The Return (Open!)

[Aelodil]

Somewhere in a forest sat a young man on a tree. He had climbed to a high point in the tree and was now sitting there, relaxing, as he swung his leg back and forth. He was restless. It had been many years since he had had anyone accompanying him. After the incident with Nelfarion he had left to go work with the Water Branch. Soon after the Citadel and order had been restored, he had taken a leave and was now on a journey to absolutely no where special. He was just walking around and found himself where he was. This man was of course, none other than Laetri. He had left Avendel to rest back in the Water Citadel. She had been worried but, reluctantly, she had allowed him some alone time. Laetri hadn’t seen anyone really that he knew ever since he became busy with work as an Elder. It was a tremendous task but Glaedr thought he was worthy and so he had to live up to it. He could not stop now. He would continue on with his work. At times it isn’t the most pleasant, having to discipline the few who don’t work well, but otherwise it was almost the same as being a normal Rider.

He gazed to the sunset. The horizon was beautiful. He stared on in awe, mesmerized by the orange sunset. He was so fixed upon the sunset that he didn’t notice the un-naturally huge wolf approaching him until it snarled right next to him. He jumped in surprise and managed to bang his head on the branch above him. He fell down to the ground and hit his head again. He got up and pat his head. ”That hurt..”, he thought. He looked to the wolf. The wolf was large. Very tall. It even shot up past his waist by a few inches. He put his hands out as a sign that he meant no danger. He started speaking the Ancient Language, explaining that he meant it no harm. The wolf began circling him and he cautiously began circling as well. It growled and so he stopped moving but instead just started it in the eye. As the wolf approached him, he lowered himself a little as to have his eye level parallel to that of the wolfs’ eye level. It stared him in the eye with those large and dangerous blood red eyes.

Suddenly, the wolf jumped on him. Laetri forced himself backwards down to the ground and managed to nip it’s back. He hit the spinal cord very gently but with force enough to temporarily paralyze the wolf. It gave out a small yelp and fell. He got up and kneeled next to it, slowly patting it’s fur. First he went to it’s back and checked; it was a male. He slowly patted him, stroking his mane. Slowly, the wolf sniffed his hand. He said to him, “You need a name… I’ll name you.. Aedel!”. Aedel looked up at him with glimmering eyes and let Laetri pet him.

[Brenton]

The forest was a place of vast mystery to many, those who would go insane just walking through it aimlessly, but not to the man who now wore his attire like a pro. He was young again, only about thirteen in age, and had a self-confident manner with which his movements were made. The only problem was that this young man was not as he should be in description, small and agile, for he was supposed to be around twenty five in age. For attire he wore a red and black ensemble, silk shirt made of black with a red vest over that, and a blood red cape over his shoulders with the Empire emblem on his back. He wore a red band of cloth that held his long black hair back and just barely over his right eye.

His eyes were a piercing gold, suddenly something that made him exotic, but he had a human's body with elven ears. He was wearing a gold crown on his head over the band of cloth that marked him as the king and his eyes slanted up slightly. A red band of metal was on his wrist with no adornments on it. "Well this is nice to be young again. Maybe I'll..." Suddenly the young man saw ahead of him another fighting a wolf who he recognized. Laetri! This was not good if the elf thought him an enemy but the boy was obviously Brenton Bromsson, just younger in appearance.

Laetri, my old friend, how goes the work on the Water Citadel? Brenton's voice was loud but child-like, still obviously going through the transition into a man. He smiled a lopsided grin and the sparkling white teeth nearly blinded even himself as his over-confident swagger took him close to the elf who he called a friend.

[Aelodil]

Laetri looked up from his new friend to see a little less than a young man. The boy had a golden crown, the crown of the elves and in elegent dressing attire. Laetri snapped back to his thoughts and said, "Brenton?!?" Still confused. He nodded to the younger Brentons question, "Aye, it is going well, some of the riders don't want me leading them but in all it's going well. How goes your daily life? And what happened to you? And... oh goodness me, I will bore you to death wih all these questions. Come come, let us find a more suitable place to chat." He beckoned Brenton and whistled for Aedel. He began walking to the nearest small town.

"We have much to catch up on, my old friend. What have you been up to lately? And what, exactly, happened to you? I remember you being young but not this young! Tell me all about it." Laetri said while they walked, trying to start up a conversation. He looked at Brenton again, still not believing his eyes. What could have caused this change to him in the short time he was absent? He gave a tiny shrug. What did it matter? Brenton was still Brenton no matter how his appearance was. They arrived at the town and he led Brenton to the inn. He paid the in -keeper for a room and went up. Aedel jumped in through the window and they all sat. He looked at Brenton, gesturing for him to tell his story.

[Brenton]

Brenton laughed youthfully, not exactly feeling joy but more remembering how he felt when he had last been in a thirteen year old body. This was more intentional this time but it was still a shock to most of his friends to see the king as a youthful boy once more instead of a young king. As they walked toward the nearest town, Brenton gathered his thoughts to prepare the story that he would give to Laetri of his time since they last spoke. Suddenly he felt the presence of Vaentr in his mind once more, more prominent than he normally was. With a frustrated grimace, the boy shook his head and forced the dragon back so as to not change into himself when angry.

So much had changed and Brenton could feel it crushing him as they walked into the small town to the village. When the inn came up, Brenton walked inside and gathered energy just as they entered the room where they would be discussing his time. As the door closed he released the energy in a muttered spell, darker than normal because of the Cruxis Crystal. The spell took effect quickly, almost instantly, as a matter of fact.

Where the boy had been, a tall man now stood with his broad shoulders set back and his stance one of boredom. He was around six feet and two inches tall with long legs and arms that were heavily muscled while being covered in dark hair. His face was no longer youthful in a preadolecent sense but was more elvish with exotic features in his nose and jaw as well as eyes and ears. The only difference was the human structure of his bones in his cheeks and the full black beard that was trimmed into a warrior's beard and the fact that his eyes were more weary with long days worrying. He now had thick and shaggy black hair that fell to the nape of his neck while curling at the ends and the bangs no longer just covered his right eye but fell into both eyes with a veil that showed the gold just barely. He had the crown on, made of gold still, but the clothes were different now.

The king now wore a more lavish attire in cloth and it was different colors. His shirt was completely gone, leaving a bare bronze chest that was covered slightly by a black fine leather jerkin that was tied halfway and only loosely. Over that was a dark green cloak with a hood that had a gold leaf brooch holding it closed around his neck, showing the silver dragon necklace that he wore. On his legs were finer wool pants made of black dye that fell down and were tucked into a pair of dark green leather hunting boots that made nearly no sound as he moved. Around his waist was a large green belt with two swords on it, a blue long sword named Undbitr and a short silver sword named Argetadurna. Across his back was a quiver and long bow made of yew that was sung from an ancient tree near Ellesmera.

After that was noted, the next was the scar on his face that was over his mouth from right to left bottom to top. He also had a tattoo of an Empire flame on his left shoulder and a dragon tattooed on his entire right arm with the wings on either side of his torso. Much has happened since I was last with you, Laetri, things that I am not proud of in the least, but would not change if I had the chance. First I should explain that you just saw who I was when I was thirteen and in the Empire right after I found out about Drayden. I love that form because it makes me feel normal once again even though I know I am not.

