A Twist Of Fate

[Freyja]

Freyja was walking down a busy street of Teirm. The salty breeze fiddled with her loose locks and though the sensation was pleasant, the smell of the sea air brought back too many memories of her hometown of Narda. Bitter memories washed over her mind. I need to leave this town soon, she thought as she stuck her hands in her pockets. She had only intended to stay for 3 days to replenish her supplies but she knew now that she would shorten her stay in the grey city.

To say she was accustomed to the bustling streets full of life and people would be a lie. She didn't like them; Freyja felt like she was being suffocated by the mass of strangers. Her nose was overrun by a thousand new smells and her ears were buzzing from all the noise. Freyja felt like being in the city was like holding her head under a waterfall; all her senses were being slowly drowned out in a storm. She couldn't comprehend why someone would want to live in such a place.

Looking up to the sky, she noted that the sun was near setting and she would have to hurry back to her inn. Her horse was resting in the stables there and though the establishment could use a good scrub, she trusted the groom to be competent in his duties. She sighed as she adjusted her bag on her shoulders. She couldn't wait to plop the dreadfully heavy thing down in her room and get some rest. She had walked from one end of the city to the next, looking for anything she might need in her travels. Her feet were sore and she didn't even want to think about what they would look like when she took off her boots.

Just as Freyja rounded a corner, a shadow caught her eyes. She blinked and squinted at the dark alley that had drawn her attention but nothing seemed out of order. She shrugged her shoulders lightly and continued on her road as if nothing happened.

But it happened again. This time she swore she saw a man's silhouette vanish into the shadows of a backstreet. She frowned as she gripped the leather strap of her bag tightly. She swallowed with difficulty and took a hesitant step toward the small street. But as before, there was nothing.

Now with a heavy mind, she walked briskly back to her inn, the shadowy figure never leaving her mind. When she finally arrived, she dropped her things in her room. She sighed as she looked at the grey walls and the dingy bed, wishing to the gods that she would leave the city that very night even though she knew it was impossible. She went downstairs to grab a hot meal, hoping it wouldn't have any fish in it.

Thankfully, it didn't. She sat down in a corner, trying to draw the least amount of attention to her. Halfway through her meal though, she felt an icy shiver run down her back. She could feel eyes upon her, like two glowing embers burning the back of her head. She turned her head slightly, trying to catch whoever was looking at her. She felt her hands falter and another chill run down the length of her back. A feverish panic overtook her when she laid eyes on a shadowed figure. She couldn't explain why but she was convinced it was the same man as earlier... if it was a man. She couldn't say for sure but the broad shoulders seemed to indicate it was a male. She felt the muscles of her shoulders tighten as the embers from the person's pipe flared up, illuminating two dark eyes that were staring directly at her. She tried to keep calm but every fiber in her body was screaming at her to run fast and never look back.

But she was fixed in her seat. Her limbs had turned to stone and heart was set ablaze with fright. She heard someone get up and the only thing she could do was shut her eyes and wish it wasn't the foreboding stranger who had moved.

(Following up: Emiryal)

[Emiryal ♕]

A white cat waited by the pier watching the sailors come in with the days catch. While it wasn't quite his style to stay in one place for so long Teirm had caught his interest and he couldn't remember the last time in months that he'd set foot outside the city. There were always interesting things going on here, as a main port if it wasn't shady business deals it was usually something more interesting going on, such as when that dragon spirit had shown up here. He still wasn't sure why but still it had been interesting. Yes Teirm was an interesting place and werecats liked interesting things.

"Here kitty!" one of the sailers shouted tossing a wet fish towards him. Syaoran Li jumped back slightly to avoid being hit by it. He glanced from the fish to the man. Without a moment's hesitation he picked up the fish and trotted off happily. The sailers seemed to like that as he heard one of them chuckle behind him. It seemed wrong to stoop so low as to act like a common cat, but he had to here. He didn't want anyone knowing who he really was, that would just raise unwanted attention. So when he was in his cat form he acted like a cat and when in his human form he acted like a human.

He continued down the main streets until he found an uncrowded ally. He set the fish down and took a bite from it. It wasn't his favorite meal but hey it had been free and it would've been a shame to waste it. He'd finished about half the fish when he heard something behind him. Someone was in the ally with him, a man he didn't know. He didn't seem to pay any attention to him though, why should he after all he was just a cat. But Syaoran Li paid quite a bit of attention to him. He saw the stranger's attention linger on someone on the street outside the ally, then he was off. Curious Syaoran Li abandoned his fish and followed the man. Each time the street came back into view he saw the same girl and the man kept pace with her in the back alleys.

