Paying a Visit [rhythm/open]

[Quetzal]

Eragon paced inside his tent. The battle for Uru'baen was set to be but a few days away and he simply could not sit still. Nerves like these had not found him before fights before. Of course he would feel a brief rush of anxiety before facing great dangers, but this was something more than he'd ever felt before. He was to face the enemy he'd been trained to fight since he, Saphira and Brom had first left Carvahall all that time ago. Galbatorix and Shruikan. This battle would determine Alagaesia's fate. Should the Varden fail, they would be crushed by the Empire and the realm would fall into chaos as Varden-friendly areas were retook and thousands of supporters punished. No doubt the Empire would be certain to secure their hold on the country. Lives of commoners would be made hell with guards more suspicious than ever, stricter taxes and ever harsher punishments. He speculated that Galbatorix may even demand each citizen speak an oath to him in the Ancient Language, as he required his soldiers to. They simply could not afford to lose this, and it was down to him to cut down the mad king once and for all. It was a huge burden to bear. He'd occupied himself sufficiently for some time now, but his hour was so near it was hard to think of anything but the impending battle.

"Little one, don't you fret. We will have the aid of the Riders selected to help you fight Galbatorix and Shruikan. If we should die, it would not be in vain, I am sure. We will go down fighting. No one will be able to say we were not committed to them, that we did not give it our all," Saphira said from outside the tent.

"If we die before Galbatorix and Shruikan, our all will not have been enough," Eragon replied. He fully intended to emerge victorious or not at all. He could not bear to endure the shame of returning from battle in defeat; so long as he still drew breath, he was still capable of trying to kill the king. He was afraid to die, though. What would await him? Some afterlife, most people told him. He would die a hero's death and feast in some great hall for all eternity, or earn a place in the most magnificent of the heavens. What proof did they have? Some tattered old book? The words passed down from a prophet who lived a thousand years ago? Any of their sources could very easily just be lies and tricks passed down over the years. Mayhaps they held onto tales of an afterlife purely in fear. After all, what evidence was there that anything would remain without a body to sustain it? What would it be like, to not exist? It was impossible to imagine that, since there would be no feeling, no cares, no thoughts to notice the lack of feeling, no way to process anything. The thought of oblivion like that was terrifying. Eragon would hate to just cease to exist. Thinking about how that might well come about in a few short days made him feel quite ill.

Saphira sensed his unease. "Eragon, you must do something before you throw up. Let's go visit Angela, she'll take your mind off things. I can't promise you she'll have anything more than a riddle in answer to all those deep, meaningful and depressingly gloomy questions of yours. Just try and be pleasant, all right?"

"You can't just force me to be cheerful when there's a good chance I might die in a few days," he said, but left the tent all the same. He checked his posture, standing tall and strong. There were bags under his eyes where he'd been too nervous to sleep. All this anxiety was playing havoc with his stomach, the butterflies feeling like they were trying to hack their way out with blunt pickaxes. Still, he had to act confident. Men would despair if they saw their Champion look like he had doubts about the fight.

Saphira was stretched out beside his tent. She reached out with her muzzle to touch his shoulder, and he ran a hand along the scales beneath her jaw. It gave him great comfort to be so close. He could feel her relief, too. He was not the only nervous one here. Taking her advice, he walked in the direction of Angela's tent. Saphira followed along behind, so they had to take the main paths rather than just trying to squeeze their way through the narrow gaps between tents. It was a longer route, but all the same it wasn't long before the heavy scent of whatever the herbs the witch used were in the air. Her tent was easy to pick out. Once outside, he called out, "Angela! You in there? Just came to say hi."

[Rhythm]

Inside her tent, Angela plucked a hair from the top of her head, which curled wildly about the tip of her index finger. Raising it to her eye, she studied it for a moment, then placed it to the side for later use. Along with the strand, her pile of ingredients included a button, a snakeskin, a walnut, an unidentifiable claw and the stick that had been used by a soldier to pick meat from his teeth. Tutting to herself, the herbalist placed a handful of tea leaves in a cup of warm water, stirred the water with a spoon, and then poured the tea water on the ground. She set the cup and the dampened leaves carefully on a shelf. Solembum, perched on a stool, looked on. 