What happened was in a time when I was dealing with a lot and remembering my time on Vaentr up in the air fighting all who got in my way no matter who they were. I cried out in agony because he was not there anymore aside from the eldunari and so I went to Camarat who was busy and found the other three dragon spirits. They promised to help me become a dragon spirit with Vaentr as the dragon but there were complications in the process. I was midway through the process when the eldunari held Vaentr back and it could not be completed so we had to resort to dark magic, a cruxis crystal. The crystal was made from his eldunari and given to me but it now drives me mad when I get angry and Vaentr is not the same. I can do things like turn my body back in age with ease and such but I also get strength and power that few can compete with. Added to that is Inferno's bracelet that I rarely use because of my current strength.

Brenton stood there with his heart aching as he spoke to Laetri about what he had done. Slowly he raised his right hand to show the cruxis crystal where his first Gedwey Ignasia had been. I am not the same as I was so I stay out of Ellesmera as often as possible. Even avoiding Rella who I love but can't feel true love for anymore because it took my emotions from me aside from rage.

[Quetzal]

Fear filled her. It had been with her for some time and was almost as bad as the fear that near-constantly gripped her human companion. The fear was for reasons she had never considered before meeting the child; hurting people, not knowing what she was, loneliness, helplessness. Her own fear was because she could see the ground over a hundred feet below her paws. She could see forests, her sharp eyes picking out deer moving around the edges. She wanted to be down there, to chase them, to kill them and eat them, but she couldn't.

She was strapped into the saddle of the blue dragon so she knew she was safe. All the same, a part of her felt a crippling terror at the sickening heights. She simultaneously couldn't look and couldn't look away. Her tail was swishing constantly as a useless way of trying to release her frustration and discomfort. How could the humans be so relaxed? Eragon looked like he was enjoying himself in the skies, and Farria had even fallen asleep. They were descending now, and the girl was stirring and...

... she was Farria again. There was something disorientating about waking up to find yourself in a different body to the one in your dream. She turned around to look at the snow leopard behind her, who was still staring over the edge of Saphira's back watching the ground near. Their minds were disconnected, or so they'd thought. They hadn't needed to communicate, and Sheratan's fear of heights had been making her feel sick. How had she looked through Sheratan's eyes, thought her thoughts, in her sleep? It happened sometimes as she hated it. It was a bitter reminder even when resting that she was not normal.

Saphira landed and Eragon hopped down before unstrapping her and Sheratan, who sat down immediately. The snow leopard looked quite woozy. Eragon crouched so his eyes were level with Farria's. "OK, you wanted this outing, don't make me regret it. There's a small town there, see? You'll be safe there, especially with Sheratan. I need to get a few Varden things done, but I'll be back before long and you can contact me if there's trouble. Then we can go for a walk in the woods or something. I could show you what plant you can eat, or how to shoot a bow. Would you like that?" he asked. She nodded eagerly. "Good. Go and explore the down, but don't cause any trouble," he smiled, mussing up her hair. With that, he got back onto Saphira and left.

Farria was sad he couldn't spend the day with her, but she was lucky she'd persuaded him to let her go with him to this minor round-up-inspire-confidence mission thing. It was rather tricky to persuade people to do anything when you never spoke. Not long after she began heading towards the town, Sheratan disappeared off ahead. Scouting the way, or she didn't want to be seen by any frightened civilians or angry farmers with missing livestock. A few moments after that, she heard voices behind her. She didn't recognise either. She hurried along, not wanting them to catch up with her.

When she was certain neither would be paying attention to a scrawny girl with messy hair and cheap dirty clothes, she glanced back. One was an elf man she didn't know, the other looked like Brenton but younger. That was strange. Why would anyone deliberately make themselves a child? It was frustrating. Precious few people paid her any notice, no one took her seriously and people of her own age were crueler than adults realised - their exclusion of her was one of the reasons why she'd opted not to talk. If she felt passionately about something, people would find it 'endearing' and dismiss her points as childish nonsense, even if they later made similar points themselves. She didn't know much of the world and lacked experience. It wasn't fun.

Then again, nothing Brenton did made sense. Another glance behind her told her there was a wolf walking alongside the stranger, so she decided she liked him. Being curious about what Brenton was doing here and having nothing better to do, when she noticed they were angling their paths towards the inn she slipped through the door long before they could reach it. She was ahead of them, so by her reasoning it wouldn't be logical for them to assume she was following them. Brenton didn't always think logically, though... he was unpredictable and she didn't like that.

Being unseen was something she had become very good at since Sheratan came into her life. The snow leopard was somewhere nearby, but she wasn't sure where. Farria sat down and proceeded to practically melt into the shadows. She was there, but she had an odd knack for being seen but not noticed - people wouldn't register she was there and wouldn't realise. The scholars thought it might be because she was a warg, the name they'd given to whatever she was now she'd formed a bond to Sheratan, but she didn't like to think about that. Instead she liked to think about the fun she could have with the skill. She didn't think either of the men or the wolf would recognise her, which made it easier. Even the innkeeper completely ignored her.

Right now she could hear what Brenton was saying to the other man, who he called Laetri. He'd turned back into he Brenton she'd seen around the Varden a few times. Then he proceeded to make a quiet speech which sounded to her like boasting with more sadness. The sadness sounded genuine, so it might not have just been an excuse to boast of his strength, but she'd seen him talking about how powerful and sad he was before and wasn't surprised. Isrydia, Arlyn, Eragon and Saphira liked him so he was probably OK, but she didn't want to talk to him or Laetri. She hadn't met Laetri before and she was a bit afraid of Brenton because she knew he was powerful because of that cruxis crystal thing he said he had, and also because she could never figure him out. It was impossible to tell what he was going to do next, and sometimes he seemed to do things for no reason. That was quite intimidating for a seven-year-old girl on her own in a place she didn't know. The wolf, on the other hand, she would have been happy to meet. Animals were less complicated than people and you always knew where you were with them. Plus, they didn't discriminate, which was a fresh change. For now, Farria remained a silent observer, not drawing any attention to herself so she could remain unseen.

[Aelodil]

Laetri looked on to Brenton with a sad look on his face. He felt himself on the verge of tears. Such horrible things had happened to him while he was gone. He felt guilty although he knew it wasn't his fault. And yet he felt that it was his responsibility to be with his friends, especially Brenton after what he had gone through, in their hard situations. He put his arm on Brenton's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that and I'm sorry that I was not there to help you get through it. I promise you that next time such a thing would happen that I would be there to help you. I will be by your side and support you as a support beam supports a building to stay up. In the meantime, stay here, I will go get us some drinks then we can talk more. I have much to tell you, my old friend." he said to Brenton in a sad and thick voice but with a smile on his face by the end of it all.

Laetri opened the door and walked down to where they were serving drinks. He grabbed himself two cups and as he turned around he noticed something that just didn't seem right. It looked like a little girl hiding herself. It was very hard to notice her. She hid herself well but Laetri was paying attention. If he paid enough attention he could just barely make out her figure. He shrugged. A little girl would be the last of his problems right now. He walked back up to the room where Brenton was waiting. He placed the glass on a small bench in front of Brenton and gestured for him to help himself. "So I see you've been pardoning yourself from your duties as king of the elves.." Laetri said carefully making sure not to insult Brenton. "Oh well, never mind that. So, how goes your days roaming around? Do you plan on doing anything about anything else or you just want a break from everything?" he asked in an intrigued tone.

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Aedel stared at the girl. His new master had completely ignored her and yet he felt like he shouldn't. Perhaps that was how it was supposed to be. With him being the smart one and Laetri being the one that was... well, rather dull. You don't just look at something and then ignore it. For all you know she could be an assassin! Aedel first needed to make sure she had no companions so he started sniffing around the inn. He walked outside, pushing open the door with his enormous paws. He turned left and right, certain that he had felt the presence of another animal around here. He sniffed around at the windows. He maniacally continued his search but found nothing. Oh well, he thought to himself. Time to confront that girl and bring her to Laetri.

