The Feast

[DarkSilver]

Saeunn walked with Keri until they went inside, theh nher crouched and spread his midnight wings and took off to meet them in the stadium.

Keri's dark silver eye's opened wide as she walked into the stadium. The vast space opened before her revealing many people.
She sighed , it may take a while to find Angela , to heal her wounds. Saeunn landed softly nearby and he nuzzled Keri when he landed, he then lifted his head to linvestigate the other dragons.

Keri's dark silver eye's looked to the elven woman '' My name is Keri Lupus, please just call me Keri '' she said with a warm smile '' and what may I call you ? '' she asked...

[Tavimh]

Much and Luta kept close to Eve as they walked through the city. Such a big town was almost scary when you were in the middle of it. Much supposed being taller helped you to see, because Eve seemed to know where she was going. Luta held to Much's hand as tight as he held on to her.

Much was slightly frustrated, yet accepting, of Eve's "lessons" in sorcery. He already knew all that she was teaching him. His father taught him a good bit before he died and then he learned more from the sorcerer who abducted them after killing their father. Much was bored with the basics and all their warnings and cautions. On the other hand he would put up with just about anything to get the job Eve promised. He would lay under his cloak at night and think about it, when he had a job Luta and him could stay in one place. He could buy what they needed instead of stealing it or making due without. It was a nice thought and it soothed him to sleep.

The dark haired lady told him all sorts of things, about her lord's palace and how kind he was. She even had her own house! All to herself even. All this because she could control spirits; she had told them about her sister and how she grew up like them. Even so Much was slow to trust...He didn't like how Luta talked so freely with her. At least she had her wolf friend for protection.

Much sighed, but now the wolf was outside the city and not here to keep an eye on his little sister. Much shot a glare at a passerby who bumped into Luta. He pulled her closer to him as they walked. "Remember the story" he told Luta quickly tugging her shirt to make it lay right, they were both in their new clothes today, Lu nodded at him and quickened her pace to keep up with Much and Eve.

[Arya]

Impatience grasped at Arya's emotions, but she did her best to hold it off. Her eyes glanced at everyone present, and she labeled the new Riders as being very little compared to Eragon. She couldn't help it. They were as Eragon had been, and now he far surpassed them. It made her appreciate just how far he had come.

The fact that two Shades had showed up severely bothered her, and she was even more bothered that the others could speak of it as though it had been some small, insignificant thing, and no one even though to tell the leader of the Varden. They were speaking of Angela, as though Angela alone could defeat the Shades.

Whether their allegiance was independant or to the Empire was insignificant in Arya's mind. Shades were extremely powerful, and the fact that two infiltrated the Varden undetected was cause enough to bring it to the attention of Raylborn.

That meant there were some serious flaws somewhere, and that Surda was no longer safe from anything. Not only had it already been attacked directly by a gigantic army, now it had been infiltrated by two persons strong enough to take on battalions by themselves. The Riders had to hurry, and the fact that no one but Niniel even comprehended that pushed annoyance into her gait as she followed silently along.

She had a singular cut through her dress tunic, and she looked at it, at her left side. It wasn't large, but one could tell if they looked close enough. Arya felt a gentle wind through the hole, and sighed.

She was tired, and stressed, and the Shades seemed to confirm just how bad everything was. The Varden was outnumbered, and somehow the defenses had crumbled. Everything seemed to be going wrong, and to make matters worse, she had to go back to Ellesmera, where she still had shaky relations with her mother.

She was also afraid that it would cause Eragon to once more lose his self-control. Ellesmera did strange things to those not elven and those not used to it. She didn't want to have to confront Eragon once more and say what she had had to. It had been as bad as if she had strung her bow and shot him through the heart. It had hurt Arya also, to see that look in his eyes.

She shook her head and cleared her thoughts, and looked around the feast, no longer interested in participating. Niniel had things under control, and besides, Arya needed some time alone. Her mask of stoicism was coming off, wearing thin, and she was afraid she'd come loose.

At times like these, I wish I was in Du Weldenvarden. One can loose oneself easily in the trees...

[Niniel]

Niniel returned the smile, "It's nice to meet you Keri. You may call me Niniel," she said as she led her to a nearby chair in the stadium and helped her to sit. She couldn't see Angela anywhere near, so she decided to do her best to heal Keri and would then try to find Angela to finish up the job of healing.