This was odd, why was he following her. Was that girl someone of importance? This was good, very good. well maybe not but it was interesting and that was good, that was why he liked Teirm. Surely if the man was after this girl he'd show up later. So after the last ally Syaoran Li took to following Freyja instead, it was easy to follow her unnoticed in the crowded streets and who would question what a cat was doing?

It wasn't long before he saw her go into an inn. Well that would make it more difficult, he couldn't just walk in there like this and have no one wonder or kick him out. He glanced around and choose a side ally near the inn before changing to his human form. He breathed a sigh of relief, while it was natural that he could switch he had a fear that it wouldn't work and each time he felt a flicker of panic. He wore a loose red jacket that exposed his bare chest from not being secured closed by any buttons or ties as well as white pants which seemed to match his fur color to some degree. He straightened his shirt slightly then entered the inn, his dress was nicer than most so he obviously didn't look like a street urchin. He spotted Freyja easily enough but the man was there again. How had he gotten in without him noticing? Oh well it didn't matter, it was time to meet Freyja. He sat down at the table Freyja was at. "Anyone sitting here?" he asked pleasantly. Then lowering his voice so no one else would overhear him. "Why has that man been following you since you were in the market?" he asked indicating with a brief glance to where the man sat.

[Freyja]

Freyja jerked up when she was addressed. She could tell her eyes were probably swimming in fear but she tried her best to keep calm.
"I-I don't know. I thought at first I was imagining things until I came here... And I saw him." She said in a hushed and frightened tone.
She dared to take another look at the strange figure. Just like she expected, he was still watching her from the shadows of his hood. His ragged clothes were died a faded shade of the empire's color and only added to the dread welling up inside Freyja's entire body. She swore she could've seen a hint of silver flashing from his waist and the thought of him carrying a sword or dagger made another feverish chill run down her spine. She averted her gaze back to the boy sitting in front of her, who seemed not necessarily less dangerous but simply less fearsome.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one to have noticed him. I get a bad feeling from this stranger..." she said in a low voice as she readjusted herself in her seat.

Freyja took a better look at the boy sitting in front of her. His clothing reminded her vaguely of some gypsies she had traveled with although his outfit was made from higher quality material. She smelled a faint odor of fish on the boy's breath and though it slightly revolted her, she said nothing. Freyja pushed her half finished meal away from her as she leaned slightly on the table.
"I simply don't know why someone would be after me... I've done nothing wrong; I'm just a traveler passing through the city." she said in an almost pleading voice. "I've heard gruesome tales of Galbatorix's spies but I simply can't figure out for the life of me why they'd bother with me. If he actually is a spy... Maybe he's a simple cutthroat looking for an easy prey. Either way, I'm not liking it one bit." She added darkly to her table mate.

She saw in the reflection on the window the man in black tense up at the mention of the king's name. It did not sooth her worries at all and she was starting to fear for her life. If the man truly was associated with the king, it was only going to get worst if she was somewhat involved. The empire strikes hard, she thought somberly as she recalled seeing some soldiers raid villages near Narda because the empire suspected they aided the Vardens in some way.

[Emiryal ♕]

"There isn't much I don't notice that goes on around here," Syaoran Li said. "But I've never seen him before, obviously in league with the Empire in some way but then again quite a few here in Teirm are," he said. He went quiet as one of the waiters asked what he wanted, not wanting to stand out he ordered a drink and some bread.  The girl nodded and hurried off to fetch his order. He reached into his pocket to get the payment for it, knowing she'd ask when she brought it back. Much to his dismay his pockets were empty. Of course, he'd been in his feline form, aside from his clothing the pendent he wore was the only thing he ever had with him when he did that. The rest, such as his money and his weapon he kept hidden in an old building he'd taken up residence in.

"Does the King need reason to be after anyone?" he asked. "If there isn't a reason to be after you he might just want to know what you are doing here. If you don't have any information of value or haven't been in league with anyone like the Varden you should be fine," he said. "But don't let your guard down anyways or draw attention to yourself. He might just watch you and then leave after a while. I've seen men like him come here before, sometimes they do horrible things but most of the time they just watch, you never know until they strike though." He reached into a hidden pocket in his jacket but it was empty too and he could see the girl coming back with his order. "Oh fish bones, I hate to ask but could you pay for that I don't have my money with me. I promise I'll pay you back," he added fully intending to do so. "I'm Syaoran Li, by the way you can just call me Li," he added. The girl had come back now setting a rather dirty looking mug by Syaoran Li  and dropping a loaf of bread on the table. She waited with her hand out waiting for the payment. Syaoran Li, glanced pleadingly for help from Freyja.