Aedel walked back into the inn, startling a pair of men who were just walking out. Empire guards as it seemed. They jumped and cursed him and one put his hand on his sword, sheathed in a fine sheathe with a golden hand-guard. When they saw it was just a "dog" as they thought, despite a large one, they smiled and knelt down to pet him. His ferocious growling, however, dis-encouraged them and soon they were scuttling off to wherever they had business. He stalked to the place the girl was hiding and growled ever so slightly. He put his head level to level with her's and stared her in the eye, letting her know who was now in charge. He jabbed at Laetri's mind ever so slightly giving him whiff of what was going on downstairs. He put his two paws on the girls' shoulders putting just the slightest of pressure just to make sure she didn't run while making sure not to hurt her.

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Laetri jerked his head and without saying a word to Brenton ran down the stairs to the other room. What he found was not something he had expected. He was expecting something more of the sorts of some guards threatening Aedel and not Aedel threatening the little girl he had seen earlier. He walked over to where she was hiding and pat Aedel's head. He put his mouth to Aedel's ear and whispered, "Good boy, but... what makes you think this girl is of any danger to us?". Aedel bit the air and gave a small growl. He jabbed into Laetri's mind again and explained his thoughts. Laetri sat down cross-legged and sighed. He looked at the girl and gently removed Aedels' paws. He looked the girl in the eyes and said in an apologetic tone, "I apologize if Aedel here scared you, you see, he's a very protective fella. But seeing as he seems to be aware of something strange to you I'm afraid I'm going to have to go with his nose and ask you to follow me to the room. However, I'm afraid you don't have much choice but to agree. I don't mean this as a threat from myself but from him." jerking his head in Aedels' direction who snapped his jaw in agreement.


( Sorry for the quality... just no clue what to write really haha xP )

[Brenton]

Brenton was in the room with his head down when he suddenly caught a vaguely familiar presence down in the main area of the inn but didn't know who it could be. So the king sat there, arms crossed and eyes closed in a meditative state, until Laetri returned to the room with some drinks which were set down. Slowly the man nodded and took a small sip of his just before beginning to speak. I will probably... Before he could finish though, Brenton saw Laetri's head jerk up and suddenly the elf had ran out of the room in some fear.

With a minor debate, Brenton stood up and followed at a more sedate pace, his hand dropping to Argetadurna's hilt in preparation of a fight. Yet as he made it to the room downstairs, a strange sight met his eyes. The wolf that had been with Laetri when they walked here was cornering a girl who he could barely make out. Laetri was in the corner calming the wolf down and speaking to the girl. Now Brenton knew what the presence had been that he recognized upstairs. It was the little girl, Farria, who had been with Eragon that day he was in another inn.

With a purposeful stride toward the corner, the half elf dropped his hand on the table and glared at the wolf briefly before he spoke in a calm tone. Farria what are you doing here spying on us? You could be killed even with your particular abilities. Also where is my dear brother who was with you the last time we met? I thought he was watching you carefully to make sure you didn't get hurt and found out what you were. Brenton tried to be soothing when he spoke but it just wasn't possible with a wolf watching and a girl there who shouldn't be.

Quickly Brenton cast his mind out to find Eragon but it was a very weak connection as he showed the scene to his brother and gave a brief rundown of how he was handling it. He made sure to let his brother know that Laetri was a friend and not a foe before the connection ended and Brenton cursed silently to himself. Oh well! He would just have to deal with this with care now that he couldn't speak to Eragon anymore.

Laetri, Farria is a friend and a young girl who means us no harm in any way. Trust me when I say that if she did then you would not be able to rely on the wolf to protect us. She is powerful and much like you and I and my brother but without any mark to prove a connection. Also the girl does not speak so please do not harass her in such a manner. I have spoke to Eragon to let him know what happened and hopefully he will understand but you know how the blood of Brom is in my own veins.

[Quetzal]

Farria picked at the old and worn table while she quietly listened to Brenton and Laetri talk. Maybe she wouldn't go to them at all. It was nice being away from the busy Varden camp and Dras-Leona. She might be closer to finding a new friend and then maybe she wouldn't be so lonely all the time, but she highly doubted it and wasn't much of a conversationalist either.

The wolf sniffed around outside and in as if he'd caught a scent. Farria guessed that was Sheratan. The smell of a big fluffy cat was bound to make a big fluffy dog curious. The thought made her smile for a moment, which grew when the wolf scared off the Empire guards with his growling. Many small villages like this one still had the Empire prowling about, which could be another reason Eragon was in the area. There were the odd places the Varden needed to clear up of Empire influence.

The wolf took interest in her next. Farria didn't flinch when he looked her in the eye. Animals were one thing she was not scared of. Her smile had faded, but she didn't think the growling canine would hurt her. She looked him back in the eyes to show she was not afraid of him and she would not harm him, but looked away again since eye contact was taken as a challenge to most animals. She looked away first, so she had accepted that the wolf was stronger than her. This was true. There was no way she could beat him if it were her against him, unless she used her snow leopard form, but there was not a chance of her using that since she never could control it. It had been hard enough getting over the more animal instincts in her human form. The wolf was pinning her down, but he wasn't hurting her. If he really did mean her harm she wouldn't be in one piece.

The inkeeper was looking over and may have intervened had he not been worried about what the wolf might do to him. Thankfully, Laetri came over in time. Sheratan had also smelled the wolf behind Farria's trail and had slunk in the door. Seeing a wolf with its paws on her shoulders and a stranger standing next to them, the snow leopard yowled loudly and ran forward. Before she could reach Aedel to tackle him, Farria stretched out her arm palm out in a 'stop' signal. Sheratan stopped in her tracks, slinking over to sit close to the child. She watched Aedel warily when Laetri got him to back off, tail flicking in agitation.

Farria listened to Laetri and nodded, agreeing to go where he wanted her to. Maybe if she did what he wanted he wouldn't hurt her. He'd been apologetic, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Brenton recognised her too, askingher a bunch of questions she didn't answer. She did not want to talk to these people. Sheratan could see she was getting frightened again and nuzzled her. It was a small comfort, but she was grateful for it.

"Farria, Brenton told me what's happening. Don't worry. You're safe, Laetri's on our side and Brenton's my friend and half-brother. You can trust them." Eragon's words made her feel safer. She trusted him to the point where she believed just about anything he told her, so his words must be true.

She didn't like Brenton saying she was powerful. She supposed she might be considered such, but she couldn't use magic without speaking and was afraid to anyway. She didn't have much physical strength excepting her other form, and was more useful for... hiding? That didn't seem like a useful skill to anyone but herself. She didn't know what it was good for, but it didn't seem to be fighting, or at least she hoped it wasn't. She was grateful that Brenton had mentioned she was mute. She managed a small smile at him. To Laetri, she reached out mentally, trying to convey her confusion about who he was or what he wanted.

[Aelodil]

Laetri looked up to find Brenton looming over the bunch. He listened to what he said. So her name was Farria, eh? And his brother.. Laetri jerked his head in shock. Eragon?! Oh boy.. he thought to himself, If Eragon's involved and Brenton knows then.. oh boy, this is not going to end well. Best not to talk about Eragon. He listened intently to Brenton's words. Oh? So the girl was a Rider of sorts? Laetri thought as he looked back to Farria. He then turned to the leopard. Was there a bond between them as the bond between a dragon and his rider is? He shook his head. Better not dwell into such facts. Today was a day to enjoy. He had decided that nothing that would happen would ruin his mood. He looked at Farria, who, as Brenton had stated, was a mute. He was confused as to the reason but based on her nervous composure he decided it would be best not to.

