A Knight's Union [Quetzal]

[Aelodil]

Aelodil was walking nearby his current estate. It had become his family's main estate seeing as he was the only one remaining of his family. The king had already tried to arrange a marriage candidate for Aelodil but Aelodil had somehow managed to get out of that situation. He shook his head. It wouldn't do to marry someone he had just met. Though he had to agree, it was pretty sad to be the last one of his bloodline. He remembered the days long ago, as a little child, playing in the gardens with his cousins and friends. Those days were true bliss. Well, as they all say, ignorance truly is bliss. He had always been dreaming that someday he would meet somebody who would understand him, but as of yet still hasn't found anyone.

With a sad sigh, he walked into the estate and lay down in the garden. The sun was beautiful these days, he thought. His sad resignation was interrupted by Oroku. "Why are you sitting here? You realize how open it is to the rest of the city? If they're still after us then this would be the perfect opportunity to kill you." Stated Oroku, straight-forward as always. Aelodil waved his concern away, "I swear.. you're the only person in the world who could kill the mood like that. And here I was just about to forget about that whole thing. To be honest, I sat here in the hopes that somebody would walk up to me and, I don't know, maybe we could have a small pleasant chat? I really don't know what to expect now-a-days. I want people to open up to me, but as I am, I just manage in scaring everyone away. Look, the boy is interested in me and yet his parents shoo him away from me. It's a sad world I live in.. it really is." Oroku had nothing to say to that. As of late, ever since Aelodil had met his newest candidate for fiance, he'd been more and more depressed.

Aelodil opened his eyes for a second and Oroku asked, "Did you hear the news? Apparently there's a new Rider in town. Perhaps you two will be able to talk?" Aelodil shook his head. He doubted it. With Oroku's body long dead, and his Eldunari the only proof that he ever existed, Aelodil's been deemed un-fit to be considered a Rider, apparently. It truly was sad. This world couldn't be even crueler.. he thought, And to think I had thought I'd somehow be happy. Oh well. Aelodil asked Oroku, "Hey, Oroku.. you think old Galby's gonna try to get me into another one of those meetings? I don't think I'll be able to avoid another one if he throws it at me." Oroku let Aelodil feel his thoughts: He thought Aelodil was being way too afraid. After all, it was just meeting someone who might become your fiance. Nothing big. Aelodil covered his face with his palm. Dragons and their thoughts... weird. Nothing to do to help it, though. And so, Aelodil continued sitting there, waiting for the next messenger to arrive. The life of royalty wasn't fun indeed.

[Quetzal]

Not strictly bound to the Varden, Isrydia and Arlyn were able to come and go as they pleased. Offering her sword in battle seemed like the right thing to do when people she cared about were fighting. The Empire's Riders were tough, she was well aware, but she and Arlyn could be strong too. When Eragon and Saphira had to face Galbatorix and Shruikan, they would not be alone. She would be a poor Rider if she wouldn't watch a friend's back and fight for what she believed was right.

While she often went out far on Arlyn's back to scout, the Air Branch's power granting them favour with the winds, today she was just exploring for fun. She'd found a town the other day. It had been pleasant indeed to rest in a building with a real bed after so much camping. With tensions rising, she always wore gloves with leather armour to both offer some protection and hide her gedwey ignasia. Arlyn had been off exploring the surrounding areas, hunting where he could. Someone must have seen him, though, for word that a Rider was in the area had spread around the town. Last night someone in the inn she was staying in had informed her excitedly and asked her why she thought they were there and which of the travelers passing through might be the Rider. It was all she could do not to laugh.

Today she'd gone to walk alone around the estate. The gardens were pretty with spring flowers, the weather was nice, so why not? Her ears were slightly pointed after being a Rider for a few months, so she had cast a spell on them to make them as rounded as they used to be. She looked just like a normal human, which made her happy. She got a few funny looks, but that was because it was unusual to see a female knight. Not a Rider of great renown, no one had any reason to recognise her and so she walked the town like anyone else.

Eating a pear she'd bought of a street stall, Isrydia noticed a man lying on the grass. That wasn't out of place given the weather, but his expression was. He was the only person to look sad out of the happy townspeople wandering around, children playing and adults chatting or selling or shopping. He looked like he was of high birth, a few years her senior, and he'd seen a few fights too. Never one to mind talking to strangers, she paused for a moment before walking towards him. Maybe he didn't want to talk, in which case she'd just leave him to it. Maybe some company would make him feel better, even if they didn't address whatever was bothering him. "Hello, sir? Are you all right?" She asked gently.

[Aelodil]

Aelodil had been so peaceful he didn't notice Isrydia until she began to talk. However, something kept him from acting normal. Instead of rushing to his feet to introduce himself as usual, he merely said, "I wonder... am I all right?" His voice sounded devoid of emotion. He took a breath then looked at the person next to him. Suddenly, he realized he was being talked to. Shaking his head, he jumped to his feet and brushed the invisible spots on his clothes. Unlike normal, he wasn't wearing his armor. Today he was wearing the royal attire of his house. A black and formal shirt along with black trousers under a great cloak that was also black that went from his neck down to his ankle. His thick blonde hair was in a mess due to how he was sitting. His charcoal gray eyes went through a quick inspection of the stranger, she had blonde hair that was on the verge of brown, her eyes leaning more towards blue than gray but with a small grayish hue to them. Her build seemed rather slim but not unpleasantly so. A surprising smile leaped to Aelodil's face.