It really was such a dumb thing and so small, but well here he was in a little bit of a mess. The mug didn't look the cleanest, but he'd eaten that fish, that had to be just about as clean right? Had it even been washed since the last person had used it? Ew, he didn't want to think to hard about it. That was just gross, Teirm in some ways was quite a dirty city, maybe it was time he hit the road and go somewhere a bit nicer, where that would be he wasn't sure. It would have to be some place he could blend in without being noticed or draw attention to himself. He preferred to stay in the background and watch rather than be in the limelight or get involved.

[Brenton]

Cool ale drained down the throats of many patrons of the inn as they sat in the crowded room talking but there was one who was not drinking as much as the rest. He was busy with his hair hiding his ears to keep people from seeing them pointed while his hand drummed on a wooden tankard and his eyes scanned the room. For the thousandth time they fell upon a shadowy man sitting in the corner opposite him staring at a woman who was talking to a boy who'd just walked in the door. The figure not drinking as much was none other than Brenton Bromsson, king of the elves, but tonight he had his crown and royal attire hidden in his bags in the room and was wearing a more simple clothing.

Dark red cloak from his time in the Empire over a set of armor that was polished but had the slight sign of the Empire insignia engraved in the breast on the right side. Woolen pants and vest over a silk shirt that was belted closed with a red sash. Brown leather belt with a silver buckle and on that belt was one sword that was blue in color with a sapphire pommel.

Brenton kept his curly black hair hiding his ears but his face was obviously up and he was paying close attention to the group at the other end now. Already he had his other hand ready to draw the sword while he tried desperately to keep the light from glinting off of the crystal in his right palm. A dark bluish purple in color, the crystal had barely gotten enough suffering to turn colors but now was staying at that and it was maddening how he could feel the pressure of it in his palm.

Pain was gone now, having disappeared entirely only a month previously, but still he could feel the pressure from the crystal edges on his palm. Still the fire light from candles on the wall hit the crystal and it shone toward the table where the girl was at. Instantly he clamped his hand down on the table to block the light and lowered his head just enough to make it harder to tell where he was looking.

[Quetzal]

Two mostly-humans and one snow leopard scrambled down from the back of a bright blue dragon. The snow leopard shakily took a few steps. She had hated every moment of flying, her thick white fur all over the place. With a glance up one of the two humans, a girl of seven, she ran off into the woods towards the Spine. The other human, a young adult male with an elven look about him, frowned. "Sheratan didn't like flying, but she doesn't have to run away like that. Will she be back?" the girl nodded in response. He nodded thoughtfully. Sheratan the snow leopard would be a good bodyguard, and less prone to accidentally causing damage than Saphira, the dragon who was lying slumped and tired beside them. "Farria, how did you like flying? Was it good?" he smiled at the child. He personally loved flying, but it was a little scary at first.

Farria nodded again, a smile on her face. The mute girl had loved seeing all the world so tiny below them. She had picked out the towns, rivers, and mountains that she had never heard of and enjoyed the wind beating against her face as they sped on. Eragon and Saphira were taking her and Sheratan to the Varden in Dras Leona in the hope that somewhere in their collective knowledge would be information about her, and they would be able to protect her. The elves had been another option, but Eragon had felt more comfortable keeping her closer at hand.

"Excellent! We've got a lot more of it to come. I'm afraid we need to go into Teirm first to stock up on supplies, though." Farria shook her head to that. After the way people in Therinsford had treated her as she slowly became different to them as her connection with Sheratan developed, being surrounded by strangers was not an attractive prospect. "We have to, Farria. Don't worry, I'll protect you. Saphira needs to rest, too," he insisted, starting off. She had no choice but to follow.

Farria had been afraid of Eragon at first. He was a stranger and a strong one. He'd won her trust with kind words and promises; children tended to be more gullible and naive than adults, and Farria was no exception. Luckily Eragon genuinely was a friend to her, and had started to adopt something of a big brotherly role in their journey.

Staying close to Eragon, Farria watched the town with wide eyes. It was different to Therinsford. People were milling about, paying them no attention. She still didn't like being this close to them, so it was a relief when Eragon led them into the door of a tavern which advertised rooms to spare. It buzzed with noise, but at least people weren't moving about so much. Everyone was at their tables or heading to talk to someone. It was all much more predictable. The young warg took it all in with her forest green eyes while Eragon walked up to the counter. There was some dealing in money, and Farria assumed that meant they had a room. It would be nice to sleep in a warm bed indoors tonight, and to get a hot meal.