Why do you make the tea if not to drink? The herbalist took only a moment to consider her answer. "I quite appreciate the smell," she said simply. Solembum had the feeling that there was more to her reasoning, but, for lack of interest, he didn't pry. Ah. Wrinkling his nose, he arched his back, stretching his muscles in the most delightful of ways.

A voice without the tent elicited a quiet hiss from the werecat, to which the herbalist let out a chiding 'Hmph." Solembum rolled his brilliant blue orbs and dropped to the ground, landing on his large paws with a dull thud and retreating further into the tent. Angela raised her voice. "Well, if you'd 'just came to say hi', I guess you'd be off by now. Hello, Saphira. Eragon. You're welcome in, of course. Don't mind Solembum, he seems rather fussy today."

Speak for yourself.

(Sorry it's so short. ;-; feel free to carry it however you please.)

[Brenton]

Roads were so much kinder than these accursed tents where soldiers were forced to stay when in encampments, or so the assassin thought as he stood up and stretched to ease all of the sore muscles. Then again many people said that a sword to the chest was kinder than a toxin injected by hollowed out assassin blades but that didn't stop the man from using the latter as a choice weapon. He was of course adept in sword combat but when in a dark alley where space was cramped already, the blades of an assassin were best used for stealth and speed.

As the muscles loosened finally and he was at his full height of six feet and two inches, the blonde haired man looked at himself in the small mirror he had on a tent pole. Bronzed skin that was very obviously the tone of someone born in the southern half of Alagaesia and used to long days in the sun. Medium length sandy blonde hair with black roots fell into the melted chocolate brown eyes that were deep set enough to actually reflect his current deep thinking. A rough stubble of black facial hair covered the assassin's jawline and only made it more profoundly human in appearance.

Yet for being so normal in the face, height, and skin, this man was anything but ordinary in his build for he was broad shouldered with a musculature that formed from constant running, jumping, sliding, swinging swords, and pulling a bowstring. He was very unlike any soldier of the Empire army and the Varden army used so very few assassins in this war but even then he was abnormal. The man looked at the attire he was wearing and sighed in exhaustion. Never again would he try to keep his clothes clean and well kempt for it always failed him in some way.

Said attire consisted mainly of regular wool pants that fell down over a pair of steel shod leather boots, a silk shirt, a cotton over shirt, a wool vest, gleaming reddish armor that covered his entire body. Over all of that was a black and red cloak with a hood that was deep so that well he had it drawn over his head it hid his face. On the breast of the cloak was an insignia that looked vaguely like an A that stood for the assassins and the kingdom that they originated from.

A harness of belts interwoven through each other was over all of that aside from the cloak. Hanging from the belts were multiple weapons such as duel swords on each hip, a full arsenal of throwing knives covering the front of the harness, a bow and quiver of arrows across his back. And last but not least were two hidden metal contraptions upon his wrists that were able to eject a spring loaded blade straight into someone who was in his arm's reach.

All in all, an intimidating figure if you knew about all of that, but the most important thing was this was also a rider who hailed as the knight of the dwarves, a key advisor to the elves, and a full supporter of the Varden unless they fought against the Assassin King who his fealty was sworn to. This was Konner Derriksson, rider of Talon Fireclaw. As he stood there though, none of those things mattered to the rider because his mind was lost in the fact that he was about to go to war with one of the most powerful beings in Alagaesia and they expected him to be cool with that. So as a leader all of this doubt that he had for himself he must hide from the world so that they would not doubt themselves as well.

Why was this so difficult just to be a rider and assassin in the land where chaos was so commonplace? This was a thriving economy for his kind yet he understood the need to be there for his allies and friends when they needed him to. Don't think about his power, Konner. Galbatorix is just another target that you were assigned to kill and that is all that matters. Besides if we fall in this battle of glorious proportions then there will be others to take our place and carry out the attack. Remember that we are not alone in this anymore.