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Aedel laid down next to Laetri with his head relaxing on his chest. His eyes were trained solely on the leopard. Perhaps the leopard meant no harm, perhaps it did. Perhaps it was tame, perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps it's purpose was to be a guard, perhaps it wasn't. Many inquiries came to his head. He shook his head as if removing fleas. As Laetri stood up, he got up as well, looking up at him confused.

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Laetri stood up and offered his hand to Farria. "Come, I feel like this isn't the most of secure places to have a chat or to wait for someone. I have a room bucked upstairs. There you can relax while Brenton and I enjoy some family re-union." Laetri said with a wink. He led the way up the stairs and back to the room where Brenton and he had been staying. As he sat down, he turned to Brenton and said, "So she's been staying with Eragon? And I wonder what your feelings about that are, eh? Oh, nevermind me. My pardon. I shouldn't tease you with such a thing. Just thought I'd try to lighten up the mood." He grabbed his glass once again and began drinking and gestured for Brenton to do the same. But before he drank he put it down then turned to Farria and asked, "You must be hungry. I hope you like tomato soup because that's what I have cooking."

Laetri excused himself and walked down the stairs and went to get his soup from the kitchen he had 'borrowed' from the innkeeper. He thanked the innkeeper once again and made his way back up with three bowls in his hand and two other bowls with some chopped up deer meat. The finest in town. Or so he was told. He walked into the room and handed a bowl to Brenton and another to Farria then put the last on the side of the table. He put the other bowls in front of Aedel and the leopard. He then turned to Brenton and asked, "I have a few questions. Firstly, does the leopard have a name? Secondly, is the leopard and Farria bonded similiarly as we are bonded with our dragons? And finally, how do you find the soup?" with the last question being rather out of place but he felt like he had to get that out there. He looked at Aedel who, in turn, looked at him. Laetri gave him a reassuring smile. That's when Aedel told Laetri about the Empire Guards. Laetri put his face in his hands. Oh joy, making friends everywhere we go. he thought to himself and Aedel who whined and covered his face with his paw.

[Brenton]

Brenton watched Farria intently to see what her reaction was to the situation but she seemed to take it in stride like what Eragon would have done. Interesting. So his half brother was teaching her how to control herself in stressful situations then. Just at that moment, Brenton could tell there was a heightened Empire presence in the area by the way everyone was behaving. With a sigh, the king removed his crown, putting it into a small pouch on his hip for safe keeping. No sense in people seeing he was king of the elves if they were loyalists to the Empire. Slowly he looked around and saw two pairs of eyes following Laetri as he walked toward the stairs once more.

Just what was needed at this moment, spies. Brenton followed at a measured pace and kept his eyes ahead but his mind focused on all of the people around. Apparently there were seven people in total who were watching the small group go up the stairs and each of them was armed from what he could gather. Yet none of them were willing to attack as they could clearly see that Laetri and himself were armed and accompanied by two wild animals who seemed trained by the group.

Brenton smirked slightly and walked up the stairs behind the other two into the room that Laetri had booked for them to use. Brenton sat down and took a drink while watching the way Laetri behaved in his questions. Eragon is my half-brother and not my responsibility to control no matter who his blood is from. He stays with Farria to teach her and to help her learn about what she is. As Laetri left the room for food, Brenton turned to Farria and stared at her briefly before speaking softly. I apologize Farria. It wasn't my intention to sound rude down there but there are people watching us and so I had to act indifferent. Hopefully Eragon will understand and not get too upset with me once he discovers why I am being harsh.

Laetri returned with food that he set down for everyone. Brenton took a small bit of soup in his spoon and ate. The leopard is named Sheratan if I remember correctly, a friend of Farria's much like our dragons are to us. As for the bond. It is not like a dragon rider in essence but more like what I am now with Vaentr minus the crystal. She is bonded to Sheratan like a dragon and rider but she can turn into a leopard as well from what I hear. Quite remarkable really since no one has heard of such a case before. Brenton paused and showed Laetri a brief image of the seven people downstairs watching them as they came up to the room. He should know as well since he was just as unprotected as Brenton and in just as much danger as well.

[Quetzal]

Sheratan stared back at Aedel. Her ears were perked up, alert, and occasionally flicked back as they picked up on some potentially interesting sound. Her tail flicked randomly every now and then, showing her dislike of the wolf's presence. She didn't know why he was here. Laetri had control over him, it seemed, but it looked like he hadn't trained him much, either through lack of know-how, effort or time. If it was the latter, a strong friendship may have not yet been formed between Aedel and Laetri. The wolf wouldn't be totally loyal, in that case, although dogs tended to be stupid enough to give their undying loyalties readily.

Farria followed Laetri and Aedel up the stairs, happier to be somewhere safer than the large public room downstairs. There had been a few strangers there. Not many, since it was a small town, but some of them had looked scary. As she walked she noticed a gedwey ignasia on Laetri's palm; he was a Rider too, then. She spent a lot of her time around Riders and felt comfortable around them and their dragons, so was pleased to see Laetri was one of them. Sheratan looked less happy at her side, but she assumed that was because of Aedel. Another large carnivore she'd not met before was bound to be seen as some sort of threat. She didn't question the snow leopard.

Brenton spoke very nicely to her indeed when they were alone in the room. She gave him a warm smile to let him know it was OK. His apology raised her opinion on him. Usually, because she refused to speak for herself, people forgot that she might still not like something, or at least didn't think it mattered too much if she wasn't complaining about it. It wasn't normally any particular fault of the person, since even the best of people could be blind to her feelings and carry on talking, so she tried not to think too harshly about it. When people didn't do it, however, she thought well of them, so she thought well of Brenton and Laetri currently.

A bowl of tomato soup was placed in front of her. She grasped a spoon and immediately took a hungry sip, but it was too hot and scalded her tongue. The shock of the heat made her drop the spoon in reflex. Sheratan purred in amusement. She looked more relaxed with the food in front of her, and snapped up a piece of the meat. It was fresh, not too chewy. She still watched Aedel. Cautiously, she decided that she might as well try to communicate and reached out to touch his mind. If permitted, she would ask "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Farria blew on the surface of her spoon, impatient for it to cool. She wriggled in her seat as she waited. To what Brenton had to say, she nodded in agreement. Sheratan was her friend, and from all the time she'd spend around Rider, she knew she was like her dragon, too, except she couldn't breathe fire or fly or use magic or carry human weight. To illustrate further to Laetri what it was like, she brushed against his mind, trying to send across what the bond between herself and the snow leopard felt like. Sheratan wasn't as smart as a dragon, but since she'd found Farria she'd been getting more intelligent just as Farria had found her odd abilities and those terrible animal instincts she'd tried to bury.

