Newcomers

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Bird had reluctantly climbed aboard the raft with Snowfire, not trusting the others due to their infamous reputations back in the Multiverse. Nightmare had shaken his skull in disappointment, but knew they had time for him and Draco to grow accustomed to the former Bad Sanses. He understood they got lucky with GB, who was rescued from a horrid imprisonment at the hands of Durza, surrounded by honorable people that trusted the skeletons despite their past.

Draco had fallen behind, watching them carefully as GB and Saphira recounted their adventures with the gang, particularly Saphira. She was fawning over him a little, playfully diving at him, nipping his tail and jumping off his spine, much to the skeledragon's indignation. Though Draco found her actions more endearing than infuriating, listening to GB as the skeleblaster rolled through the air and obsessed over a fellow dragonic skeleton, one more closely related to true dragons than even himself.
The behavior was peculiar to Nightmare, a sort of sudden puppy love and desperation mixed into one. He concluded that they had merely been lonely, as had been Draco.

It wasn't long until they reached a second river, flowing into the Az Ragni and doubling the size and unfortunately, greatly increasing the speed. It was a maddening whitewater, Bird taking off as he couldn't stand it, Dust joining him on a Blaster as Blue and Cross shouted after him. Blueberry had yanked Horror to his feet, holding both him and Cross in both arms as they faced the current together, grinning wildly as they kept trees from crashing into the vessels. Killer was at the prow of their raft, pretending to be a surfer as he laughed maniacally, literally no help to Shrrgnien as he steered their raft.
Nightmare had just gone inside the cabin, avoiding the freezing water as he watched from the entrance, Eragon hanging onto the wall outside as he grinned nervously. Arya just calmly sat inside the cabin, waiting for the raging river to calm down.

And calm it did, eventually turning to flow north, passing a lone mountain  known as Moldûn the Proud. They all saluted to the sentry of the plains, dwarves bowing.

And henceforth the days passed, fields of grass rolling in the wind as herds of gazelle and deer appeared on the banks during their journey, Eragon flying with Saphira almost constantly, Blue often joining them with GB, no saddle to keep him in place, only trust in their own magic. Bird also kept away from them, keeping close to Draco and discussing what the 'Bad Sanses' could be scheming and how they 'tricked' Blueberry, GB, Eragon and Saphira as well as dwarves- yeah, they were stretching it. They would act natural when Dust would join them on his Blaster, chatting with Eragon, Saphira, Blue and GB equally. By evening, they rested around the camp, eavesdropping on the conversations and warning the dwarves that they traveled with dangerous individuals.

Inevitably Gáldnien brought up their warnings around the campfire, which lead to disquiet as the skeletons began to tell their stories. They admitted the atrocities they committed, but stated their reasons. The dwarves were in awe, Orik simply watching the newcomers to gauge their reactions, Eragon doing much of the same.
It was at this time that Nightmare confessed that he no longer harbored a grudge against his brother, laying down his reasonings and explaining how they need him as an ally in the war against Galbatorix, that Dream had already forgiven him. He didn't tell them the truth on how he knew this, he chose to say they met in the Dreamscape instead. It was partially true, they did reconcile there.
Draco and Bird stared at the Wyrdaí Islingrya for some time afterwards.

The next day Bird was joining them on the second raft.
Draco spoke to Dust in fewer clipped tones.

Soon enough, they arrived at a junction between the Az Ragni and Edda River, where they met and flowed to the east. There, they visited the dwarves' trading post, Hedarth, where Nightmare couldn't stop staring down the river to the east. He felt weighted, gazing down the river, but couldn't look away. The inexorable sensation of Wyrda rooted him in place. Dream stared with him, through him, as Horror joined him. Then Blue.
"You feel it, don't you?" Blueberry asked softly. GB padded up after him, studying the eastern horizon.
"We all do." Nightmare murmured.

They at last, turned away to continue north, refusing the donkeys offered as steeds. When asked of how they would keep up, Dust grinned and hopped onto his Blaster, rapping the skull. "We all have one, 'cept Blue. But he's got GB, so we good."
Arya had nodded when the question was asked of her. "I will run."
And run she did, vanishing into the undergrowth only to be waiting for them ahead. Nightmare was tempted to summon another Blaster so she did not have to run on foot, but didn't wish to be rejected..
Though he was a king, she might accept, on account of avoiding disrespect.
No, it would be rude to offer.
He scowled at himself, closing his mind from Dream as he pondered his feelings. How, he could be confused over emotions when he was a God of them was beyond him. But he was nonetheless. It was frustrating.

For three days, they traveled, chatting about whatever they fancied. Though when Error was brought up, they ended up explaining his relations to Geno and Fresh to Draco and Bird. It was clearly beyond fascinating to the pair.
They also discovered that Bird enjoyed bows and arrows. He had apparently owned some when he was younger, being obsessed with a silent ranged weapon that didn't involve the use of magic, becoming quite proficient in archery. It was made clear he was still an excellent shot when he touched Orik's bow, then yanked it up and shooting down a goose before anyone could react.
The days were oddly reminiscent of the trip to Gil'ead, which sometimes drifted across their minds.

The leading edge of Du Weldenvarden appeared, large and full of shadows. The sight of it thrilled Nightmare for many reasons. Chief among them being his love of forests. Second, he could feel his brother getting closer. Dream was beyond ecstatic to show him how much his wings had grown in person, as well as his new range of abilities. It always made Nightmare smile to hear that, often getting puzzled looks from the others, never answering their questions when asked.

That night, Arya snuck into Eragon's tent, leaving shortly after. Eragon soon followed, avoiding Tríhga and vanishing into the woods after her. No one else saw this, so he decided to investigate it himself, slipping into the shadows, invisible.

Arya began to teach Eragon of the niceties of elven culture, Nightmare spying on them from within the trees. Much of what she taught was something he'd already learned from Dream. But her lessons inspired him. He indeed needed to teach the other skeletons of these things, if they were to be respected. He retreated, appearing back in camp as if nothing had happened at all.




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