Talon was correct when he spoke of how they were together with so many allies but that was the main issue that Konner had. He could handle going in armed with only his hidden blades and magic while his only ally was Talon but for others to so willingly throw in and be ready to die just wasn't right in his mind. Konner wasn't able to understand how he was supposed to help lead so many to their assured death when he knew what awaited them at the end. Even if they did succeed then all that would happen would be chaos and turmoil while leaders would crop up and try to take over as monarch. It was not an honorable way to go out, even if they did go out in a blaze of glory with the sun at their back and a sword in hand shouting battle cries to those who dared challenge them.

So many people are going to die who are innocent or who don't realize what is going to happen and I can't figure out a way to come to terms with that. They are going to be partially my responsibility to protect and lead as a rider but what if I suddenly can't fulfill that requirement and I fall? Then everyone who relies upon me for support will die and the war will turn in favor for the Empire who is sure to gloat and then make everyone swear oaths to the king. I can't do it Talon, not for anyone.

Talon stretched and suddenly his head appeared in the tent right in front of Konnor who stood there with a look of defiance on his face. So go talk to Angela the Herbalist. She is almost guaranteed to have a remedy for what ails you but be warned that not everything comes without a price. And know that you are not the only one who doubts yourself before a battle like this one. Look to Eragon or Roran who are both able to tell of how they led great troops to victory even though they were nervous. You are a lot like them, Konnor.

Konnor nodded and waited until Talon moved before he pulled the hood over his head and walked out of his tent. Quickly and subconsciously he scanned the immediate area for any danger off of instinct before heading toward Angela's tent. As he neared though he saw Saphira there and smiled to himself, a small smile granted, but a smile nonetheless. Saphira, I take it Eragon is in need of seeing Angela for help as well and that you suggested this just like Talon did for me? What dragons won't do for their riders I'll never know.

[Quetzal]

The nerves would not leave him until the battle was through, but Angela's friendly backchat made him smile and feel more relaxed. "I told you she would cheer you up," Saphira said.

"No need to be so smug," he pushed through the canvas flaps to enter the tent, greeted by a plethora of scents. His eyes watered a little as the sudden stink of all the herbs attacked his nasal cavity, reaching the back of his throat and putting an odd taste in his mouth. There was tea there, though he could see no cup. The other smells he did not recognise. He was no expert in herbs so could not recognise them by smell alone, and he knew Angela used many rare ones he'd never have heard of.

Saphira lay down and poked her head into the tent, snorting at the smell. "Eragon meant we come here for a casual chat rather than on any business," she said, though she knew the herbalist would know that already. Her bright blue eyes flickered over to Solembum. She respected the werecats, but they were just as hard to figure out as Angela herself.

Eragon nodded. "Saphira thought it might be nice to talk in a relaxed setting for once. Hello as well, Solembum, good to see you." He walked closer to Angela and sat down near her. "So, what have you been up to? Find out anything about the war?" she was known for seeing the future on occasion. Chances were she may have seen something of the huge event that was to come soon.

Saphira heard Konner's approach and withdrew her head from the tent just enough to look at him. With a quick mental touch, she showed Angela, Solembum and Eragon the other Rider standing outside the tent. Eragon would have liked to talk with Angela by himself, but he had no problems with Konner's company. "You guessed right. Great minds think alike, as they say. Angela is a good friend to us, and informal chats will do Eragon a world of good right now. He's already mentioned the upcoming battle, though. He needs some things answered, but I'll have to steer the conversation away if he's to take his mind off things. I hope Talon is well," she greeted him, happy to see another friend.

[Rhythm]

Solembum curled up in one of the darker corners of the tent as Saphira's great head followed her rider. He yawned, noting the way the subtle light from a candle reflected on her scales. Hello, dragon.

