The sun was barely up in the sky for one hour when Brom helped Eragon to saddle Saphira. They all woke up at the crack of dawn thanks to a certain Dragoness who had been acting like a hatchling because of the fact her Rider was about to ride her.
Erik had been annoyed by being woken up but had kept silent because he knew how important it was for Saphira… and for Eragon. Speaking of the former farmer, after he took his breakfast, he had looked a bit green at the thought of being the air on Dragon's back but after a little threat sent his way by our hero… he quickly went to Saphira's side.
Soon, he was clambering onto the Dragoness' back and, after a very quick instruction from Brom, Saphira couldn't wait any longer and flew away in no particular direction with Eragon on her back, ignoring the cry of alarm and fear from the young man in question.
Erik, who had been watching the entire thing with interest, couldn't prevent the smirk of amusement from appearing on his muzzle at Eragon's frightened cry. With a chuckle, the massive White Bear then turned his head to look at Brom who was following Saphira's and Eragon's departure with a tiny smile as his eyes shined with nostalgia and proud.
"Well… Look like we are on our own, huh ?" Erik asked the storyteller with a smirk.
Brom looked away from the distant form of Saphira to look at him "So it seems...Now come on… I'd rather be back on the road as quick as possible !"
Erik nodded at him before saying "And while we're at it, I'd like to talk to you...if you don't mind, of course..."
The storyteller looked at him for a moment before answering simply with a shrug "I do not..."
With that said, Brom packed up camp before mounting his horse. Slowly, Erik went to stand beside him, ignoring the sound of fear from Snowfire and Cadoc.
"What is it that you wanted to talk about ?" the storyteller asked our hero after a moment of silence.
"You..." was Erik's answer.
Brom shot him a curious and intrigued raised eyebrow but said nothing as he waited for him to elaborate.
"You are a man of many secrets, Brom : you know things that apparently no one else knows, and you do things that others cannot do…" Erik began to say before looking back at the storyteller.
"I've been wondering this for a while…and I've come to some conclusions…"
"And what are your conclusions, Valhir ?" Brom asked him with curiosity but our hero noticed that the storyteller's form had changed : he looked alert and ready to combat… no human would have noticed it but Erik was not human.
"Either you are a Magician, which would be logical because you can perform Magic but my most plausible conclusion is… that you were a Dragon Rider yourself..." Erik replied calmly while shooting a look at the human beside him.
At this moment, a pale Brom stopped his mount and was looking at our hero with a shocked expression on his face.
"Am I right… Shur'tugal ?" Erik asked him with a tiny grin.
The storyteller stared at the White Bear for a moment… before sighing deeply as a look of pain and longeing appeared on his aged face.
"Indeed you are, Valhir…I was once a Dragon Rider a long time ago but I lost my dragon, Saphira, during the Fall of the Dragon Riders at Vroengard… she was killed by Morzan, one of the Forsworns in Doru Araeba... "
"My condolences..." Erik whispered to him in a tone filled with sympathy.
"Thank you, my friend… After her death, I tracked Morzan and killed him with his own sword..." Brom began to say before being interrupted by our hero.
"The sword you gave to Eragon..." Erik added with understanding.
"Indeed…" Brom nodded his head.
"Are you sure it is safe to give Eragon such a weapon ? And is it wise to keep such a thing from him ?" Erik asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Honestly, no… but Zar'roc had no equal in those lands except Galbatorix's… As for hiding this from Eragon… It is for the best : he had too many things on his plate right now, and I don't want to burden him with this !" the storyteller explained after a moment of thought.
"… I can understand this…" Erik answered after a moment with a nod.
"Thank you..." Brom thanked the White Bear with gratefulness.
"But I still have one last question for you : are you also going to hide from him the fact that you are his father ?" our hero bluntly asked the man in a calm tone.
Brom, once again, looked taken aback as he looked at the White Bear with wide eyes of shock and surprise.
"How did you-" he began to ask but Erik interrupted him
"It was not very hard : for starter, I have seen the look of pain and hurt in your eyes the night we started this pursuit…I also saw it when Eragon wasn't happy with the answers you gave him…In addition, you look like an older version of him…"
Brom stared at our hero for a moment before chuckling to himself
"I learned a long time ago how to not show my emotions but, either it is not perfect or you are more observant that I thought… Once again, you are right, I am his father but I humbly ask you to keep this whole thing a secret ! If Eragon learn that I am his father, his mind won't be focused on his lessons anymore…" the storyteller told the White Bear with a serious expression on his face.
"I swear I will not tell anything to him… unless it is necessary..." Erik replied firmly to Brom who nodded in acceptance.
"Like I said earlier, I understand why you are hiding so much from Eragon … After all, the heart of a child is untamed. Violent in its hope... cruel in its despair..." the White Bear added in a stern but calm tone.
Brom frowned at the words but nodded in understanding, saying "It's a good way to describe the wild nature of young people..."
Erik snorted in amusement at this before the two of them looked back at the road… and started cursing.
"We missed the trail !"
