Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Iridescent

"I hate deserts," I grumbled quietly. We finally made it out of the desert and arrived at Aberon, a low, walled city centered around a bluff in an otherwise flat landscape. Borromeo Castle occupied the top of the bluff. Alethea had retreated into my backpack, and we now rode along with Eragon and Orik.

As Saphira descended toward the inner ward of the castle, I opened my mind up to the city. It was loud. I closed my walls as we neared the castle. I pulled my hood up. I was trying to lay low until we reached the Varden.

Dirt billowed into the air with each beat of Saphira's powerful wings as she settled in the middle of the courtyard, sinking her claws into the bare ground to steady herself. Eragon dismounted after Orik and helped me down since I was playing a normal elf.

A group of twelve men, some soldiers, hurried out of the keep toward Saphira. They were led by a tall man with the same dark skin as Nasuada, only the third person Eragon and I had met with such a complexion. Halting ten paces away, the man bowed—as did his followers—then said, "Welcome, Rider. I am Dahwar, son of Kedar. I am King Orrin's seneschal."

Eragon inclined his head. "And I, Eragon Shadeslayer, son of none and this is Sal, daughter of none." We had agreed on me using a different name while out here so Eragon picked Sal.

"And I, Orik, Thrifk's son," Orik added.

"And I, Saphira, daughter of Vervada," Saphira said.

Dahwar bowed again. "I apologize that no one of higher rank than myself is present to greet guests as noble as you, but King Orrin, Lady Nasuada, and all the Varden have long since marched to confront Galbatorix's army. They left orders that if you came here seeking them, you should join them directly, for your prowess is needed if we are to prevail."

"Can you show us on a map how to find them?" Eragon asked.

"Of course, sir. While I have that fetched, would you care to step out of the heat and partake of some refreshments?"

Eragon shook his head. "We have no time to waste. Besides, it is not I who needs to see the map but Saphira, and I doubt she would fit in your halls."

"Quite right, sir. In either case, our hospitality is yours. If there is aught you and your companion's desire, you have but to ask."

"We need a week's worth of provisions. For Sal and me, only fruit, vegetables, flour, cheese, bread—things like that. We also need our waterskins refilled." Dahwar did not question Eragon's avoidance of meat. Orik added his requests for jerky, bacon, and other such products. Snapping his fingers, Dahwar sent two servants running back into the keep to collect the supplies.

"May I assume by your presence here, Shadeslayer, that you completed your training with the elves?"

"My training shall never end so long as I'm alive," Eragon answered, much to my joy. The boy was learning, albeit, slowly.

"I see, please excuse my impertinence, sir, for I am ignorant of the ways of the Riders, but are you not human? I was told you were."

"That he is," Orik growled. "He was... changed. And you should be glad he was, or our predicament would be far worse than it is."

The food, water, and map were soon brought by two wide-eyed pages. At Eragon's word, they deposited the items beside Saphira, looking terribly frightened as they did, then retreated behind Dahwar. I had to stop myself from laughing at their fear.

Kneeling on the ground, Dahwar unrolled the map—which depicted Surda and the neighboring lands—and drew a line northwest from Aberon to Cithrí. "Last I heard, King Orrin and Lady Nasuada stopped here for provender. They did not intend to stay, however, because the Empire is advancing south along the Jiet River and they wished to be in place to confront Galbatorix's army when it arrives. The Varden could be anywhere between Cithrí and the Jiet River. This is only my humble opinion, but I would say the best place to look for them would be

the Burning Plains."

"The Burning Plains?" Dahwar smiled.

"You may know them by their old name, then, the name the elves use Du Völlar Eldrvarya."

"Ah, yes," Eragon said before turning to Saphira. "Have you seen enough?"

"I have." In short order, we packed the supplies, remounted Saphira, and from her back, thanked Dahwar for his service.

"Dahwar, two grooms in the stables have gotten into an argument and one of them, Tathal, intends to commit murder. You can stop him, though, if you send men right away."

Dahwar widened his eyes in an expression of astonishment, and even Orik twisted round to look at Eragon.

"How do you know this, Shadeslayer?"

"Because I am a Rider," Eragon said before Saphira unfurled her wings, and everyone on the ground ran back to avoid being battered by the rush of air as she flapped downward and soared into the sky.

"Can you two hear my thoughts?"

"Not if you don't want us to Orik," I replied before twisting around, so my back was against Eragon's. After several hours including a night of nonstop flying, I could smell vapors and fumes that burned my nose. We reached the Burning Plains of Alagaësia.