[Aelodil]

Laetri seemed amused by Farrias attempt to drink the soup so impatiently. He knelt next to her and put his hand on her chin and chanted a small short spell. Firstly it would soothe her scalded tongue and make sure that anymore liquid to enter her mouth would be cooled, not too cool as to ruin the taste but cool enough that it was comfortable enough to eat while still tasting good. He stood up once again and nodded when suddenly he jerked back at the presence on his mind. As he felt Brentons thoughts however, he calmed down and opened himself to see what Brenton had to say that he couldn't say in public. It must have been something important. Because Brenton, as everyone else who had experience with elves, knew that it was not a safe decision to wander into an elves mind, whether welcome or not. He looked at the image Brenton had sent him and winced. He pushed back to Brentons mind ever-so gently and gave a knock before telling him,"Yeah.. about that.. Aedel may or may not have accidentally made some new friends. Let's ignore them for now, better to not traumatize the poor girl here. Also, the innocents that would be caught in the cross-fire.. no no, let us ignore them unless need be."

Laetri sat back and relaxed as he drank his soup and looked at the people around him. They all seemed to enjoy the soup and for that he was glad. Most of the people he knew would laugh at him. The Elder of the Water Branch and yet here he was cooking food for his friends in an apron and a kitchen in an inn. He shrugged mentally. He didn't care what they had to say. And besides, once you start cooking you will begin to realize how enjoyable it is, especially when you see the looks on the peoples' faces as they enjoy the meal you had made for them. He smiled broadly. This was something he never would have enjoyed in the formal life of an Elf as himself back in Ellesmera. This is why he loved adventures. He stroked Aedels mane and smiled. Although he hadn't really been with the dog long enough for a bond to actually form, he knew the dog respected him at the very least. Also, Laetri could tell, Aedel was not under his old master happily. He was obviously forced and apparently had needed to be subdued multiple times.. violently, it seems, even.




Aedels head perked up. He felt some pressure on his mind and growled. He was about to jab back when he felt the presence of the leopard, Sheratan, if he recalled. In response to her question, he reached out to her mind and said, calmly and in a voice that was gentle but strong and firm at the same time,"Under my old master I did hideous deeds. But now that Laetri has me tamed.. I will try to redeem myself. I've also heard he is a traveler and that he has a tendency to helping out anyone who's in need so I find myself here with him, hoping to help out anyone I could." As he stared Sheratan straight in the eye. It was up top her whether she believed him or not -- it mattered little to him. Unlike the humans who began gulping down their soup greedily, Aedel ate his meat with a courtesy they couldn't match in a million years. He chewed it slowly and savored every last bit of it. He closed his eye in happy bliss when he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of cackling metal.

He stood up suddenly and peeked out the door to see a good 10 or so soldiers walking up the stairs in heavy metal armor. The one in the lead held a spear and a short sword to his side while the other 9 only held short swords. One of them held the banner of the Empire. Aedel put his head back in the room and sent an image to Laetri and Brenton of what he had just seen. The soldiers didn't seem to be trying to be subtle one bit. They tramped around with their heavy metal armor like moving brick walls. Laetri stood up and took Thringa off the bed but left it sheathed. If they could talk their way out of this then it would be better. Suddenly, the soldiers barged into the room. The man with the spear leveled it straight to Laetris neck. Aedel growled and snarled at the man who looked at him with a terrified expression on his face but none-the-less left his spear leveled. He let out a little squeak then proceeded to an attempt of talking though his voice was very high-pitched which made it sound more like ducks hatching."You are hereby under arrest. Lord Galbatorix demands you are taken a prisoner to his castle where he is to speak to you." he said, pointing to Laetri.




Laetri cocked his head. He looked at Aedel and asked,"What did the crazy man with the long stick just say? Aedels only response was to give a little chuckle that sounded suspiciously like a snarl. Laetri looked at the man and said,"Let's say that I were to tell you that I won't come along quietly?" his voice dangerously quiet. The soldier gulped and grasped his spear even tighter in a grip. Laetri pressed further,"Oh, so you know I'm a Rider and an Elf. That's good, that's good.. so what do you think would happen if I were to decide that your mind is one I do not want to see on the face of this planet anymore? Hmm? Ponder on that. Your friends included, by the way. Don't get too eased up because I haven't directed my speech to you." At that, the man in the lead yelped and ran down the flight of stairs. The rest of the men stood for about one more second before dropping their arms and ran after their leader. Laetri gave a good chuckle of laughter. Perhaps the joke had gone too far but it was hilarious. He looked at the others and said,"Well that was fun. Now, I have a question. Where will you two be off to now?" he said, pointing to Brenton and Farria.

[Brenton]

Brenton had been eating soup while he pondered the situation below when he heard the sound of metal from the hall leading to their room. Well that took little time. Still the king was ready as he stood up and put the crown back on his head and moved his cloak aside to show Undbitr and Argetadurna within easy range. He looked at the group of soldiers as they entered and then Laetri spoke about how he was an elf and a rider who could kill them without losing sleep. While he could kill, no elf would do it without losing sleep.

The lead soldier ran but as the others began to leave, Brenton saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was one soldier who stared directly at the king with malice in his gaze and suddenly a whirling flash of metal flew through the air toward Brenton. As the king reached out and caught the knife with deft movements, the last soldier was gone and already down the stairs to join his friends in the main room. So there was more to this than just arresting Laetri under Galbatorix's command for the time being. Just perfect!

I'm going to get Eragon to get his young rear here now and we can deal with this as riders should, hunting down these scum who want to attack us for no reason. A snarl bubbled from Brenton's throat as he spoke of vengeance against the Empire soldiers. He glared around and instead of gold eyes, his were now blue while his teeth had sharpened to fangs at the top and bottom canines. Already he was growling and struggling with the anger that built slowly within but it was success. Brenton closed his eyes and slammed his fist at the wall, straight through the three inch brick wall.

He opened his eyes once more and they were regular again as was his teeth but his fist was scraped up and several of his knuckles were busted, bulging the skin out grotesquely. Pain was no issue because of the cruxis crystal so the king didn't even realize he was injured as he looked at Laetri and smiled weakly. Vaentr controls me sometimes even when I wish him to just leave me alone. Sorry about that. Still I really am going to contact Eragon and Saphira so we can figure out what to do.

Brenton's eyes grew distant as he cast his mind out, relying upon Grazael and Saphira I to help him locate his half brother's mind with relative ease. As he reached the younger of the two Bromssons, Brenton spoke mentally, his lips moving just barely. We have trouble, Eragon, something that I'm sure Laetri and I could handle. Still the Empire just barged into our room and tried to arrest Laetri before throwing a knife at me. Please, brother, return to Farria and help us figure out what to do before I am forced to tear the town apart to eradicate the threat. Brenton left the connection open just in case his brother had a reply but he looked at Farria and Laetri once more.

I told Eragon. Now it is in his court to decide whether or not he will offer assistance but even if he doesn't then I can surely use my eldunari and Vaentr's rage and strength. We won't let this attack go unnoticed. They will recognize that attacking two riders, an Elder and the king of the elves, is a very bad idea for their health. Now what do you two say to tactical planning?

[Quetzal]

Laetri cast a spell on Farria and she felt her tongue recover from the scalding. Her sense of taste returned and the lingering dull pain faded, leaving her as though she had not scalded herself at all. Pleased, she raised another spoonful to her lips and blew gently to cool it, unaware Laetri's spell would have cooled the soup for her anyway. Steam still rose after her best efforts, so she blew on the spoon so hard a few droplets of soup splattered back into the bowl. As it to show the soup who was boss, she gulped down the spoonful, expecting to find it burning hot but instead finding it cool enough to be described as pleasantly warm. Tentatively she sipped at a third spoonful. That was cool enough to drink too! She carried on eating her soup normally, satisfied. It was nice.

Sheratan thought Aedel's explanation was sound. "Helping people is a good idea. Better they're friends of us animals than enemies," she replied. Her eating was far less graceful than his. She took each chunk of meat in her teeth and swallowed it practically whole, blood and juices staining the fur around her mouth.