But there was something off about her. She looked like a knight, but, it seemed to him she was just a bit more than that. Oroku agreed. Could she be the Rider everyone was talking about? Aelodil found himself staring and blushed slightly, realizing he still hadn't introduced himself. "My apologies, where are my manners? Hello to you too, fair lady. I guess you can say I'm not in the best mood ever. I just managed to escape from a meeting. My cursed uncle really wants me to marry already and I don't feel like I want to. Anyway, none of that, my name's Aelodil. Glad to meet you. Sorry for my somber expression. But please, come here and have a seat. It's a beautiful day to enjoy the weather today." Aelodil said, back to his normal self. But still, he couldn't help but feel something was off of with this woman. He noticed quite a few eyes staring at him and he returned the favor with a cold glare. Immediately, everyone went back to their own business.

He gave out a stretched sigh. If ol' Galby sees me or hears that I've been with a girl, anyone, he's probably going to give me a hard time about it.. Aelodil thought to himself. Oroku nodded mentally, "It's to be expected, what with you running away from the people he's choosing to become your fiance and yet he finds you with a girl anyway. You'll get a pretty bad scolding." Aelodil shrugged it off. He looked back to the strange and awkwardly asked, "Um.. would you mind if I asked who you are and where you're from? It's surprising to see someone actually directly approach me. Seems as if you're not from around, are you? Well, never mind that. Come on in." He finished, beckoning her over to where he had been sitting on the warm ground with Aeternum unsheathed to the right of where he had been sitting. The charcoal gray blade didn't reflect any of the sun light, just the same as with Aelodil's cold eyes. He looked back at the stranger. She seemed nice enough. Aelodil sat up and called for a nearby servant. He told the servant to bring some tea and within a few moments, a lavish tray with tea and biscuits were right in front of Aelodil and the stranger. He put some sugar for himself and asked, "How do you like your tea? With or without sugar?"

[Quetzal]

The fact that the man had questioned whether he was all right himself told Isrydia that he was not all right. After a moment he seemed to remember himself, and leaped to his feet to greet her. His long messy blonde hair clashed with the formality of his black attire. Those eyes were an interesting shade of grey, dark but with an odd touch of lightness to them. With those eyes and the black clothing, his light hair was the only splash of colour on his person.

Aelodil. It was good to put a name to a face. He was quite trusting of her, but she could see how he was looking her over so carefully. Good thing she was wearing her gloves. She wouldn't mind telling him she was a Rider, but now more than ever being a Rider could attract unwanted attention. Galbatorix would no doubt capture and force all the Riders he could into servitude. It would be the worst thing she could think of to be forced to kill her closest friends. Depending on how the war went, that could all change. Should the Varden win, it wouldn't matter who knew who she was. That would be a strange feeling and a great relief.

"My name's Isrydia, and I'm from Kuasta. I'm not from round here. I'm a knight, I was just passing through and I thought you looked sad," she explained. That was true, if not the whole truth. She joined him to sit with the tea. "Without sugar, please," she took the cup and sipped. A little too hot, but good. "Marriage has never been something that appealed to me either. I'm just the daughter of a candlestick maker, so thankfully I never had to deal with suitors, but my parents still thought I should marry and settle down until I became a knight." More almost-truths. Her parents had wanted her to marry a man set to inherit or start a good business, but they'd never forced anything on her. People from their social standing had married for love, unless your parents were happy to sell you off to someone far better off than you were. There wasn't any of this marrying to secure pacts or lands or power or whatever. Now she was a Rider, she supposed she should expect to marry someone important. She had a lot of time to find someone what with her extended lifetime, and didn't think she would pick a partner based off their position in society. She didn't want lordships or any of that. Being a Rider was enough.

Her eyes drifted to Aeternum. A fine sword. Charcoal grey, like Aelodil's eyes. The coloured blade suggested it was a Rider's blade. Aelodil commanded the servants here and was being forced into marriage, so was clearly the heir to this place, and she'd heard of no lord's Rider son. It was probably a prized family sword taken from before the Fall. There were a few noble families with Rider's blades passed down, either through some Rider ancestor they were all very proud of or from an ancestor who'd been gifted it or taken it from a corpse or hold. Which was Aelodil's family? "That's a fine blade there. Looks almost like, erm... a Rider's blade," she said, unsure if she really should breach the subject. Her own sword was sheathed at her hip, its slightly transparent icy edge marking it too as a Rider's blade. There was no way a common knight, daughter of a candle maker would come about a Rider's blade. Aelodil would know if he saw it, and she still didn't know if he really was friend or foe. He did seem nice, but she just didn't know.

[Aelodil]

Aelodil looked at the stranger who had introduced herself as Isrydia with something akin to envy. Didn't have to deal with suitors, eh? Didn't he wish he was in that position. He sipped on his tea gratefully and with an elegance that matched his attire. He cursed himself silently. He had gotten too used to the royal performance thing. It was terrible. He looked at Isrydia once more. It was strange. She was still wearing her gloves? A small reflection of light caught his eye and he turned towards it. He found himself looking at something that resembled a sword strapped to her hip. However, it didn't seem a normal sword. The gem embedded in it said it all: It was a Rider sword. Making the connection, Aelodil gave a small laugh. No wonder. The gloves, the sword. That explained it: She must be the Rider, he thought to himself and Oroku. Oroku agreed. He felt something odd to her. The presence of on-going magic was around her.

Aelodil gave a sly smile. However, he wasn't going to ask her about it. He understood why she'd want to keep it a secret - after all, being a Rider now-a-days, especially this close to ol' Galby was dangerous. If she wouldn't talk about it then he would have no choice but to respect her wishes. He let the connection show in his posture so that she would know if she wanted to talk about it she wouldn't have to be afraid, he understood. At her interest in Aeternum, he smiled. "That's 'cause it is a Rider's blade. You probably think it was, as with all the other royal families, passed down generation to generation. You're wrong. I was a Rider. Known as an Indlvard, my dragon resides in his Eldunari now. That gives us both something in common other than being knights, no?" He said in a pleasant voice that left a hidden question in the air.

