Hello, Farthen Dur! She laughed, giddily. How we have missed you!
Obsidian roared with delight and their hearts lifted in unison as Saphira's answering roar echoed from the mountains they soared towards. With wondrous grace, her large, elegant form burst into view, dazzling Katharean with the brilliance of her sapphire scales as they caught the sunlight.
Eragon! She cried, projecting her thoughts towards him.
Kate! I can't believe you're here! Nasuada told me you were alive but...oh!
Meet us on the ground! She called, and as one the dragons dived through the air towards the earth, meeting in the middle.
Obsidian had barely touched down when strong arms wrapped around her waist, hoisting her out of the saddle. She looked up into Eragon's smiling face and saw tears shining in his brown eyes. He hugged her tightly, crushing her small body against his as they embraced.
"Eragon...air...is becoming a problem." She gasped, laughing. He released her but kept his hands gripped firmly on her upper arms, as though afraid she would disappear if he let her go.
They turned to see the two dragons wrestling playfully in the air, licking each other's faces and roaring their joy. Katharean laughed happily at the wonderful sight and Eragon hugged her again.
"Oh...what happened?" He asked, pulling away to look at her. "You look like you could be my sister! I guess some of us do not need the help of the dragons to hurry along our transformation!"
"Your sister? Eragon...that is so wrong on so many levels." She said, blushing as she thought of Murtagh. He grinned.
"Seriously, though...you look so different! I hardly even recognise you!"
"Please! I am just back from the dead and you expect me to be the exact same girl?" She teased.
"You may look different, Katharean Athem, but you have not changed one bit." He said, happily. "Nasuada said Murtagh put you both to sleep all these months...now, I have heard of "beauty sleep" before, but this is just ridiculous!" He laughed at his own joke and she shoved him, playfully.
"I suppose I should take that as a compliment." She smiled, coyly.
"Absolutely." He nodded.
"Eragon, you're scaring me now. Stop being so nice already!" She grinned. He smiled, sheepishly.
"I can't help it. I just...You cannot imagine how I have missed you. And Saphira has pined for months now over Obsidian...I never imagined losing you would affect me so deeply. It's been eating away at the core of me...and now you are here! You're safe! I can't put into words how happy I am that you're with us."
"I think I understand." She smiled, apologetically. "I am so sorry to have put you through this, Eragon."
"Just don't do it again, okay?"
She placed a hand on her heart.
"I swear, I will do my very best to avoid death or capture from this moment on."
"Good! You better!" He laughed, glancing at the two dragons who now lay side-by-side with Saphira's chin resting on Obsidian's crown.
"The dwarves are pretty anxious to meet you, you know."
She groaned.
"No more! No more meet and greets! I have had my absolute fill of resurrection jokes. I doubt I could stomach much more."
"They have prepared a grand feast in your honour...could you stomach that?"
"I haven't eaten a decent meal in months...I think I can manage that." She winked.
"Well good. I have never seen the dwarves like this! They're talking about you like you're some kind of goddess."
She brushed her hair out of her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, posing regally as she forced a serious expression.
"Well it's about time I received the recognition I deserve! I was afraid people were going to start treating me like one of those ordinary dragon riders." She sighed, with feigned arrogance. Eragon smirked and ruffled her hair.
"You're so full of it." He grinned. She smiled, widely.
"You love it." She insisted and he rolled his eyes.
"Still not taking anything seriously, I see."
"Not when life doesn't take me seriously! I feel like my life has become one huge practical joke of which I am the hilariously funny punch line." She sighed, only half-joking.
"Well, you amuse me, that's for sure."
She opened her mouth to reply when a beautifully familiar voice brushed her mind.
Katharean. Saphira smiled as she and Obsidian approached them. You may never know how much we both have missed you. Your absence has been like a great void in our hearts. She lowered her great head towards her and Katharean placed her hands on either side of the dragon's face, resting her forehead affectionately on her snout. That something so small can leave such a gaping hole defies the very laws of nature.
We have missed you too. Katharean promised. Sorrow as I have never known before gripped me when I learned that you mourned the deaths we never faced.