Erik nodded at the storyteller before the two of them walked back to a clearing lined with trees.
00/(Time Skip)/00
It was around noon when the duo found the tracks left by their preys… and Brom had just called Eragon and Saphira.
Why ?
Because, in addition of the tracks, they found something else…
Laying on the ground, was a flask. And around it, were tracks of all size : the Ra'zacs and something bigger… which sent shivers down our hero's spine.
Erik was glaring at the object as he knew what it was and was NOT looking forward to touch it. However, his attention went away when he heard Saphira and Eragon returning. Seeing the grin on the young man's face, it was easy to tell that he had enjoyed the experience.
"How was it ?" Erik asked him with curiosity.
"That was amazing ! I never knew flying could be so great !" Eragon answered with a bright smile… a contrast to earlier.
What about the Dragoness ? Well, Saphira was literally purring in happiness and joy. It was easy to guess why… so it was useless to ask.
But then the sound of something clearing its throat caught everyone's attention and they all turned their heads to look at Brom who had a serious expression on his face. Erik saw that the horses were tied to a tree on the edge of the clearing while the storyteller was standing in the middle of the clearing.
Eragon trotted over and asked with alarm "What's wrong?"
"Don't ever block me out like that again ! It's hard enough for me to reach you without having to fight to make myself heard !" Brom hissed at the young man with frustration and anger.
"Sorry..." Eragon whispered in response.
"Don't be so hard on him, old man…He is still young… and foolish..." Erik commented with a shit grin aimed at the Rider in question.
Brom snorted in amusement at this and, ignored the way Eragon was glaring at both of them in embarrassment, he spoke in a serious tone
"Me and Valhir were farther down the river when we noticed that the Ra'zac's tracks had ceased... We turned back until we found where they had disappeared... Now, look at the ground and tell me what you see… "
With a frown, Eragon listened to Brom's order and silently examined the dirt. Brom, Saphira and Erik all staid silent, watching him.
"I don't have any idea what…" the young Rider began to say before glancing at Erik's paws and then Saphira's feet. A look of realization appeared on his face .
"This doesn't make any sense, but the only thing I can think of is that the Ra'zac flew off on dragons… or maybe on giant birds..." Eragon began to say before looking at Brom, adding curiously.
"Or do you have a better explanation?"
"I've heard reports of the Ra'zac moving from place to place with incredible speed, but this is the first evidence I've had of it... It will be almost impossible to find them if they have flying steeds… Once thing is sure, whatever it was, they aren't dragons : a dragon would never consent to bear a Ra'zac as rider !" Brom explained in a stern but thoughtful tone.
At those words, Eragon looked dejected and, after digging into his bag to pick up a piece of food, he looked at everyone present.
"What do we do now ? Saphira can't track them through the sky. Even if she could, we would leave you far behind !" the young Rider said while looking over at Brom.
"There's no easy solution to this riddle," said Brom began to say adding with a sigh
"I have considered every trick I know, every word of power within my grasp, and all the skills we have, but I still don't see how we can find the Ra'zacs… Saphira could show herself at some town… or Vakhir could... That would surely draw the Ra'zac like flies to honey… But it would be an extremely risky thing to attempt… The Ra'zacs would bring soldiers with them, and the king might be interested enough to come himself, which would spell certain death for you and me..."
During Brom's explanation, Eragon's shoulders had slumped in despair as he leaned against Saphira's soft scaly belly. A long silence followed, all of them thinking about what to do… all except Erik who was still glaring daggers at the tracks and flask.
"What now ?" the young Rider asked the storyteller in a broken tone.
"It's up to you… it is your crusade after all..."
Eragon opened his mouth to answer but couldn't thanks to Erik who said in a deep and grave tone.
"We should stop this quest..."
Eragon reeled at the Bear's words while Saphira and Brom looked at him with somewhat surprised expression… mostly because of the look of anger and hatred on his face.
" STOP ?! Hell no! The Ra'zacs need to pay for destroying my home and killing my Uncle !" the young rider hissed at Erik… before jumping back in fear as the Massive Bear roared at him in the face.
The roar caused Saphira to flinch in fear while Brom had paled a bit. But they were ignored as Erik's attention was purely on Eragon.
"Revenge will not bring back the dead ! Revenge will bring you nothing but misery and despair ! Look at what Galbatorix did to the Riders for revenge !" Erik snarled sternly at the young rider who looked ashamed for a moment.
"Also, for once in your life, use that brain of yours : if the Ra'zacs had flying mounts then why did they brought horses and left visible trailsall the way here, far away from your home and take off here ?"
At the question, Brom's eyes widened as he whispered in realization "They wanted him to chase them !"
"Yes...it seems so..."
Eragon's and Saphira's eyes widened as well as they seemed to realize it too. If they had followed those trails any further, they would have been ambushed somewhere by the very creatures they were pursuing !
"Beside, it seems that my worst fears are justified… the Ra'zacs had Lethrblakas with them..."as he said this, a deep rumble escaped Erik's throat as a look of hatred appeared on his muzzle.