He smiled at her pleasantly. She thought he looked sad and decided to stop by? How nice. "I thank you for stopping by. It does get rather lonely around here. If you've noticed, people rather like to dodge me. See, my whole family was slaughtered in the family estate 7 years ago. Being the only person at the scene still alive, I was, of course, the only suspect. I wish such a misunderstanding hadn't happened, however, it is the only thing that would make sense, so I sadly understand. Along with that is my figure, as you've noticed, my blonde hair is all that gives my appearance some color. My eyes and attire are all the same charcoal gray, so it gives me a rather striking figure. That as well as the fact that I'm the last man of my royal family gives everyone concern. That's why I was so happy when you said what you did. And I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart for it." He said, the ever-lasting smile still on his lips.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia saw Aelodil's eyes flicker to Iarmailt's hilt, and heard his slight chuckle, but thought nothing of it as she blew gently on her tea to cool it. Its fragrant smell wafted pleasantly up her nose. Watching Aelodil she got the feeling he'd caught onto something. Her mind snapped to her being a Rider. That was something a person could tell on appearance if they knew where to look, whereas she wasn't aware of much else that might be of interest to the man based off her looks alone. She was surprised when instead of pointing out she was a Rider, he informed her he was one. Indlvard, she'd read that term before somewhere. It was good that his dragon lived inside his Eldunari, but-

Her thoughts were stopped when he mentioned that they had something else in common. He knew. If she didn't say anything, he wouldn't know for certain, but he had just told her he was a Rider, and someone who meant her harm wouldn't reveal something like that without knowing more of who she was an where her loyalties lay first.

Another shock came when he claimed his entire family were slaughtered at this very estate with him the only suspect. That would explain why people avoided him. A sad tale. This man had been treated harshly by life. Isrydia felt sorry for him. Forced into marriage, blamed for his family's death, having his dragon killed... she couldn't even bear thinking about what it would be like if Arlyn died, even if he did leave an Eldunari. She smiled back at him, understanding now why he was being so nice to her. Poor guy probably doesn't get much company, she thought to herself.

"You're welcome. And I'm sorry about your family, that's awful." She paused. She really didn't feel like holding back information now. Obviously she wasn't about to say anything too personal or something the Varden or her friends might not want her spreading around, but there was little reason not to be happy to talk more about herself. He knew, anyway. "You were right in that we have more in common that being knights. What gave me away? The sword?" Iarmailt was sheathed, but its hilt was ornate with the pale blue sapphire. "I've been a Rider for about eight months now. My dragon's name is Arlyn. You can meet him if you'd like, but... maybe later, away from here. I don't know how your townspeople would react to a dragon landing in your gardens, and I'd hate to make things worse between you and them." She sipped at her tea. It was cool enough not to scald her tongue now. She could feel the pleasant warmth as it made its way down to her belly.

[Aelodil]

Aelodil gave Isrydia a knowing smile. "Thank you. And I appreciate your concern." He said in response to her apology of the slaughter in his family estate long ago. He gave a sly smile when she asked how he knew. He didn't know how to explain it exactly in words. It was just that, Oroku and he, as Rider and dragon, they could just kind of feel when someone was a Rider. He frowned, wondering how to put it in words. He tried to start, saying, "Em.. I don't really know how to put it into words. It's just kind of like a sixth sense you get after being a Rider for awhile. I'll explain it to you in a more thorough way. Though, the main thing that gave you away was the on-going magic on your ears. You should have just hid them with a cloak. Oroku was able to sense the presence of magic on your person, so I looked to the ears. Just a little obvious now-a-days. Too many Riders disguising themselves with the same tricks."

Oroku gave a slight chuckle. He reached out to her mind and said to Isrydia and Aelodil, his voice a merry tune, as if a song, "Well met Isrydia, Rider of Arlyn. I'm glad to see the Riders do continue on. How is your dragon doing? It's been a long time since I had last seen a dragon other than Shruikan in the physical. I swear. Shruikan's impressive the first couple hundred times, then it just gets plain. Aelodil likes to try having a staring contest with him while we wait for ol' Galby to come with the next candidate. Even though I keep trying to explain that us dragons can last without blinking far longer than humans or half-elves even, Aelodil's a stubborn man; He never listens. I would like to go meet your dragon." Aelodil nodded in agreement then suddenly realized he was being ridiculed. "Wait, what?! Oroku! That's mean!!" He said in the usual tone he used when Oroku did this kind of thing. He sighed. Nothing to do now, is there?

Aelodil smiled at Isrydia. "If you wouldn't mind. I'll take you to the mansion itself. We have a hidden garden back there where Arlyn can land without any on-lookers. I can also assert for him a meal if he would like." He said as he gently placed his and her tea on the tray then grasped her arm and lead her to the mansion. He went up a couple of flight of stairs all the way to his room. He went to one of the walls and pushed a stone. A door, almost as large as the massive double doors at the entrance slid open. He lead Isrydia outside there. Right there, in the place of a balcony was a garden even more elegant than the one downstairs. After all, all these trees, plants, fruits, and flowers, were from the Elves. Parting gifts. He had taken care of them over the years. The balcony-garden was supported by a couple of pillars and was at the opposite of the entrance so that the huge bulk of the mansion would keep it hidden.