"You come for a casual conversation, and then ask of the war?" Angela smiled. "I'm sorry, Eragon, but things will be as they will. There's no point in searching the future for help in times like this. It's tricky. Always liable to change. Relying upon it would only burden you. Tea?"

As she spoke, the herbalist had stood and moved to her worktable. She chose a mug and filled it with leaves and water as before. Turning, she handed the mug to the young rider before he had a chance to reply. "Drink it up quick, before it cools. There's nothing better to further dull your spirits than cold tea." Seemingly out of nowhere, she produced her knitting and began to work. Her hands worked so quickly that her curly hair trembled ever so slightly, but she didn't take her eyes off of Eragon. "To answer your other question, I've been busy, as always. Just yesterday, a man came in and demanded I give him something to make his wife more attractive and admitted to adultery in the same breath. Well, as fate would have it, his wife walked by at that exact moment. Longest nails I've ever seen, mind you." She chuckled. "Knew how to use them, too."

I caught a bat.

"And Solembum caught a bat."

A sound outside of the tend prompted the herbalist to turn her head. "Well, don't wait around all day, Konnor. Come in."

[Brenton]

Konnor sighed and thought briefly about the upcoming war before a heavy thump of a tail smashed against the ground right behind him. It was loud and quite startling to be jolted from his own thoughts in such a manner but the rider knew that it was Talon who was trying to get him away from dangerous wool-gathering. With a half-hearted smile, the tall rider nodded to Saphira and spoke softly. Talon is always telling me to keep my mind from thinking about dark things and stop worrying about that which we cannot control. Actually he is quite helpful at times but I'm sure he can tell you all about that himself. Anyhow, it was good to talk to you Saphira. Maybe I should go speak with Angela instead of keeping her waiting longer.

Just as Konner spoke those words, he heard Angela tell him to come into the tent and so he gathered himself up a bit and tried not to look so worried. With that he strolled into the tent, a terribly fake calm look on his face. Always observant, Angela. I do hope that all is well with you and Solembum on this fine day we enjoy at the moment. The rider looked over to Eragon and all signs of calmness and serenity disappeared, quickly replaced by worry and fear of the unknown once again.

Saphira tells me you are talking to Angela to calm your nerves before the war. I guess dragons have an innate sense for troublesome riders who dwell too much upon the unforeseen. How are you, Eragon Shadeslayer? Konner tried to keep from speaking about what ailed him but it was still at the front of his mind and he had to force himself not to think about it.

Outside the tent, Talon had landed upon the ground just behind Konner in time to smash his red tail to the earth in an attempt to get his rider moving. Such idiotic behavior would do him no good if he wanted to win the war and so the dragon was doing all he could to help. When Konner walked into the tent though, Talon turned to Saphira, one massive red eye upon her, and chuckled in his dragon way. So how are you, Brightscales? Any luck with your two-legged partner or should I see another to ask for ways to keep mine from getting into trouble?

[Quetzal]

Eragon deflated a bit when Angela told him she hadn't seen anything of the battle. That was a shame. He would have been greatly calmed if she'd seen a Varden victory, but then again, had she seen a Varden defeat, what would he have done? The future is not set in stone, and the very knowledge might change the Varden's fate, but it would still have convinced him of his close death. Hardly a good thing when he was already this worried. Perhaps it was for the better that some things remained unknown. "Ah. OK then. As for the tea-"

Before he had the chance to accept the offer of tea, a mug found its way into his hands. He sniffed it cautiously. Yes, definitely just tea leaves and water, no tricks Angela or Solembum were plotting. He took a tiny sip but immediately regretted it, wincing and lowering the cup. It was so hot he'd scalded his tongue. Thankfully the sip had been small enough for there to be no great deal of pain, and his sense of taste was only lost in a small area of his tongue for a few minutes. He contented himself to wait until it was cool.