Niniel lifted Keri's arm a little to look at the wound that the shade had inflicted on her during the battle and gently touched it with two fingers. She looked at the unnaturally dark red blood that was on her fingers and then smelled it. There had definitely been poison on the blade that had wounded her, so she knew she wouldn't be able to heal it fully, but she could at least slow the poison quite a bit.

So she carefully began to probe the wound with her fingers and to heal it using the ancient language.

-----------------

The palace gates were finally right in front of them, so Eve stopped walking and knelt in front of the children. She rubbed her hands in the dirt a little bit and then rubbed it onto her dress and her cheeks to make her look less significant than she was.

She rubbed her hands in the dirt again and was about to do the same to the children, but then looked at Much and knew he wouldn't like that very much. "I suppose I better let you do that to you and your sister, huh?" she stood back up assuming that Much would do to himself and Luta what she had done to herself and then took to looking at the crowds of people, "Are you ready for this?" she asked them both.

[Tavimh]

Much pulled Luta away from Eve when he noticed her intention to put dirt on them as well. He nodded when she spoke and picked up some dust on the road. Still watching her with a suppressed wariness he dusted his tunic with it and rubbed his cheeks. Luta tried to copy her brother but just got a lot of dirt in her hair. She sneezed when she inhaled the fine dirt. Much knelt next to her and helped her put some dirt on her face and a little on her skirt as well. Much didn't like messing up their new clothes but Eve told them that they would have to. Luta giggled at the ridiculousness of it all. Much gave her a small amused smile but then looked back to Eve and stood up. "We are." the boy assured her. She seemed to want verbal assurance from them a lot of the time, Much was still trying to become accustomed to it. He was usually very quiet, Luta and him didn't need to say much to understand each other.

[Arya]

Arya heaved a sigh, seeing that the wisdom she had chosen to impart upon those around her had gone unheeded. She knew the feast would continue, and could see it would do well for the Varden, as any morale boost would be welcome, but still... deep within her, she felt that it shouldn't go on.

She wasn't sure if that was because her own mood had taken a drastic drop, or whether she was truly worried that the Shade would return and start killing en masse at the feast. She could safely say she believed the attack to be far more personal then an assassination mission from the Empire. That would most likely have been backed by a brigade of stealthy troops, and there would have been more deaths and casualties then there were.

Arya didn't want to stay at the feast anymore. She felt drained, though she hadn't used too much energy, nor had she been short on sleep. There was something else. The years and years of carrying so much on her shoulders had caught up with her, and sank her morale with it's incredible weight.

She was lonely, still a virtual outcast of her own people, hopelessly overpowered by Eragon, Murtagh, and Galbatorix, and probably a few others, and she still knew that the hardest battles lay before her, even after the Varden had suffered such large casualties at the Burning Plains.

She didn't even think like her own people!

I miss home... Though, having left so early... did I ever have a home at all? she thought, and shook the thoughts from her head. It didn't help that a figure head was questioning herself, and it sure didn't help being so dramatic.

She'd just have to do what she always did: push the thoughts back, into the dark recesses of her mind, guard them tight, and go on like nothing was wrong. That way she could actually be joyful when she wanted to be.

However, after doing everything she could to push the thoughts away, she still didn't feel like attending the feast, so she retired back to her quarters, inside a safely guarded part of the Varden's strongholds, which, in truth, were King Orin's.

She hurriedly wrote a note to Lord Raylborn, telling of the Shade attack and her personal feelings of the happening, and sent it with a secure messanger. She felt too tired to go herself, and didn't know where to find him anyway.

Arya looked over her tunic and found the small cut that the shade had inflicted in the elven material. She muttered the word for 'mend' in the ancient laguage and then, after feeling the slight tug at her energy, she fell asleep, fully clothed, on her bed.

Dreams of the Shades haunted her all through the night.

[DarkSilver]

keri smiled and said '' Pleasure to meet you Niniel'' and she sat down on the chair Niniel had lead her to. Keri winced slightly as Niniel touched the wound gently and the wound burned furiously. Her vision went slightly red and keri closed her eye's as she started to feel dizzy.

Saeunn looked to the other riders and the other dragons. He sighed , dragons. He's aloways longed to see more of his own kind. But he did'nt know how to act like a proper dragon.
Keri smirked '' Go say hi'' she spoke in her mind.