Then, Aelodil turned to Isrydia. "Alright then, let me show you how we figured out you were a Rider." He said as he put Aeternum down, resting on the wall. He took her hand in his and concentrated on his memories when he had figured it out. He showed her these memories: The gloves still on even while drinking tea, the magic for the ears, the Rider sword, and of course, there was that mutual feeling of understanding when he had taken a look at her. He felt like he understood her for some reason. After being a Rider for awhile, you just kind of begin to know when or if someone is a Rider. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "That's how. I truly thank you, Isrydia. I'm glad to see someone who understands me. But now, tell me, what brings you and Arlyn to this city? You know how dangerously close this is to Uncle Galby, don't you?" He said. For some reason, he didn't feel like letting go of her hand unless she moved to remove his hand. It was warm, unlike his dead cold hands. He closed his eyes, doused in the happy moment. Her hand was warm, very warm. It was probably because of the gloves, but he didn't care why. He just liked the feeling of those warm hands on his dead cold hands.
(Um. Don't take the above wrong. Aelodil's just not really that good with people. He would never know that that would make someone uncomfortable. He just likes the feeling o.e)

[Quetzal]

Isrydia found her bond with Arlyn and used it to locate his mind swiftly. It was something she could do without difficulty now, although when he was very far away it was more difficult. Her mind could extend far further to reach his than it could to reach the mind of anyone else, but even still there was a limit to that. Arlyn hadn't gone far, so while the connection was slightly fuzzied it was perfectly adequate for communication. She swiftly showed him a flood of images and thoughts about what had happened, which was quicker than explaining her meeting Aelodil verbally. "I don't need food. I caught a deer," he said with a mild sense of pride, "I'm coming, though." He was interested in Oroku. Eldunari outnumbered living dragons, but most were enslaved by Galbatorix for their power.

"No need to provide food, Arlyn's been hunting." She allowed herself to be led through the mansion, wary the whole time of being led somewhere she'd rather not go. Once again Aelodil proved her trust had been justified, leading her to a pretty little garden. The fruit trees and flowers were reminiscent of Du Weldenvarden. It was more private, the bustle of the town muffled by plants, distance and the building.

She paid attention to how she was figured out, the other Rider's mention of 'Galby' nagging at the back of her thoughts. She ought to figure out better ways to hide herself. Gloves and spells were simple and served to fool any common man, but the people it was most important to hide from would see right through her, apparently. There had to be some sort of powder or cream that would conceal the gedwey ignasia. Her ears were hardly pointed at all, she might get away with leaving them as they were. Some humans had less rounded ears anyway. The Rider sword could be explained away, and no one need know it was anything more than a sword with a fancy hilt until she drew it. Plenty of swords had jewels in them, she might just claim to be a spellcaster. The general feeling couldn't be helped. She'd never experienced it herself, but she'd felt that sense of inexplicable knowing towards other things before. In time she might learn to instinctively pick up more signs about people to know more about them before they spoke. In fact, that would be a useful skill to learn. She made a mental note to develop her ability to deduce things about others by their appearance, speech and actions.

Aelodil still hadn't let go of her hands. His were cold. Awkwardly, she pulled her hands gently from his, not mentioning anything. It was uncomfortably similar to something Brenton might do. She'd always been uncomfortable with all of Brenton's advances and didn't want to go there again with another guy so soon after meeting him. After an awkward pause, she spoke again. "Uncle Galby?" she was amused as she was concerned, "Are you that close to the man? Arlyn and I were just a bit bored so wanted to explore. We know it's close to Galbatorix, but we figured most of their forces would be in Uru'baen by now what with the Varden nearing them." As it was, she knew most of the Empire forces were in Uru'baen, having been given information and seeing troops moving in small groups herself. She didn't mention that. "We don't want to be captured, of course, so we tried to hide my being a Rider, but I'd hate to run off and hide somewhere just because Galbatorix was after Riders to join him."

With that, wingbeats heralded the arrival of Arlyn. The ice blue dragon had to fly over parts of the town to reach them so some people would have spotted him heading for the estate. He'd certainly caught their attention as he flew overhead. He showed Isrydia the image of the townspeople staring up at him in awe, children shouting excitedly. Dragons were a rare sight for most people. Most people could only hope to see them flying high overhead, but he'd been flying low to land, giving them a good look at him. He hoped they wouldn't identify him. The Empire probably kept tabs on all the Riders in Alagaesia, so while he and Isrydia weren't of wide renown, a quick word about a dragon with scales a blue so pale they were nearly white would tell them enough about who they were.

Arlyn regarded Aelodil with his deep blue eyes. "Well met, Aelodil and Oroku." He looked up and stretched his neck to sniff at a fruit before walking to his Rider. "I like your garden. Haven't seen plants like this since Ellesmera. You're a lord, right? Do you get much time to spend in these pretty places?" he asked, fanning out his wings a little to catch the vaguely warm spring sun.

[Aelodil]

((I'm sorry for the quality, I was mostly just ranting here ))

As Isrydia slipped her hands out of his grasp, he gave an apologetic smile. He hadn't meant to make it awkward for her. When she asked him about his uncle, he made a face. "Close? Not even! But he is my uncle after all. That's why I have to keep attending those meetings. He wants me to get married. It's known that my bloodline's a little different, after all. Nine in ten of the children in my family grew to become Riders. He wants to manipulate those Riders to fight for him. He won't do it forcefully, of course, but that man's tongue is like a snake's. It slithers everywhere. One moment you could be wanting to decapitate him and the next you'll be so entranced you'll offer to become his own slave. It's creepy, really. I never was as good as he is with words, but oh well. He's tried to convince me to become his right hand but I've refused. As much as I dislike the Varden for my own reasons, I can't say I'm friendly with the Empire either." He said to her. He hated being mistaken. His uncle took far too much of a free rein.

He nodded in agreement to her statement, "True, his forces are, for the most part, out of here, but that doesn't make it totally safe. At the moment the only people in town who are truly capable of actually subduing another Rider would be myself and my cousin Ragdar. There's no reason to worry, we wouldn't attack you, but that might not have been the case. For all you know, we could have been under an oath from my uncle. Not that we are. I'm just saying, sometimes, being too nice can be dangerous. Though I'm glad you trusted me. You're the first in many. I gotta say, it's gratifying." He continued on. He grabbed Aeternum again, leaving the blade in it's sheath. He didn't feel safe without Aeternum in his hand. It was the only memory he had from the old days. He smiled. He remembered playing in the field with his cousins, pretending to be Riders. Good days indeed.