Having spent so long conversing with lords hiding all kinds of things, Eragon could see plain as day that Konnor was nervous as he walked in. He was far more open once he noticed Eragon was there, which might be seen as a nice sign of friendship if it didn't mean his friend were upset. "How do you think?" he laughed, "I'm as well as you. I'm to face the mad king himself and his enslaved dragon in a matter of days, and everyone seems to be relying on me to kill him and save all Alagaesia from him. I know I won't be alone, but all the same... bringing down the Empire once and for all is a big weight on my shoulders," he said, suddenly half a boy again. He seemed smaller in his concern, the frightened sixteen-year-old farm boy who'd just found a dragon's egg and had no idea what he should do once he had been two years ago once more.

There was a silence. Saphira chose to break it and change the subject by saying "Good job with the bat. They're fast pesky little critters, those." Her head had come to rest poking inside the tent again as she lay outside, very relaxed. A deep blue eye flicked up to look at Talon. "Nervous too, but more itching for a fight than my Rider. He's not getting into any trouble, he's just scared he'll fail to kill Galbatorix and set the Varden back a long time, if not completely crush them. Join the conversation, maybe you can help steer the conversation away from that to keep their minds on something else. They need to laugh and be relaxed, heavens knows."

Another mind reached up and touched all those present. Glaedr, by his age and the wise feel to his mind. He usually observed everything going on around him in silent, doing his best to not even allow those who's minds he listened through to know his very light touch was there at all. Today he thought he should speak. Eragon was starting to let this concern get out of hand, and he didn't want the young man to panic now. "Eragon, child, by all means you should not forget what you must face, but what purpose does dwelling on it serve? That will only makes things worse. Please, I bid you relax and enjoy yourself. Allow yourself to let it go for at least this short while. You will feel the better for it, trust me. Shut it away in some corner of your mind and for now enjoy a lovely chat with your friends, just like old times. Konnor, that goes for you too."

((Has the spelling of Konnor's name changed? Used to be Konner, but I noticed you both spelling it Konnor)

[Rhythm]

Angela smiled to herself, thoroughly enjoying the company of the riders and their respective dragons. Her knitting needles clacked against one another as her hands whirled and she took in the words of the others. "Would you like some tea, Konnor?" she asked politely, already rising from her seat and knocking her knitting supplies from her lap in the process. Within half a minute, the tea was poured and held out in the rider's direction, steaming.  "Don't let it scald your tongue," she said, with a teasing glance at Eragon. 

A rolling ball of wool made its merry way across the tent, coming to rest almost comically at the feet of Solembum, who looked at the ball distastefully. Thank you, dragon, the werecat said, a strange note of pride filling his thought-voice. He licked his front paws almost daintily before unsheathing his claws and ripping into the ball of wool. At this, Angela grumbled softly to herself, taking her seat once more and in the same motion sweeping the materials beneath her seat with a toe. 

When a strange and wise conscious touched the minds of those in the tent, Solembum blinked, his eyes turning from blue to gold. Angela tilted her head down respectfully, a smile brightening her features. She waited for a few moments once Glaedr had finished before taking her turn to speak. "What he says is true. And that goes for you as well, Konnor. Relaxation is oft the best medication. It would be unwise to spend another day worrying about what will be. "

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. The werecat kept his next words from Eragon and Konnor. If the need arises, summon Elva. I'm sure she could be prompted to say whatever the silly humans need to hear.

[Brenton]

((No it's still Konner but on another site I have two characters with that name and so one is spelled like Mr. Derriksson's and the other is spelled with an "o" quite confusing at times.))

Konner was getting ready to accept the cup of tea when suddenly it was in his hands by the herbalist who seemed to think of everything before even he did. Although right before he took a sip, and would have scalded his tongue for certain, Angela told him to be careful and not to burn his mouth so he whispered a word in the Ancient Language. A cooling breath of air shot over his cup of tea and dropped the temperature of the liquid to just barely over that of comfortable.

That was it wouldn't scald his tongue but it wouldn't cool off too easily either and therefore ruin the effects of the herbal tea. Konner finally got his first sip of the liquid and it was delicious, bringing serenity into his life just for that one second where he had to savor the different tastes and temperatures all in that one sip. Yet when it was gone, worry and doubt wormed their way back into his mind and Konner looked over at Eragon wide-eyed, the whites showing past where they normally would.

