden." Kuldra nodded and then looked at Lifaen.
"I know how much you mean to Florina," she said to him alone. "And so, when I fly into battle, you will ride me and protect me."
"For Florina." He vowed and turned to the queen who was looking at him, waiting for an explanation. "She has chosen me to ride her into battle and to protect her." Islanzadí nodded and walked away. "Come, there is some food set aside for you."
"Thank you."
Florina looked out the window, her crying now spent. Besides, she couldn't let anyone see that she had sent Kuldra away under the guise of a hunting trip. She wondered where she had gone. They hadn't decided where she would go.
"What you did has never been done before. No Rider has ever willingly parted with their dragon to save their lives."
"It has been done before, but not for the reasons that have guided my hand. Saphira and Eragon have been separated for a long period of time. I'm sure that you heard that the Ra'zac were destroyed. Eragon sent his cousin and his cousin's betrothed away on Saphira while he tracked and killed the last one. He made his away across the Empire alone and on foot until he reached the camp." Tears filled Florina's eyes again as she thought about Kuldra, hoping she had made it to her destination and hoping that they would both survive the war. She didn't turn at the sound of the door opening. She knew it was Murtagh. "About time." She thought. Kuldra had been gone for a few days now. Galbatorix had let it slide, knowing that dragons enjoyed the hunt. But she had not been gone for too long.
"Come on, he wants to see you."
"You can tell him that I don't know where she is." But she got up anyway and followed Murtagh to the throne room. As she expected, Galbatorix questioned her about Kuldra's whereabouts. She gave him the answer she had given Murtagh, but in the ancient language. Galbatorix seethed with rage, but did not take it out on her. It was apparent that she had no knowledge of where he own dragon was and why she had left. But Florina did know why she had left. She had left to get help for her, even if was a long time in coming. "Oh Kuldra, I miss you so much. I pray that you are safe." Once back in her room, she cried again, realizing she would be alone for a long time.
Come on, bring on the reviews. I'm ready. Just know that it extremely hurt to write this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.