Aelodil heard a few screams of excitement from the city. Oh, boy, Aelodil's gonna get it about this from the other families. He shrugged subtly, he didn't mind. He found himself studying Isrydia, wondering himself how she could disguise herself better. An idea shot to his mind and he found himself stifling a chuckle. It was a good idea, albeit hilarious. Before he had a chance to open his mouth, though, he heard the familiar sounds of beating winds. He looked up, covering his eyes with his hand. The wind buffeted him and soon enough his hair was almost back to normal. He sensed a small quick conversation between Rider and dragon and, curious, had listened on. They were afraid Arlyn would be recognized. He shook his head and said, "Nope. They won't recognize you. The only person in this city with the info about the majority of the dragons and Riders in Alagaesia is myself. They used to be with the duke, but after a small dispute between him and I, I took it upon myself to sneak into his house and 'borrow' those documents. So don't worry."

As if on cue, one of Aelodil's most trusted staff ran out onto the balcony in the garden and said, panting, "Sir! One of the dragons in the documents just arri-" He was cut off as he let the sight of Arlyn sink into his eyes. Aelodil smiled and waved a casual hand, "Don't worry about it. Just give the citizens an excuse. Magic, maybe. Just don't tell anyone else about him being here, 'kay?" The butler gulped then nodded as he went down to relay the message. Aelodil looked at Arlyn with curiosity in his mind. Oroku and he both felt Arlyn's mind and they opened their minds to listen. Aelodil smiled. Nice to see someone appreciating the true beauty of this garden.

"Right back at you, Arlyn. Nice to meet another dragon other than Shruikan." Oroku said to Arlyn. Aelodil gave a gracious bow gesture and said, "Hello there, Arlyn. I'm glad you like the garden. The elves gave them to me as a gift when I left. Glad to see someone else appreciating the beauty of nature in Ellesmera. Yeah, I guess I am a lord, though, I don't really have much free time. My daily life revolves around meeting five new people per day as candidates followed by training some of my fans in sword play, then I have to go train the Riders at my uncle's castle and yet then after that, I have to teach the little kiddies in the city how to 'grow strong and big' as well as teaching them in swordplay by the request of their fathers. It's a tight schedule, so, mostly, I only end up with, at max, an hour to do whatever I want. But today I ditched the meetings, namely, the meetings with the other royal families. I can't stand them. They think they're so high and mighty and look down on the rest of the people in the city. Little buggers, they are. So I'd have to ask you to not refer to me as a lord. Think of me and Oroku as your seniors or friends." His voice a merry and friendly tune.

Oroku gave a feeling of agreement. He reached out to Isrydia and Arlyn's minds in private and said, "He hates to be reminded of being a lord. He doesn't like it because he still feels guilty and thinks that he hasn't done anything to be worth being called a lord. And besides, if you have the courtesy to calling him a lord, just call us your seniors, if not, friends. Arlyn, by the way, I know this sounds out of place, but, you have a strong and mature body and mind. Isrydia's lucky to have been chosen by you." Aelodil knew Oroku was trying to hide something from him but didn't bother trying to ask. If Oroku was hiding something from him there's no way he'd be able to pry it out of him. Aeternum was still in Aelodil's hand and he clutched the hilt heavily, digging his skin into the miniature form of Oroku's skull on the cross guard, causing a fresh stream of blood to drip down onto the floor. His eyes had gone blank as he remembered and re-lived the day Oroku had died. The endless streams of blood all over Oroku's body, the blood stained on his own hands, his feelings of oblivion as Oroku died in his own hands as he was incapable of healing him. He was a failure of a Rider. He couldn't even save his dragon. He hardened his grasp on Aeternum, letting yet another fresh stream of blood drip down to the floor. With a violent nudge from Oroku, Aelodil snapped back to the present.

Wincing, Aelodil looked at his hand which was now filled with blood. He shook his head. Though he had gotten over the death of Oroku long ago, he still had lingering doubts and couldn't help but expressing those doubts. It was weird, every now and then his mind would go blank and he'd find himself back in the same situation as that one year ago. Then he remembered; he had found a good disguise for Isrydia. Jumping, he turned to Isrydia and said, "Oh, oh! I remember now; I have a decent disguise for you, if you're interested. Also, if there's anything you two need, please do tell." He beckoned Arlyn and Isrydia to follow him and he went deeper into the garden and sat down on a comfortable couch under a beautiful tree which let small gaps of sunlight to branch down onto the couch, giving that couch a pleasant feel. To the front was a small artificial pond and all around were more and more tropical trees. "So, changing the subject here, Isrydia, how long have you been a Rider and how long have you been a knight? It's nice to have a pleasant conversation about this subject with someone else." He asked Isrydia. Though he was back to normal, he still left his right hand clenched, trying to keep the ever-lasting stream of blood away from eye-sight.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia felt a pang when Aelodil mentioned Ragdar. He was with the Empire again? That was a great shame. She didn't know him all too well, but he was a good person. The last time they'd met, they had fought the Ra'zac alongside each other, claiming a victory after she turned the ground to ice under their enemy's feet. Ragdar had claimed to have just escaped the Empire then, so either he had lied or hadn't escape as well as he'd thought. "How is Ragdar? I met him before and he seemed a nice guy," she inquired before Arlyn landed.