Eragon rested a hand on her shoulder and she smiled sadly at him.
"You are here now, and that is all that matters." He said softly. "But come, we should get back to Orik. Tonight, we shall talk more. I am sure we both have much more that needs to be said."
"Yes." She muttered, clutching the red pendant around her neck. "We do."
For more than two hours Katharean and Obsidian exchanged greetings and received praise and gifts from the dwarves.
If I have to smile much longer I really will die. She grumbled as she thanked a clan leader for the long-sword he presented her with.
"A mere trinket of mine clan's joy and gratitude that you have chosen to grace us with your presence, oh Rider." He croaked, bowing deeply. Katharean curtsied and Obsidian bowed his head, gestures which had become somewhat hollow after the hundredth time they had been obliged to perform them. Nonetheless, the clan leader beamed widely before retreating into the crowd. She turned to see Eragon and Orik deep in conversation, surveying the large hall as though looking for someone. Her smile faltered for a moment as she noticed the lines of worry creasing Eragon's usually smooth brow, but she forced it back into place as another waist-high clan leader stepped towards her.
Finally, after what felt like a thousand dwarves had come forward to voice their respect, and a sizeable pile of jewel-encrusted goblets, silver plates, and an array of different weapons had accumulated before her, Katharean released a sigh of relief as she saw Orik and Eragon rise from their seats. Orik held up his hands for silence and the excited chatter of the dwarves died away almost instantly. He glanced pointedly at Katharean and she started, emerging from an almost trance-like state of boredom.
"Thank you all for your kind words and generosity." She motioned to the small, gleaming mountain of gifts. "Obsidian and I look forward to spending more time within your halls in the future."
Speak for yourself. Obsidian muttered, but she ignored him.
"Although we are not of the same race, we all share a common enemy, and as such I feel you are more akin to us than half of the men in Alagaesia. Your walls provided us with a home when we had none, and we shall not forget it, nor do we take such things for granted. One day, I can only hope that we can repay you for all you have given us. We are indebted to you, children of stone, and we shall strive to uphold the honour of your halls not only here, but wherever we go. Once more, we thank you, and invite the clan leaders to join us for a glorious feast on this night to celebrate our happy reunion."
Her words were met with raucous cheering and appreciative stamping and applause from the dwarves.
So you are a wordsmith now? It is lucky you can think on your feet. Eragon's smirking voice resonated in her mind.
Hardly. I had hours in which to prepare it. One can only listen to so much praise before the mind shuts it out and turns in on itself. She replied without looking at him, her wooden smile still fixed on her face. I only hope everyone is too busy eating at this feast to talk. I do not know if I can take much more of this.
Be glad. At least nobody has tried to assassinate you. He muttered.
No. She agreed. Unless "To kill with kindness" is more than just an expression.
If it was, Saphira would have butchered me long ago. He retorted. Saphira growled, appreciatively and nudged his shoulder, almost throwing him off-balance before he managed to compose himself. Katharean smiled at the affection in the dragon's eyes, the first true smile she had managed since entering the great hall.
Almost half an hour passed before the hall was empty but for a handful of clan chiefs and, on Orik's word, ten dwarf men carried a long banquet table through the grand doors and set it down in the centre of the room before leaving and returning with chairs which they positioned neatly around it. Katharean took her seat, as requested, at the head of the table, with Eragon on her right hand and Orik on her left. Obsidian and Saphira stationed themselves beside their Riders, eager for the taste of meat.
The food was brought out on large silver platters, a wondrous assortment of carved beasts and fowl and roasted vegetables. The aroma made Katharean's mouth water and Obsidian let out a low whine of anticipation.
Tankards of mead were served and before long the food was gone and everyone was laughing and drinking and talking happily amongst themselves. While they ate, Eragon told Katharean of the attack on his life by Az Sweldn Rak Anhuin, and how the clan chiefs had voted to banish them from Farthen Dur.
"…and that's when Nasuada contacted me to tell me you were on your way here and the meeting broke so that preparations could be made for your arrival."