The door burst open after Laetri took a look at what lay beyond. Ten soldiers entered, shouting. Farria dropped her spoon and froze in fear. They were armed and armoured, she was seven. There were no prizes for guessing who would win in a fight there. Sheratan jumped to stand in front of Farria, baring her teeth in a vicious snarl. Her protective stance made the child feel safe. The blood on the snow leopard's white fur and teeth only served to make her look more aggressive and threatening. Farria tried to be calm, but she couldn't help but feel afraid. Laetri, Brenton, Aedel and Sheratan could beat them easily, she knew, but what if the soldiers hurt her first anyway? She kept a brave face, trying to look strong like Sheratan. People kept telling her she was special, different, important, so it was time she acting as such. She needed to tell people she was not scared, even when she was. Thankfully, Laetri made them go away without a fight. Tension left her.

The relief was short-lived, however, as a cold rage swept over Brenton. He changed in an instant from what seemed to be a nice guy to a bloodthirsty crazy guy. Now she could see why he had his reputation. She may have tried to hard to look brave earlier, but it was too hard now. Then she had know Brenton would protect her, but now the protector was the scary one. Could Laetri really take him on if it came to it? She couldn't know. As a defence mechanism, her body started trying to change. Her skin burned with an itch to sprout fur and shift to a four-legged feline shape. No. There were other people here, innocents... she might hurt them. Scared of herself now, she hugged her knees, making herself small for comfort. She began to shake with the effort of controlling herself, stopping her more animal instincts reacting by attacking when threatened like this. Brenton punched through a wall, and she closed her eyes tightly shut, shaking intensifying.

It was quiet for a moment so she opened her eyes again. Brenton looked as he had done earlier. His knuckles were injured. That was his own fault, he shouldn't have punched the wall. The innkeeper couldn't be happy about that. She was still shaking, but her head was raised away from her knees and she was more open, not scared but still nervous in case that happened again.

Eragon, several miles away, let Brenton speak to him. He was in a meeting with numerous townspeople and Varden members, discussing how they wanted their town to be improved under the Varden to convince them to help eradicate Empire control there. It wasn't interesting, but it was important. They needed to loosen Empire control here so it would relax in neighbouring towns and villages too, spreading Varden support - the town was a major harbourer of Empire guards, soldiers, law and support. "I'm afraid I'm at a crucial part in ridding the Empire from this place in the long run, which is more important than ridding a small group in the short term. I know you, Laetri and Sheratan can keep Farria safe. I'll only come if it gets really threatening, what I'm doing now is really too important to walk out on," he replied. He felt bad for not going to help, but hunting down a small group was far less effective than negotiating to remove all Empire influence and convince people to support the Varden instead - more small groups existed and more yet would form to replace the broken ones, while forming an agreement would rid the area of the Empire possibly for good in a clean way.

Tactical planning? Brenton sounded as if the didn't have a choice here. Sheratan gobbled down some more meat. Farria shook her head to Brenton's question. No. She said no to tactical planning. The soldiers had gone. Why did they need to track them down? To cause more death, more blood, more violence? The soldiers had chosen not to fight, so they should respect that. If they only ever attacked people who'd surrendered and retreated, why would anyone ever surrender and make peace?

[Aelodil]

Laetri put his arm on Brenton's shoulder heavily for a second as Brenton underwent a strange transformation. The pressure on his shoulder wouldn't hurt but it would definitely bring him back to his senses. He stared Brenton in the eyes and shook his head."Brenton, my old friend.. sometimes it is best to leave a grudge be. I doubt that you would've passed up the opportunity he had if you were in his place. It is simply what he must do. It is the way of life. We Riders are not here to act as spears of vengeance -- no, we are here to enact the law of humans and all living sentimental beings. We are here as justice. And justice does not deem it fit to go hunt soldiers who have already laid their arms down. I beget you, brother, calm yourself. Nothing will come from your rage but sorrow." Laetri said, his voice gentle and passionate. He still hadn't noticed Farria's distress but he surely noticed his own distress. This was not the Brenton he once knew. He shook his head sadly.Don't do this, Brenton.. he thought to himself.

The first to recover was Aedel, already back to reality. He circled around Laetri's legs in an agitated manner, face set in a snarl. Laetri knelt next to him and pat him, whispering words to soothe him. Soon enough, Aedel was back to normal -- almost."While I would love to go rip those soldiers to shreds, I'm afraid Laetri has a point. We cannot kill one who has already surrendered for that would make us worse than the monster whom which we fight. Let us continue with all our pride and dignity rather than attacking such men." he said to everyone present, his voice soft but firm, giving no room for argument. He gobbled the remaining meat in his bowl and shook his mane, obviously satisfied with the meal. He looked up to Laetri who, in turn, looked to Farria.

That was when Laetri recognized the fear on Farria's figure. He sat next to her and extended an arm around her shoulder while and began singing in a surprisingly compassionate and gentle voice in the Ancient Language. She probably wouldn't understand any of it but it would definitely soothe her. He removed his cloak, the one he wore to the formal meetings for the Air Branch and draped it around Farria. He smiled at her and finished, saying,"Do not fear. Do not panic. Brenton would not lose complete control." He then stood up and stretched a little. He turned to Brenton who was still in a rather nasty mood. He frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. What to do, what to do? He sighed. Not really anything to do. He realized, sadly, that the best way to help Brenton was to leave him to his own affairs. On the other hand, he needed Brenton to snap back to reality. They had to get out of here.

Stomping his feet in agitation, Laetri turned to Brenton and cast his thoughts out in his direction."I know you are angry but still.. not for me, but rather, for Farria, remain in control. For now we need to get out of here. This traumatic experience is obviously not a pleasant one for her. She is still so young and yet she has to witness all this.. how do you think she would feel if the next most important man who was her guardian, her protector, went all ballistic and went on a killing spree? Hmm? Then who would protect her other than Eragon who is off doing goodness-knows-what. Come, let us leave this cursed place." he told Brenton. He walked to Farria and muttered,"My apologies for this." He scooped her up and whistled for Aedel. He beckoned for Sheratan to follow and Aedel reached out to Sheratan's mind saying,"Don't worry. Laetri won't do anything stupid. We just need to leave here quickly as possible and he doesn't want the little girl to tire herself or to worry. Come along now."

Laetri looked at Brenton one last time before heading out the window. He truly hoped his faithful friend would follow behind and would leave the soldiers be. If it was the old Brenton he knew then he wouldn't have had to worry about that.. but the way he is now.. there were no guarantees. Laetri whispered in a low voice so only someone with the heightened senses of an elf would hear,"Don't do anything stupid." directing his words to Brenton before he leaped out of the window with Aedel in hot pursuit. Laetri closed his eyes. He'd have to hope Brenton knew what to do. In the mean time, he had to get Farria out of here. He looked around and headed back to where his tiny tent was at.

[Brenton]

Brenton felt a phantom pain stab him in the chest when Eragon refused to help. Just like Brom, Eragon was unwilling to help him when he asked for help. A small lump formed in his throat and too late Brenton realized his mind was still connected to Eragon. That meant all his hurt was conveyed to the younger rider. Quickly he threw up walls to protect his thoughts further.

When Laetri contacted him, the king lowered his walls enough to hear his friend. So they were worried? Brenton waited until Laetri jumped from the window. Then he drew both swords and sighed quietly. No one would help but Brenton wasn't going to allow the attack. He walked down the stairs and looked right at the soldier who had thrown the knife. JIERDA! The soldier blew up from the pure force of the spell, taking most of the wall with him. Who's next?