Arlyn felt a surge of pride at Oroku's words, pleased to hear something from an Eldunari. Dragons in their Eldunari must be wise. All they had were their thoughts so their minds were constantly exercised. Any compliment from another of his species was one he put a lot more value on. He didn't really think of his body as strong compared to other dragons his age. He was smaller, lean where other dragons had muscle and bulk, and he had fewer spikes than most. He supposed he was strong in his own way, healthy with some power, faster and more agile than other dragons. "Thank you, that is very kind of you to say. I'm lucky to have found a person like Isrydia to hatch for," he replied. Memories from within the egg were all hazy, his state of consciousness then akin to hibernation. He could remember being around lots of people who felt wrong a very long time ago, then after a while feeling a worry that he would never find someone who felt right. For at least a few years, time was hard to mark, there had only been one person, who still felt wrong. His mind had been completely stilled for several years until one day he sensed someone who felt right only a couple of miles away. That had stirred his egg back into life, and he had known she felt they had to meet as he managed to draw her closer to him.

Plip. A faint noise accompanied a drop of blood from Aelodil's hand falling to the ground. Isrydia wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the sound cutting through the momentary silence. She looked at him with concern, but before she could say anything he jerked back to life and lessened his tight grip on Aeternum's hilt. It had been clear he hadn't meant to hurt her; his eyes were too distant, unfocused, completely opposite to the deadly concentration in the eyes of an attacker.

"I'd love to see this disguise you have in mind," she was curious. Any ideas as to how she might make herself more safe were welcome. This might even prevent other Riders from seeing through her. Sitting down on the couch, she gave Arlyn a look as he leaned in close to the surface of the pond. She could tell the dragon meant to snap up a fish when no one was looking. That would hardly be polite, and the fish from Ellesmera would be far too interesting to just eat. Instead he contented himself with studying them carefully, watching their brightly coloured scales glitter in the sunlight. His favourite was a dull grey one like a little snake with fins, darting about the bottom.

How long had she been a Rider? She had to think about that. "Let's see... it must have been eight months now since Arlyn hatched, or near enough. It was the day the Varden took Dras-Leona. I had only been knighted the week before, when the knight I'd squired for left to fight for the Varden. I went home to visit my family, and came back with a dragon," she had to laugh at how odd it had all been at the time. She had been too busy to visit her family since. First she'd traveled to Ellesmera, then she'd trained there, then there had been people to save, places to explore, battles to fight... eight months was far too long. They hadn't even seen Arlyn yet. She missed them, her brother Jarod especially. She'd written to them, but it wasn't the same. After this upcoming battle she would see them if things weren't too busy. No, she would see them even if things were too busy. Kuasta was easy to forget, tucked away on the other side of the Spine, but she would remember it. "What about you? When did you become a Rider? And how did you come upon Oroku's egg?"

[Aelodil]

Aelodil listened to Isrydia until she was done talking. "You have quite a number of questions," he noted, sarcasm dripping in his voice, "but that's not a bad thing. It's good to be curious, just remember, curiosity killed the cat. Don't be too curious to the point where it'll cost you your head. Though, yes, Ragdar did escape. Who ever said he was under the Empire chains? Everyone in the Empire knows that if you upset the royal families, then, no matter who it was who did it, he will be punished by all the families. Therefore, I took Ragdar under my wing; he's now my adoptive brother and is under my family's protection. Even Uncle Galby knows not to mess with me and the remnants of loyal servants in my family. The rest of the families will be angry as well and it'll be a civil war, so, yeah. He's a freelancer now basically. He just wanted to visited his homeland in the Empire, so I agreed to adopt him. Or something like that. Anyway, he's fine."

Oroku himself seemed happy. He was delighted that he was able to make Arlyn happy with his praises. He knew it would have had an effect, seeing as Oroku was one of a handful of Eldunari not under Galbatorix's control, and that, from a dragon to another, it would be appreciated. He could sense Arlyn slipping into his memories and left him be. Aelodil noticed the look Isrydia had given him and hid his hand, trying to keep it from sight. He stood up, excused himself, walked back to his room and quickly got his hand wrapped in some straps of material to stem the blood and hide the hideously injured hand. He called for a servant to bring some of the elvish fruits up to the garden and then he himself walked back to the garden. He sat himself down and listened to Isrydia's story. Wow. A lot happened to her in such a short period of time. "To be honest, I'm surprised. To have been able to process all that happened in a few months? I approve! Though I guess you haven't had that much experience, no? After all, it takes years to master being a knight, and if you stop for so much as a day, you'll regret it." He said, a smile on his face.

Aelodil frowned when she asked him. He rattled his brain then clenched his teeth and his fist, re-opening the wound on his hand. The day he became a Rider.. the same day his parents were slaughtered in front of him and he took the blame. Oroku felt his distress and felt a tang of pain in his mind. He could already feel the clouded emotions in Aelodil's mind; dark and angry emotions. It was almost as if he had become a Shade. It was scary. Aelodil loosened up then responded to Isrydia, "Actually, it was the same day my family died. My mother gave me the key to the box that had Oroku's egg just before she bled out and I found his egg in my own manor. That was exactly seven years ago. It was fun, those days. Although I had lost my parents, I still had my close friends and distant cousins. I even used to play with Ragdar quite some times. He was always jealous of me, but when Lenora hatched for him, shoot! I had to come back to meet him and Lenora. Oroku and her got along well as friends but they were fighting constantly over who was the better dragon, same as I was fighting constantly with Ragdar over who was the better Rider. Those were the good times."