I know what you mean, Eragon, being in the position that we are as riders who people turn to for help. I'm not saying that it isn't without joy to see the peaceful days but when it comes to decisions in war such as who to kill and thoughts on what if I were to die then the protective spells upon everyone I watch would fall and they would die. On top of that, as a rider, we fight the strongest opponents in this war, and people expect us to look at it with calm and just accept our fate. I don't know. Hand to hand combat where I can know for a fact that if I fall then it will be just me perishing is easy to handle but when citizens and soldiers who can't comprehend the power that will befall them are involved it is different.

---

Talon was just getting comfortable on the ground when he heard the words from Konner that lead into all of his rider's arguments. With a mighty exhale of his lungs through the nostrils, the red dragon created enough wind to disturb contents in the tent next to all of them inside. There is much more to this than just a war that you are going to be fighting in and all of the people who will join you on the field that day know that riders will be throwing magic around. Some are guaranteed to die in battle and it is unavoidable but for today you can't beat yourself up over what you can't control. If you do then it will tire you out mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to the point where you can't fight to the best of your abilities. Do as Glaedr says and relax for the day. Talk with everyone while laughing and even telling jokes of your own. If you have to then break into the ale that I hear Saphira even has a good time on when she partakes of it. Do whatever calms you down but don't fret over the future.

[Quetzal]

Eragon did not bother to use magic to cool his tea, being perfectly happy to let it cool naturally as most people tended to do. He grew up in a non-magical culture, and so those customs seemed most comfortable and automatic to him. He nursed the boiling hot cup, blowing gently on the surface from time to time. The steam curling up from it smelled good.

Saphira rolled her eyes when Konner spoke. "What did Glaedr and Angela just say?" she said, on the end of her patience with these Riders. Talon spoke and she nodded. "What will be will be. No amount of talk will change that. Please let's not carry on with that already exhausted subject," she said firmly. In her mind she let Eragon know that she really was not prepared to take any more of this from him. She had brought him here to cheer him up and take his mind off everything, as Talon had for Konner. Their Riders should at least give it a chance. Even Glaedr had got fed up, and he wasn't much of a talker.

Eragon said nothing, allowing a slightly too long silence to wash over them. He broke it by changing the topic. "You really don't want Elva trying to persuade you of anything, Konner. Have you met her before? Unusual and serious though she is, she's a good person and is unnervingly intelligent. How is she, Angela? It's been a while since last I saw her," he asked in a more relaxed tone. It took a lot of effort to shut out his concerns, but talking about anything else would help. This question was just intended to be a polite conversation starter the others might be able to develop into a more interesting and pleasant positive discussion that might put their minds to thinking about a more positive topic.

[Rhythm]

Angela pressed her lips together, waiting for the next lull in conversation. When after some time the argument displayed no outward signs of ending anytime soon, she stood, fixed herself another cup of tea, then took her seat again. She sipped at the steaming drink, seemingly feeling no pain from the heat. The voices of Eragon and Konner slid to the back of her mind as she busied her consciousness about one of the many thoughts that bothered her on a day-to-day basis. Why does everyone assume roses are always red?

Hearing her name caused Angela to pleasantly tumble back into reality. "Yes? Oh, Elva. Of course. She's doing well, or at least as well as someone in her condition could be." At this, she turned her face towards Eragon, fixing him for a second with a meaningful stare. The herbalist still blamed the well-known Rider for Elva's rebellious attitude and, as she thought of the slap she'd given Eragon quite some time ago, her hand twitched, almost as if she subconsciously wished to do it again. From the corner, Solembum made a loud hacking sound, almost as though he was coughing up a furball. Angela knew from experience that he was trying to hide a chuckle.