"So when is the next clan meeting?" She asked between mouthfuls.
"Tomorrow morning." Orik replied, taking a deep swig from his tankard. "We would be honoured if you would join us, for it is the time for us to choose a new king…or queen." He muttered, shooting a glance down the table at the only dwarf-woman present, whose eyes were fixed on Katharean with unashamed interest.
"Of course. And you have my full support in this matter, master Orik." Katharean assured him. Orik beamed.
"Thank you, Lady Athem. To have the support of both of the Varden's Riders is more than I could have hoped for. How long do you plan to remain with us?" He asked, politely. She looked to Eragon for the answer.
"After the coronation," He offered. "Then we go to Ellesmera before returning to Surda."
"Well, rather you than me. I would not venture into those trees again for all the gold in Alagaesia!" Orik vowed, raising his flask in emphasis. "Have you ever been, Lady Athem?"
"Not to Ellesmera, no, but my father's lands lie to the north-east of Du Weldenvarden. Obsidian and I travelled along the outskirts of the forest on our way to Farthen Dur. That's where I met…" She trailed off as the faces of Eragon and Orik faded from her vision and the banqueting hall was replaced by a small, dark room whose only source of light was a coal fire burning dimly in the stone hearth. Her breath caught in her throat when she recognised Murtagh sitting alone in a large red armchair, studying something that he held resting on his lap with intense interest. She moved closer to see what he was looking at. Squinting in the half-light, she saw a wooden basin whose waters had been touched by the magic of scrying.
"No…" She breathed as she realised what she was looking at. Swimming in the rippling surface of the bowl was…her. Her eyes were closed and she was lying on a stone floor, being propped up by someone who was just out of view.
"Eragon," Murtagh muttered, bitterly. "Still protecting yourself from scrying eyes, I see."
She frowned and saw, as she did so, the image of herself in the water frowned too.
"What…?" She asked, and smiled to herself when her questioning voice drifted from the image of her unconscious self.
"Murtagh…I can see you." She whispered through the shifting waters. With a yelp of surprise, Murtagh threw the basin from his lap and the spell was ended as the water escaped through a crack in the floorboards.
Serves you right for spying on me. She though, a little sadly when she saw the look of horror on his face.
"How…?" He asked the darkness, shaking his head and staring at the overturned basin. Katharean frowned.
That is a very good question.
All at once, the small room disappeared and she opened her eyes to see Eragon's concerned face hovering over her.
"Kate! Are you alright? You just fainted!"
She grimaced as she pushed herself upright, having evidently landed hard on her back on the granite floor.
"I'm fine, I…" She hesitated as a dozen pairs of questioning eyes bored into her. "Too much mead!" She declared, and the dwarves all laughed, appreciatively. Eragon's eyes drifted to her untouched tankard and he flashed her a grave, worried look.
I'll tell you later. She muttered.
But what…?
Later. She brushed him off.
Katharean…it happened again, didn't it? Obsidian asked. She nodded almost imperceptibly and he snorted with concern.
He was scrying me. She told him, darkly, and he froze, paralysed by fear and worry.
I do not know how I could have overlooked such an obvious chink in our armour. He replied, clearly shaken. She took a long gulp of mead, screwing her nose up at the taste but welcoming the warmth it brought as it trickled down her dry, constricted throat.
Nor I. But now we know, and there are precautions we can take – measures that will ensure we cannot be scryed again.
Yes. The only question that now remains is how you are suddenly capable of seeing these things. Obsidian replied, thoughtfully. She closed her heavy eyelids and sighed.
There is another problem…one that did not occur to me until now. She said, heavily.
Which is?
Galbatorix knows what I look like. He could be watching us even now and we would have no way of knowing.
Then let us pray that his eye is focused elsewhere until we have a chance to shield you from unwanted observers.
Yes. Let us pray. And let us hope the Gods are listening.
I would not worry about that. Even Gods would not dare ignore a dragon. Obsidian growled.
I hope you are right, for they may be the only ones who can help us now.