As Aelodil finished his part of the tale, a moment of awkward silence hung in the air. The silence was interrupted by the arrival of the servant and a small bowl of fruits. Aelodil smiled and took the bowl with a thank you. He placed the bowl on a small table in front of the couch and offered a particularly sweet fruit to Isrydia. He proceeded to take one of said fruits for himself and took a large bite out of it. It was delicious. He took out a fish, also from Ellesmera, and said to Arlyn, "You look like you're about to devour my balcony, Arlyn, have one." and with that, he tossed the fish over to Arlyn. He nodded when she asked him about the disguise. He stood up, said, "Wait for me here for a moment. Just bear with me for this." walked to his room, and took out a dress that was of the finest material. The dress was made especially for his royal family, his mother had used to wear it as a young woman. Along with the dress he took out a tunic and some trousers which were a little less tedious than the dresses but just as formal. He walked back to the couch and flourished the clothes he had picked out. "Best solution ever: You and Arlyn can both roam the Empire together without having to worry about anyone ever speaking to you again. As members of one of the royal families, as well as under their protection, the Empire will treat you as a princess, and you, Arlyn, as a prince. So? What do you think?" He said, thinking his plan ingenious.

[Quetzal]

Isrydia was relieved to hear that Ragdar was happy and doing well. He'd been nice to her and Arlyn when he had first hatched, Reru turning up with poor Kami. She felt a stab of guilt. She'd been possessed at the time, but she had helped Reru get into the Varden to steal one of their dragon eggs, which he'd planned to kill to bring his old dragon back. No doubt that was exactly what he'd done. She and Arlyn had put up an almighty fight against the witches possessing them, but it hadn't been enough. For that she would never forgive herself. Ragdar had been far more human and sane.

"No, I suppose I haven't. A lot has happened, but it's nothing like the sorts of things famous Riders of old are remembered for. Hopefully that will come in time." Isrydia wasn't fond of getting a lot of attention, but she really wanted to do something worthy of recording in the history books. She wanted people to hear her and Arlyn's names and think they truly were worthy of being Rider and dragon. The whole purpose of Riders was to bring peace and make people's lives better, wasn't it? She wanted to change the world for the better. Improving the lives of many and leaving a positive legacy after she died was her main ambition, mostly by way of scientific discovery.

Ragdar and Aelodil were closer than she'd thought, to have known each other for so long. She didn't know whether to be sad for the tragic beginnings of his life as a Rider or happy that something so good had happened to help him get over something so terrible. So many families these days had dragon eggs locked up in boxes these days. She supposed they had just come across them or had them to see if any family member could make the dragon hatch for them when Galbatorix had starting breaking eggs, so had hidden them away and made sure none would know Galbatorix hadn't already smashed it. That's what she would have done. After so long in one family, perhaps the eggs became used to the feel of the family members so hatched for one of them after a time. She couldn't say.

The fruit she was given was one she recognised from Ellesmera. She hadn't eaten one since she'd left, so savoured the first bite she took. Wiping the sweet juice making its way down her chin, she smiled as Arlyn snapped the fish out of the air. The young dragon chewed slowly, enjoying the taste before swallowing.

The dress Aelodil offered her was splendid, and might even work as a disguise, but when she saw the formal male clothing she choked back a laugh. Did... did he mean for Arlyn to dress as a prince? He seemed sincere, so this couldn't be a joke. Not wanting to insult him, she paused to compose herself before speaking. "These are very fine clothes, but wouldn't princes and princesses draw attention? One only has to look at my face, hear my voice, see my mannerisms, to know I'm of low birth, besides. I don't act like a princess," she said, unsure how to mention the main issue.

Arlyn helped there. "I can't wear human clothes, Aelodil. I look nothing like a human with these scales, lizard face, wings and tail," as if to prove a point, he swished his tail and flexed his wings.

[Aelodil]

((My pardon, should've made a bit clearer))

Aelodil noticed the expression Isrydia had: It was one that lacked confidence. She didn't think she had done anything to be worthy of the praise that the other Riders who had done the most extreme things had received, to be put on par with the rest. Aelodil shook his head and said in a voice loud enough for Arlyn to hear as well, "Isrydia, you're wrong; You are worthy of the praise. After all, you were the one Arlyn chose to hatch for, not anyone else, and being chosen by a dragon isn't a feat you should take lightly. It's a sign of your hidden potential and a sign that you're a good person. Isn't that right, Arlyn?" He ended his statement with a glance to Arlyn who seemed to be enjoying the fish.

When he heard Isrydia and Arlyn's explanation, he blushed down to his Adam's apple and took a look at the tunic he had prepared. "Oh. Actually, no. These are feminine clothes, in case you don't like wearing dresses. That way you can just pass by without having to act like a princess, you can just go by the excuse that you're taking a break from the life of royalty. Please, Isrydia, Arlyn, give me some credit. I may be slow at times, but I wouldn't suggest clothing for a dragon." He said, flustered. Oroku agreed and said, "Please don't mistake my Rider. He's too slow to comprehend anything, proof being; He lets bandits who jump him live and tell them to get stronger then come back and fight him again when they're healed, but he's not stupid enough to suggest clothing to a dragon." Aelodil nodded then stopped and turned to the space Oroku's eldunari was in and said, angrily, "Wait, what did you say? Hey! Oroku! That's not nice!"

Aelodil gave a sigh. He turned back to Isrydia, "So, yeah, basically, it doesn't matter much; as long as you're wearing my house's style, then people will just assume you're part of it or something like that. People in the Empire don't question anyone who might seem to be of royalty; they're too scared of punishment. It's sad, really, but that's what has come to, thanks to a certain somebody's royal bum sitting on the throne." he said, still a little flustered.

Aelodil laid out the clothing on a couch opposite to theirs then sat down again and said, "Anyway, if you don't want to do that then we can work something else out. But if I may ask, once we're done talking about this, I'd like to see you two in action. We can have a small little practice spar. I might just learn a little something out of our spar. Assuming, that is, that we do have a practice fight."