Even back as a human, he had hated those creatures… he never knew why though but his instinct had always told him to be wary of those things.
At the unknown name, Saphira, Eragon and Brom were looking at him with interest and curiosity.
"What is a Lethrblaka ?" the young Rider asked the bear with a frown.
Seeing that Brom was about to answer, Erik quickly answered in a grave tone "A Dark Beast and parent of the very creatures we are tracking…"
"Wait ? Ra'zacs are… children ?!" Eragon asked in disbelief while Saphira reeled back in shock.
The storyteller had a dark expression on his face and Erik knew why : Dragon Riders, Lethrblakas and Ra'zacs had a great history… and even a war.
Back to present, Erik nodded at the young Rider before adding with a growl
" Lethrblakas have naked, hairless bodies, tight corded muscles, large, leathery wings, very strong hind legs, a very thick hide, a seven feet long beak, and eyes the size of a fist, with no pupil or iris… Along with that, they also have long rat-like tails… They have the appearance of thin, skinny, naked dogs and are around the same size that Saphira here…"
Once Erik stopped his explanation, Brom's scowl deepened in hatred while Saphira and Eragon were imagining what those dark beasts looked like… before grimacing in disgust once the Bear sent them a picture through a link.
"Apart of their appearance, they are also extremely intelligent… maybe as much as a Dragon…"Erik then added with a snort of disgust.
'You speak as if you had fought one...' Saphira said through the link with an inquisitive look on her face.
"I did… once..." Erik answered in a dark tone and a deep growl.
Honestly, he had never FOUGHT against one… but he remembered someone (who he despited) who acted like a Lethrblaka and their fight. The man had been a friend of his motherand looked like a human version of a Lethrblaka… the man had annoyed him and he punched him on the nose. After a short fight, I won… but that had annoyed his mother greatly.
Brom, Eragon and Saphira looked at him with wide eyes, impressed but he only turned his head to look away, his eyes clouded with memory.
"Did you won ?" Brom asked him with curiosity which caused the other two to lean forward, still staring at the White Bear.
"Yes..." he answered simply in an icy tone that caused everyone to stiffen in fright.
Eragon opened his mouth to ask him about it when his eyes caught the flask on the ground. Slowly, he approached it before bending down to pick it up.
Erik, after hearing footsteps, looked at the young rider… and, when he I saw him with the flask in his hands and ready to open it, released a earth-shaking roar. His roar caused everyone to jump back in fear and Eragon accidentally drop the flask.
Without warning, he rushed toward the young rider and ignoring the cries of protest from him,Erik quicklypicked up the flask before handing it to Brom… and glaring down at Eragon with bared teeth. The rider was frozen in place, looking up at the White Bear with nothing but fear in his eyes and his dragon, Saphira, was also frozen in place, unable to move.
"Didn't you listen to what I said, you foolish child ?! Once again, your recklessness almost killed you !"Erik snarled at the young man who took a few steps back in fright, paling drastically.
"Valhir is right… He had just saved your life..." Brom's voice echoed from behind and they turned their heads to see that the storyteller had a somber look on his face while holding the flask… which was open by the way.
"One small sip of this, boy, and all that would be left of you by evening would be a puddle !"
Eragon's already pale face turned even paler and Saphira looked like she had seen a ghost. Erik would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't enjoying their current expression. Ignoring it, Brom spoke again in a teacher-like tone
" This is called Seithr Oil… It is a deadly poison that will eat away anything living... Even if the poison is stopped, the wound is stated to never regenerate or heal… even with the help of good healers and Magicians…" Brom then leaned forward before adding in the sternest tone he could muster.
"Like Valhir, you need to start using that brain of yours and think before doing things, boy !"
After that, the group talked about what to do now and after some times, it was decided that they would all head Teirm, a city near the coast where a friend of Brom, someone named Jeod,supposedly lived.
It was also a week-long trip.
For the rest of the day, Saphira and Eragon went to fly while Erik and Brom walked side by side (well the Bear walked while Brom was mounting Snowfire). Once the camp was set, the young Rider had his training session with Brom… right after thanking Erik for saving his life.
Erik had simply nodded at him, saying nothing… which saddened the young man a bit.
While the two trained, Saphira approached Erik before laying next to him.
'Valhir… I… I want to thank you for-' she began to say before being interrupted by the massive White Bear.
'It's not necessary Saphy… As much as Eragon annoys me, he is like a little brother for me…'
The blue Dragoness blinked in gratefulness at this before laying against the fur white fur of the bear. It didn't bothered our hero and instead, he shot her a warm smile before looking at the spar.
Eragon was young… but he will grown up to become a true hero.
And for that, he had to be trained… even if the lessons had to be snarled at him.
After a while, Brom and Eragon were exhausted and both laid down against Saphira's warm belly before quickly falling asleep. Erik watched them for a moment before looking at the stars.
Was his father proud of him ?
Was he happy in the Beyond ?
He didn't know but he hoped it was.
With a soft yawn, the massive White Bear slowly made himself comfortable on the ground before closing his eyes and waiting to fall asleep.
(To be continue…)