[Quetzal]

Eragon was annoyed by Brenton's hurt. Oh, like he was supposed to just drop everything he was doing and come running every time his half-brother saw an Empire soldier?! If their roles were reversed, he would just get on with defending himself rather than disturb Brenton if he were in some kingly meeting. As the Varden's champion, he had duties to fulfill, and people never did seem to quite appreciate just how much work he had to do when they asked more of him. He would have sent Saphira - she was faster - if Farria was alone, but Brenton was King of the Elves, for goodness' sake. Laetri was a Rider, Elder of the Air Branch, wise as Brenton was angry. Brenton was growing stronger every time he saw him, maddened (at first he'd thought it might be grief for Grazael, but then he'd seen that crystal and what the man had become) but one of the strongest fighters he'd met. A few Empire soldiers should hardly worry the man! Eragon and Saphira thought Brenton and Laetri could handle themselves, and thought their work was more important than helping a fight that was already won, if there even was cause to fight. If they left the meeting, the lords of the small towns and villages would take it to insult. Dull the meeting was, the Varden needed their support to eradicate Empire influence for good and rally more men to fight for them and supply them. Permanently remove all Empire influence was more important than killing a few soldiers who would only be replaced. He tried to shove his anger to one side so the lords would not notice his darkened mood and continued discussing protection the Varden could offer their people.

The white cloak was large on the short bony child, blanketing her. Laetri and Aedel had agreed that they shouldn't fight with people who'd already surrendered. That was good. The soldiers weren't allowed to hurt them now they'd given up, so the least they could do was to not stab them in the back. The soldiers would learn that people were nice to them when they stopped attacking them, and maybe they'd avoid attacking people more often.

Farria identified the Ancient Language, having heard it spoken often enough around the Riders and scholars of the Varden. It was the language of magic, though Laetri was not casting a spell. Some the really really old books the scholars had taken with them were written in the Ancient Language. They said it meant you knew the books told the truth. On occasion they'd read bits to her, since she couldn't read herself nor understand the words, and some of the events and creatures sounded so fantastical it was hard to believe they weren't lies. Perhaps it was possible to lie in the Ancient Language, if you knew how or played the words right. What Laetri said in the common tongue about Brenton not losing complete control sounded like one of those lies twisted to make a truth. He would always have some control over himself, but already he looked like he'd lost enough control to do things he'd regret later. Whatever Laetri was saying in the Ancient Language, it made her feel safe. She calmed, relaxing. She couldn't find it in her to smile, not with events as they were, but she was more at ease.

Laetri scooped her up and she knew better than to object. Sheratan wasn't too happy about it. The snow leopard bristled but did nothing to retrieve her. "I think I can trust Laetri. Farria certainly does. I just hope Brenton heeds his warning and doesn't do anything to provoke people into attacking again. Next time it won't be so easy to make them back down," she replied to the wolf.

Farria looked down out the window, then wished she hadn't. The ground was far closer than it was when she flew on dragonback, but it was more scary now she knew it would soon be getting closer still. She looked away, bright green eyes seeing Brenton fuming with rage in the room. For a moment, she felt sorry for him. She knew exactly what it was like, to have all that destructive animalistic rage inside threaten to take over the mind. It was all too easy to give in, but where her violent instincts had come from a snow leopard, his had come from a dragon. She'd been able to shove hers aside and lock it up, not a permanent solution but one that worked until she could figure out what exactly she could do and how to stop herself doing it. A dragon's mind was vast, she knew, its will far harder to suppress. No wonder Brenton struggled.

The ground rushed up to her, and she bit back a yelp. No. She would not let this scare her. She was frightened all the time; people with pointy objects always seemed to be lurking close by, and the girl never felt truly safe with no home but for an army camp, and there was always the underlying fear of herself that amplified any other fears. She knew Laetri, Sheratan and Aedel wouldn't let anything hurt her, and Brenton would try, so she knew the elf Rider would be able to escape the jump unharmed. There was no danger, she had nothing to be scared of. She tried to fill herself with this false bravery, forcing confidence on herself. It scrambled her thoughts when she panicked, and when that happened she always began to lose control. Once on the ground, she wriggled free of Laetri's arm. Sheratan managed a few steps down the wall before jumping, landing effortlessly on her feet as cats do. They both heard a crash, cry and splatter from the room they'd just left and frowned. "Sounds like Brenton didn't take your warning. That won't make people very happy. It would be better for him if we showed him how to stop himself and made peace, but I don't know it that's even possible," Sheratan observed, thinking through their options. Farria didn't want to run or hide. She was fed up of fleeing like a scared little mouse, but equally well she didn't fancy heading into a fight either.

[Aelodil]

((Correction; I meant to say Water Branch, rather than Air))

Laetri looked back at the inn. So he had truly lost control, was it? He frowned and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Trying to subdue him would be a rather futile effort. As much as Laetri hated to admit it, Brenton was probably physically stronger than him. That crystal which had cost him his humanity gave him power which, Laetri hated to admit once again, was probably on it's own level. Laetri probably could have made up for it if he had had Agaravel with him, but Agaravel wasn't here. He was alone this time with a very formidable foe. He bit his lip so hard it let out a stream of blood. Normally he'd face such troubles with Agaravel together as one. But this time there was no Agaravel. There was no one but himself and a crazed Brenton. He started striding around, back and forth as he thought through it with no possible conclusion. Then suddenly he heard her voice;"Don't trouble yourself, Laetri. I'm here."

His head shot up as he heard Agaravel's voice. It must have been her! He sent his thoughts out towards her and asked,"Agaravel! Where are you right now?" Just as he finished his sentence he was buffeted with a heavy gale. He strode back and looked up at her with happiness clear in his eyes. As she landed, he ran to her and hugged her neck. She let out a small stream of smoke with pleasure. As he pulled back, he sent her his questioning thoughts to which she responded,"Well, I know you, Laetri. You're never in a protected place if you're not near me. Without me you feel hollow and afraid. With me you manage to gain the courage deep in your heart. That is why I followed you to here." Laetri smiled up at her. They had grown on each other over the past year. That's when he remembered; Farria! He turned out to look at her and gave himself a good smack on the face. She must be terrified!

He walked over to her and knelt next to her. He conveyed his thoughts to her in a link with Agaravel. He introduced them and then he turned his eyes to Aedel who was warily watching Agaravel. Agaravel snorted suddenly and stared at Aedel with a deathly glare that had jealousy in it. Laetri sighed. He should've known what was coming. It was to be expected now. He formally introduced them and Aedel immediately went berserk. He had an obsession, it seemed, with Agaravel's scales. He began rubbing himself on her sides with a happy look on his face. Laetri gave a smile. He was glad to see him enjoying himself. Agaravel on the other hand was no where near happy. She snorted and moved around trying to avoid the large dog who easily chased after her. Laetri sighed."Aight then, break it up you two. We have important business to tend to." He said over the gushing of the wind from Agaravel's beats. With reluctance, they sat down in front of him with their heads bowed.

He quickly explained what had happened to Brenton and that they were NOT to fight him. They were to do their best to calm his rage until he, hopefully, grew tired and stopped the rampage. If not then... things would not look too bright. He was about to set back into the inn when he remembered Farria and Sheratan. He bit his lip again. He had forgotten about them! Not good.. if they get caught up in the crossfire.... He turned to Aedel and nodded as he himself walked to Agaravel's side and began to help her don her armor.

