Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Forty-One: Radiant

"You were either very foolish or very brave to test the Menoa tree as you did. She is not one to trifle with."

"Is there enough ore for a sword?" Saphira asked anxiously.

"Several swords, if past experience is anything to judge by," Rhunön said, rising to her full height. Eragon looked at me with excitement while Rhunön glared at her forge. "Let us to it, then! You two need a sword? Very well, I shall give you swords the likes of which has never been seen before in Alagaësia."

"But what of your oath? Rhunön-elda?" I asked.

"Think not of it for the time being," Rhunön responded with a wave of her hand. "When must the four of you return to the Varden?"

"We should have left the day we arrived," Eragon responded.

Rhunön paused, her expression introspective. "Then I shall have to hurry that which I do not normally hurry and use magic to craft that which would otherwise require weeks of work by hand. You and your dragons will help me. We shall not rest tonight, but I promise you, you shall have your swords by tomorrow morning."

Bending at the knees, Rhunön lifted the ore from the ground without discernible effort and carried it to the bench with her carving in progress. Rhunön gave us a tight-fitting jerkin and a fabric apron treated so that it was impervious to fire, so we had protection from the flames.

Using magic, we erected a fire pit outside of Rhunön's house. From there we turned the fire pit into a forge. For nearly an hour, Rhunön tended the fire, cultivating it with the care of a gardener growing roses, until the wood had burned down to a flatbed of coals.

"Now." Eragon lifted the lump of ore and gently lowered it into the trough. On top of the metal and the coals, we shoveled a thick blanket of charcoal. From there we worked with the bellows to bring the temperature of the ore higher and higher.

"We could help with this, you know," Saphira said from her position in front of the makeshift forge. Alethea made a sound agreement and bent her nose to the forge.

"It is not hot enough," Alethea said as she withdrew her snout.

.

"Yes," Rhunön said, "but if we melt it too quickly, the metal will not combine with the charcoal and become hard and flexible enough for a sword. Save your fire, dragons. We shall need it later."

Every now and then, we would abandon the bellows to shovel a new layer of charcoal over the fire.

"That should be sufficient. Leave the bellows." We helped Rhunön shovel out the coals resting on top of the metal, or should I say liquid metal.

"What now?" Eragon asked.

"Now, we wait."

"For what?"

Rhunön gestured toward the sky, where the light from the setting sun painted a tattered array of clouds red and purple and gold. "It must be dark when we work the metal if we are to correctly judge its color. Also, the brightsteel needs time to cool so that it will be soft and easy to shape. Khensamel, come".

I walked over to Rhunön, and she held out her arms, I wrapped my fingers around her forearms as she did the same with mine. In a quick burst, knowledge of making a sword flooded my mind. I let go and blinked several times, processing what Rhunön had given me.

"I understand Rhunön-elda."

"Good, in the meantime, let us talk about your swords," Rhunön said to Eragon. "How do you fight, with one hand or two?"