"Anywho, I've given my two cents. If the two of you-" she looked from Eragon to Konnor. "-wish to continue to walk about as though you have a stick up your behind, you're free to it." More hacking from the corner. Angela frowned. "I would suggest listening to the rest of us, though. If you were to go into battle jumpy, paranoid and tired, you'd hardly be at your best. The best way to prepare for the future might, ironically, be to get some rest." The herbalist took a deep quaff of her tea and waited for someone to contradict her once more.

[Brenton]

Konner, being stubborn and bull headed as he was, looked aghast as he heard the words coming forth from Angela's mouth. How could rest ever be the solution to a problem as vast and strenuous as this one? Even in the training he underwent to reach knighthood and Master Assassin, Konner had never thought about sleep being a cure. Maybe that was because it was such a ludicrous proposition that none would put their faith in it actually succeeding in the first place.

As the rider prepared himself to speak, feeling his tone slip from elven dialect to that of the dwarven culture he grew up around, Konner saw rage in his mind. Still even if Talon did get furious over his words then it would not matter much when he died tomorrow.

How can you speak of such infantile ideas? Sleep and rest have never gotten me anywhere in a tough situation before and I can only name on one hand with fingers left to spare the number of times I failed in battle. This is not uncommon for me to feel jittery and nervous, but actually I would be scared if I didn't. So while rest may calm the mind, it does no good for the body to be prepared or for the ability to stay awake if you sleep too long.

Konner was practically seething with pure shock and frustration by the time he finished and didn't realize his voice was as rough as a dwarf's. Yet he did realize when the tent flaps suddenly billowed inward and a clawed foot reached through to drag him out. Next that the rider knew he was pinned to the ground by a massive scaled red dragon's foot with bared teeth inches from his face.

We are trying to help you, you thick-skulled dolt, but all you can do is focus on your prowess in battle and your honor being tainted. Think of what would happen if Eragon lost his battle! He needs the rest and not to hear you challenge Angela in such a manner now go back in there and APOLOGIZE! Talon was roaring through the minds of all present and by the time he let Konner go, words were still ringing through his skull.

Finally the rider stumbled into the tent, clothes askew, and bowed his head respectfully toward Angela and Eragon. Forgive me for my outburst and insolence. I am stressed right now and it took the wisdom of one more knowledgeable than I to prove I was wrong.

[Quetzal]

Eragon shfited uncomfortably under Angela's stare. She must know how guilty he felt about that. He blamed himself for that stupid mispronunciation and his later failure to rectify his error. He had rid Elva of her need to help people, but he had failed to remove her ability to sense pain, and every sight or word of her brought bitter reminders of his failings. He had been younger, new to the Varden, new to magic and being a Rider, he had not known enough of the Ancient Language but had been too proud to admit he was uncertain of blessing the child nor had be wanted to let down her parents. He knew it was his fault, but it didn't help with Angela placing blame on him too. He sipped his tea, feeling a pang of annoyance that she was still not moving on. What was done was done, they had to deal with it now. He'd certainly learned from his mistake.

He was about to speak a grumbling half-hearted agreement when Konner burst out in anger. The other Rider always had been a hot-headed person. Any contradiction to his ideas was taken as an insult to his pride, leaving him irritable and on occasion outright intimidating to be around. Saphira looked to see what Talon was doing, lip pulled back in a slight smile at his scolding. She knew what it was like to be so frustrated at a Rider who refused in anger to do what was only for his own benefit. "Young men can be so stubborn, can't they? Eragon gets like that too sometimes. It's got better with time, but in some of his meetings with the Varden he can get frustrated when he doesn't get his way. Good thing Riders have us to give them a good shove when they need one, eh?" she said to exclusively the other dragon.

"I was worried you'd stormed out on us for a second there, Konner. I can see Angela, Talon and Saphira's points, going into battle tired and with exhausted bodies will make us weaker when fighting and more likely to make a mistake, but I don't know how I can relax mentally. So... let's just chat. About anything. What is it you want to do after this is all over, when we have peace once again?" he asked, trying to change the topic to some nicer thoughts. The idea of a peacetime was certainly a pleasant one to think about.