Aedel strode over to Sheratan and Farria with graceful steps. As he neared, he reached out with his mind to Sheratan."Sheratan. Laetri asks if you could take Farria and get as far away as you can without alerting her. We want to try to just tire Brenton out by blocking his attacks until he goes back to normal.. or so is the plan. In the meantime, we need you to make sure she's not in harm's way. Do you think you can trust us and help us out here? It's your decision." he said to her, making sure not to sound too pushy. He really hoped she would listen. He turned and strode back to Laetri and nodded just as Laetri finished.

Laetri beckoned Aedel and Agaravel over and he strode into the inn. There was a group of frightened men and women and even a child in the main room with their heads ducked. Right in front of the stair case was a small squad. The same squad of men who had attacked them. Yet, the one who had attacked Brenton was not here. Laetri pushed them back and walked up the stairs -- to halt in front of a terrifying scene. The wall was, for the most part, gone, with splinters all over the place along with quite a few organs here and there. There was blood splattered all over the stairs. On the top of the stairs was Brenton, standing there with his sword unsheathed and looking murderous as ever. Laetri took out Thringa just as a precaution and walked up the stairs."Brenton? What have you done.. Why did you kill him? He was defenseless. What has that crystal truly done to you? Have you truly given yourself away just for the sake of power? Are you truly the Brenton I thought I had once known? Or are you just the monster residing within him? Just who are you?" he asked, truly disturbed by the scene. He hardened himself and said in a steely voice,"I'm sorry... I can't let you do this." Then he charged. He ran up the stairs in a single quick stride and aimed a thrust for his belly, a very fast thrust that would be fairly difficult to parry but perhaps too open. He had aimed for a place well protected by armor that wouldn't truly harm him but should bruise him up a little if the attack landed.

[Brenton]

Brenton had seen the guards getting ready to attack when he blinked in confusion. His eyes grew distant but turned blue for ten seconds. Then a dark flash and Brenton was cloaked in black armor that covered features that would make any respectable father hide their daughtes. Just then a friend was in front of Brenton speaking of stopping him. Laetri attacked Brenton with a full assault. Brenton growled but a simple side step took him out of harms way. I was never a good person Laetri. Just someone who was abandoned by my father. Because of that I was raised in the Empire. How do you think I was able to fight for you and cast Nelfarion away? I used that training instead of letting you die. I was always a monster since childhood. Unconsciously Brenton had contacted Eragon`s mind while talking. Some twisted part of himself wanted his half brother to hear what he had to say. Move out of my way Laetri lest you end up like that soldier did just before the wall was gone. Brenton readied both swords and the same spell he had used on the soldier.

[Quetzal]

Agaravel's sudden appearance caught Farria by surprise. For a moment she stood frozen, staring at the big dragon, but soon she remembered the gedwey ignasia she'd seen on Laetri's palm. He was a Rider, so this must be his dragon. If not, he could fight it off. When she landed, he hugged her neck, proving that she was indeed his dragon. Farria studied her with interest. She liked dragons, and Agaravel was older than many around today. She was big and strong. The girl and snow leopard both felt safer knowing she was around to help fight for them. Brenton might be more easily subdued by the huge mind of dragon. They felt large enough, like some sort of ocean of knowledge, when she just talked to them, so an all-out attack mus be very challenging to face.

Farria was glad to be introduced to Agaravel. She would remember that name. It was important to remember the names of people you'd met as well as important people, and Agaravel and Laetri were both. Sometimes she would forget someone's name, but that wouldn't happen with a Rider and dragon, she was sure of it. News about dragons and Riders spread quickly, myths and legends and songs forming as fast as an elf could run. If she knew the people they were talking about, she would be able to judge better whether or not the story was true. That was useful. She liked knowing what people were talking about, too.

Sheratan watched Aedel in amusement. She had to admit, for a dog, he was all right. Loyal with a good heart, it would appear he could be laid-back and have fun too. She was more serious in nature so rarely played games, but that didn't mean she thought games were inherently bad. The dog clearly cared about other people, too. She flicked an ear when he spoke to her. "Of course, I'll do my best to keep her safe." She turned to Farria. "Come, we should make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for us while Brenton deals with Laetri," she had opened up their connection so was getting an idea of what Farria was feeling. She didn't want to run and hide, so it was easier if she didn't tell her that was what they were doing. Let her believe they were helping, it was better than forcing her to hide or scaring her.

It worked; Farria nodded respectfully to Laetri and Agaravel and ran off. Being a child, she could run everywhere as fast as she liked and no one would pay her any notice. If a grown-up tried it, it would look weird, Farria knew. She imagined they'd look a lot like they were guilty and fleeing justice, or perhaps just in trouble. Either way, it was attract attention. But not her. She sprinted gleefully through town, Sheratan a white shadow. The snow leopard kept out of sight but close by, as a girl with a snowcat at her heels was like to be noticed and spoken about. If anyone came looking for them, they wouldn't have much trouble because of that. Farria spied an especially tall building and dashed up to it. She was short for her age but the skinny girl still managed to reach the place where a wooden support beam jutted out from the plaster when she jumped. Pulling herself up, she used this as a boost to get to a windowsill higher up, and shimmied along until she came to some more wooden beams. Carefully but quickly she climbed to the roof, where she sat and looked around to see if she could see anything interesting. Ever since becoming a warg she'd been much better at climbing, probably thanks to a snow leopard's mountainous home where they'd have to do a lot of climbing. It was all much to Sheratan's displeasure, who worried until the girl was safely on the roof. She didn't join her but watched. A couple of people had seen Farria climbing, but now she was watching them no one could see her. Something about her made people's eyes fail to register she was there.

Eragon was alarmed to feel the contact again. Something must be seriously wrong if Brenton had been stumped by a handful of soldiers. The mind that contacted his was definitely Brenton's, but it was wrong, so wrong. The anger had intensified to a twisted hatred leaking from the man's body. He knew the king was mad, but this? He had a taste of his mind to go with the words and it was not pretty. A cold dread washed over him, akin to both the feeling of leaving his stomach behind when falling from a great height and the feeling of sinking into an unexpectedly icy bath. Farria, he realised. She was there. He'd let her get near Brenton and ignored Brenton's warning about one thing, forgetting about something more dangerous. Laetri was in danger too. "Are you all right, sir? You've gone incredibly pale," a lord asked him.

He blinked at him. He'd gone quiet and looked quite ill when he'd seen what was happening in the village, and the others at the meeting had noticed. The talk had hushed. Eragon inwardly kicked himself. He needed to seem strong! "Fine, I'm fine. I've just been notified that a friend's life is at risk, however. Would you be so good as to excuse Saphira from the meeting so she may go to their aid?" he was as polite as he could. They would hardly let him and Saphira both go, having worked hard to get this meeting and knowing how full his schedule was, so it was better just Saphira went. She was faster, she could reach them quicker. Through her he could speak and fight, too.

The lords looked annoyed. "You sure they can't handle themselves? It's one guy's life against all those in these villages," one protested.

"Of course I'm sure. I have powerful friends, remember, and many people rely on them just as your villagers rely on you," he ddn't want to specify who was involved, but the lords thankfully took the hint. Saphira's face disappeared from the window as she took off, and he sent Brenton the knowledge that she was on her way. The talk resumed, but Eragon was less focused on the dull discussion and more so on worrying about what was happening with Brenton, Laetri and the others. The lords seemed less trusting now Saphira had left. They were concerned that others may be contacting his mind without them realising it too, he could tell.