'' But , I don't know how to be a dragon , the way to act. I fear I may be an embarrassment. [/color]
''What? '' [/color] Keri asked laughing. '' Don't be ridiculous , You ARE a dragon , and they all were like you once. For one so wize, you are quite the fool at times Saeunn.'' [/color].

Saeunn chuckled causing a slight tremor around him . ''You do have a point, but , I will resist the calling of my fellows and stand by you until the mage is found.''[/color]

Keri smiled and her dark silver eyes looked into his blue silver ones. '' You've looked after me enough , go have fun '' [/color]

Saeunn knew he would'nt win , Keri was determined and often stubborn , but that did'nt mean she would'nt listen to others veiws and opinions. He nuzzled Keri's cheek with the tip of his nose and walked to a clear area. Then took too the skies for a look around for other dragon's and the other guests....

keri watched him take off welcoming the slight gust of wind his large wings washed over her. He looked like a onyx gem. The intense dark blue shining in the sun gloriously.

Keri then let her thoughts run wild. Shades , shades in Aberon, they were all lucky to survive. Good thing that they were'nt servants of the empire, or their targets would have been al lthe riders. Not just the one sitting in her seat with the dark blood running down her side.

A flash a blinding pain ran up Keri's spine as the poison began to spread through her, She felt weakness dreg at her limbs and her mind going fuzzy. She closed her dark silver eye's and conventrated on spreading her mind, concentrating on the birds overhead the bugs in the grass. Anything to distract her.

[dannylam4]

Forest circled the stadium a few times before he finally landed next to his burning spire. Preperations were still being made, but the area had already drawn a large crowd. They stared and gasped in wonder, watching Forest and Pike. The next generation of riders was arriving, and they were on their side. Pike hopped off Forest's back and gazed at the crowd. Several people stared in silence, other clapped and cheered. Pike waved a shyful wave, smiling slightly at the group.

Didn't think the Rider Pike would ever become shy, Forest commented, staring at the crowd and then down at Pike.

I've never been in front of such a large group before... Pike said, his thoughts trembling. Less the center of attention, at that.

A voice behind Pike caught his attention and he and Forest turned around. "Glad you could join us, Pike," Raylborn spoke, his voice echoing in the stadium as the others became silent. He stood up from seat; Pike and Forest approached him. "Where are the other riders?"

"We've run into some trouble, I am afraid. I am sure you will hear of such news from Arya soon enough." Right on cue, a messenger run into the stadium. The crowd was silent, all eyes were on him as he ran across the large stadium, panting as he ran.

"Immediate news from Arya, Lord Raylborn," the messenger said, dropping to one knee and holding the letter out for Raylborn. Raylborn took the letter slowly, staring at Pike as he opened his. He glanced back down onto the letter and read it quickly. "The feast is canceled. Return to your homes, immediately," Ralyborn shouted, his voice booming through the stadium. The crowd looked at one another in silence for a moment and then quickly rushed out of the stadium.

"You are excused, messenger," Raylborn said, waving his hand. The messenger stood up and rushed out of the stadium behind the crowd of people. "We have quite a problem on our hands, Pike..."

"I know, your lordship. Come, Forest will take you back to your chambers." Raylborn nodded and walked towards Forest.

"This is troublesome, indeed... We have many magicians on our payroll, but none quite like the twins. We will need mind readers, powerful ones..." Raylborn spoke, mainly to himself. He looked up, snapping out of it as he stood in front of Forest. "I... uh... I've never riden a dragon before."

"He'll go slow. Don't worry, he's like a big horse." Pike helped Raylborn onto Forest and secured him to his seat.

Hmph... you're lucky Raylborn is on my back or I would tackle you... horse indeed... Forest said as he spread his wings and took off. He slowly walked towards the door of the stadium in silence, his footsteps echoing in the empty, half decorated stadium. He waited outside the doors of the stadium, waiting for the remaining people to arrive.

((Dun dun dunnn! I hate to cancel the feast and control Raylborn, but there was nothing I could do to continue the feast Twas the only logical choice.))

[Arkantos]

Arkantos rode up to the stadium.He knew he was late, but he had to find a partner to scout with him when he entered the Empire. As he neared the stadium, he saw everyone leave and a dragon take off from the center. Arkantos saw a man standing outside the gates, so he decided to ask him what had happened there, what's going on?" he asked to the stranger."Are we not having the feast?"

[dannylam4]

(Too late, this is over)

[Arkantos]

Darn... I'm so cunfooseled....