[Quetzal]

Arlyn opened an eye when Aelodil glanced at him and nodded. "Of course. There wouldn't be any hundred-year-old dragon eggs around if we just hatched for anyone. In the egg, a dragon can tell when someone has that spark of good heart and strong potential or capability. That's probably the same thing Aelodil sensed in you, the one that told him you were a Rider."

Isrydia smiled. They were right, she supposed. Not everyone was chosen by a dragon, and in her experience those worthy of being chosen often found themselves drawn to their dragon's egg sooner or later. That had to be fate or destiny or something. Some odd ancient power of the world that wanted the dragons to find their Riders. She still wanted to achieve something more great, but she had time. Maybe it would take one year, maybe a decade, maybe more, but she would make people's lives better. Riders lived as long as dragons, potentially, so with her dramatically extended life expectancy, she had a long time to do good in.

It was Isrydia's turn to glow red when she realised her mistake. She laughed, relieved. "Thank goodness, I thought you couldn't have been considering that! You make an excellent point about guards not wanting to harass royalty. I could claim to be some cousin of yours. I'll remember what you've said and act the pompous short-tempered noble fool to draw them off me," she grinned. The more she acted flustered and angry with any guard questioning her, the more they'd want to back off and leave her be. None of them wanted to anger a member of a family who referred to the king as 'Uncle Galby'.

A spar? This was certainly a lovely setting for it. "I would be delighted to spar with you. I imagine I could learn a lot too, fighting a more experienced Rider like you," she agreed, drawing Iarmailt. It was daytime, so the thin quick blade was like ice. The same blue as Arlyn's scales, nearing white, it was ever so slightly transparent, allowing light to pass through it and set it aglow. The sword shone, little rainbows scattered by it blinking in and out of existence on the soft grass. With a few words, Isrydia waved her hand along the length of it, the special metal alloy growing blunt in its wake.

[Aelodil]

Aelodil broke a smile as Isrydia laughed. He found himself somehow at ease while talking with her. Like he could trust her with any secret without a care in the world. He felt she understood him and that she wanted to help him. She was honest and sincere. He nodded to Arlyn's clarification. Oroku had said something of the same to him not awhile after Oroku had 'died'. Aelodil smiled at Isrydia, glad that he could up her spirits. She lacked a little of self-confidence. She felt like she didn't deserve praise that was meant for her. Perhaps modesty wasn't a bad trait, but in a world like this one. A corrupt and un-honest world, modesty and such noble personalities were shunned and are likely to cause your down-fall.

Aelodil nodded at Isryida's realization and smiled again. He looked up at the sun as it began to set, casting a beautiful scarlet sky above them. That mixed with the garden's natural beauty gave the setting a natural feel to it. Nature's elegance and beauty was extravagant to say the least. Aelodil nodded at Isrydia, "The pleasure's mine." He said as he laid down the clothes he had brought with him on the couch they had just been sitting on. "But ah, yes, for the most part just ask flustered and angry if the Empire were to ask specifics and they will back up. Though I may have to sometimes keep a personnel with you - just a guard and a servant, just to help with the act. They'll provide you with anything you might need in the form of provisions and such. And the extra guard isn't that much of a bad idea. Anyway, enough of that, let's have us a spar in this beautiful sun set, shall we? I look forward to it."

Standing up-right, Aelodil felt a wave of nausea erupt to his head and shook his head. He felt a strange queasy unease from staying in a seating position for so long. He unsheathed Aeternum, the dark gray blade didn't reflect any light from the sun set, giving it an eerie and ominous look. He ran a hand across the blade and, as if he was holding a substance in his hand and left it on the blade, a sheen of light surrounded the blade. He picked up Oroku and held the shield in his left hand. He offered another shield to Isrydia and gestured for her to make a move, "Ladies first I always said." he said to her with a smile as he put himself in a defensive stance, ready to parry from the right and block from the left.

[Quetzal]

A guard or servant, yes. That would be a great idea. She didn't have to get a real one either. Any number of her friends would wish to conceal their identities in public. This way, they could go unnoticed and have some company in town, both for the enjoyment of being around a friend and for the extra protection should things go awry. Eragon, Brenton, Ragdar, Konner, Laetri... there were a good deal of friends who would do best to hide themselves in public. Posing as nobility would give her an excuse to brush off guards, but would draw attention. A friend pretending to be a servant wouldn't get a second glance, but wouldn't be able to perform such an act if questioned. They would have the benefit of being ignored as well as being able to make advantage of her own easy way out of questioning.

Scarlet now began to tint the sky as the sun sunk lower. Aeternum was dark grey, so Isrydia assumed Oroku had been the same colour when living. Iarmailt's own colour was fading as the other blade stayed defiant of all the sunlight. She and Throkk hadn't been able to give the alloy a permanent colour, so she had in the end given the blue a nightly break lest it fade forever. In its place, though, rather than dull grey steel, she'd given it the colours and sparks of light of the night sky. Presently the light blue was darkening from almost white to the deep blue of the horizon opposite the setting sun. Along its centre shone a streak of red light, seeming to emanate from a single point within the metal. It faded to orange, then yellow, then meshed with the blue as the rays reached the edge of the blade. The light was not static, either, its light growing and moving just enough to be noticeable.

Isrydia took a shield and smiled at the sight of her sword. It might not be one constant colour like traditional Riders' blades, but it was beautiful, in her opinion, and she liked it more than if it were plain blue metal. Grasping the shield tightly, she hopped from foot to foot and shook out her limbs. That would loosen up her muscles for this spar. Feeling the weight of the shield, she adopted a fighting stance and looked at Aelodil's eyes as she had been taught to. Arlyn watched them both silently. Isrydia took her time to wait for a good moment. Being hasty was not an advantage right now. Iarmailt gripped in her right hand, she darted in to aim a cut at Aelodil's right arm. A simple attack she wasn't expecting to hit, more to test his reactions and movements than anything.