Before they could find a table, Eragon spied a familiar face trying hard not to look familiar out the corner of his eye. He too was dressed in casual clothes as he had only been traveling, so neither of them looked like someone to be noticed. He hesitated before walking over; if Brenton was dressed like that, it meant he didn't want to be seen. Yet he wouldn't draw much attention to them and they could together deal with a good deal of danger. Besides, Brenton was his half-brother, reluctant as the stubborn Rider was to admit Brom had fathered more than one son.

Buying a couple of drinks, Eragon looked like any friend greeting another as he set one down in front of Brenton. "Hello... brother," using his name could be dangerous, if the shadowy figure across the room was anything to go by, but there was a distinct pause before he managed to utter the word 'brother'. His smile showed that he was genuinely pleased to see Brenton, however. "How've you been? This is Farria, by the way," he gestured to the girl who had followed him here like a lost puppy, "She got into a spot of bother so I'm taking her to safety. I can tell you more about that later, unless... is anyone else listening?" he said the last question in a hushed voice. It would be clear that Farria was an oddity else he would have found some adult to adopt her. The people around them mostly looked like normal townspeople, but you could never be certain. Eragon was completely oblivious to the glowing in Brenton's palm. Farria had noticed from her lower vantage point, but she wasn't drawing attention to it.

[Brenton]

Brenton had seen someone familiar walk in the tavern door, a dark haired young man who was walking with a little girl, but as he was keeping himself as inconspicuous as possible, he avoided talking to Eragon just yet. He kept his eyes on the stranger in the opposite corner until he noticed a woman at the table who was expecting pay that the boy obviously didn't have on him. With a sigh, Brenton pulled out three gold coins and muttered a few words in the Ancient Language until the coins appeared under the boy's hand. Maybe that would help him a bit, but the king couldn't afford approaching just yet and giving away his presence to the shadowy figure.

When Eragon approached him, Brenton slowly slid his hand down the table so it was in front of him to make it look like he was uncomfortable but he was trying to hide the cruxis crystal from his half brother. Good evening, brother, and a fine day to you Farria. It is good to see people who I know in this city. Brenton spoke in a melodious tone that was loud enough to make it seem like he was in a conversation but he kept the shadowy figure in his peripheral vision.

The king moved his head closer to Eragon and lowered his voice ever so slightly to where only they would be able to hear what he said in this next sentence. The stranger in the opposite corner followed a girl into this tavern and then the boy who just ordered but could not pay followed her in to talk to her. I believe that she is being tailed by either a cut throat or someone who is with the Empire but since I wear my old Empire armor then I doubt they will suspect me. I would be greatly appreciated if your friend Farria doesn't mention what she sees as well because information gathered is not always what it may appear to be.

Brenton straightened up and smiled at Eragon before sighing and lowering his head in dismay. He may not have been raised with the other rider but Eragon was still family and so he had every reason to know about the cruxis crystal. The king held his hand at an angle facing the wall so only Farria and Eragon would be able to see it but no one else in the room should be able to. I had fallen into despair awhile back with losing Vaentr and not being able to ride him anymore but still hearing him through the eldunari so I took time to research. In my research I discovered an adopted sibling of ours, only in an alias to give to the Empire though, who was a dragon spirit through killing wild dragons and other dragon spirits. The dead energy filled him and he turned into a dragon spirit so I asked Arathale, Kialandi, and Skailah to help me in a spell to fuse my soul with Vaentr's. It worked but at a cost. In the process it was discovered that the eldunari anchored Vaentr and so there needed to be a cruxis crystal made to transfer him into. It was done and the spell was completed but now there are times where Vaentr and I get so close in mind that I feel like I am going mad with his consciousness. It is a curse that I bear but I wanted you to know before that because of that, I am now a dragon spirit and that cruxis crystals are considered forbidden dark magic used to gain immortality. It was not my intention to do that but that is what happened and so now you know. Farria, Eragon, please don't let anyone know this information as it can get me hunted down by everyone for practicing dark magic when I am a Varden supporter.

[Emiryal ♕]

Syaoran Li was more than surprised when the coins appeared in his hand. He smiled though and handed them to the girl who brought his food to him. She took them and walked away as he bit into the bread. He had noticed Eragon and the girl come in, though they were disguised well enough. "Thank you your majesty," he said to Brenton reaching out with his mind. "Greetings Eragon, it is a pleasure to meet you. You are well known among my kind. I am surprised to see you here," he said. Outward appearance showed no interest in either of the men in disguise. "You bring an interesting visitor with you. Now isn't the time to talk really but perhaps later we can speak," he said. "My name is Syaoran Li, a friend of Solumbum." He had learned of Eragon mostly through Solumbum but had never met him before. He mentioned the other werecat more as an indication that he meant no harm.