"Sleep", Roran said to Katrina. She turned in her bed but didn't close her eyes. He knew why. It was in his mind too. A feeling like doom was just around the corner was ever-present in their minds now, for two days, ever since they knew Eragon's life was in danger. The feeling disappeared when they removed Eragon's ring from their hands, but he didn't want to take the ring off his hand because it was the only link he had with his beloved little cousin. Katrina too didn't remove the ring from her hand. The result was that they both hadn't slept for the past two days. He turned to see Katrina's face in the dim lamp-light of their room. Her eyes were red. It wasn't good. Atleast not for their yet to be born child.
"Katrina, give me your hand", Roran asked.
"Why?"
"Trust me." Her hand reached before his eyes. He smiled despite the gloomy times. He caught her hand and removed the ring from her hand. She turned sharply to him. "Why?", she asked again.
"For the good of our child", he said. Katrina looked at him fondly. After a time when she turned away from Roran favouring the lamp for his face, she turned to him and asked, "What about you?"
"I won't", he said shortly. She kept on looking at him with unusual concentration. Then: "He will be fine, Roran"
Roran sighed. "Maybe. Sleep, Katrina", he said and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes on his bidding. Roran watched the gentle rise and fall of Katrina's chest: for how long he didn't know. But when he was sure that she had slept, he got out of bed and climbed on the roof of his house.
He sat on the roof of his house dangling his legs down in the air. The night air was cold when it brushed his bare-chest. He didn't know what time it was. Probably mid-night or early in the morning. He didn't care when. His only worry now was Eragon. Something was terribly wrong with his cousin. He yearned to run to his aid but he knew as well as Katrina's face that it was simply impossible for him to make any difference to Eragon's state. So Roran gazed at the stars blinking at him. It was the first cloudless night in three days.
When he looked down, he saw a lone figure moving in the street below him. Curious, he climbed down and followed the figure. He saw that the figure was small for a human, but not quite a dwarf. He heard a slight snapping noise behind him and turned to analyse what it was. When he found nothing he turned back to look at the figure. It had disappeared. He was baffled. He turned his gaze to a house on his left. On the verandah of the house, a cat stood watching him intently. 'I am becoming mad', Roran thought and turned back towards his house.
As he was walking to his house, he saw another person moving around the city. His first thoughts were that it was his imagination and that there was none on the street actually. But as the person neared him, he saw that it was Orik, the dwarf king. "Orik, what are you doing here at night?", he asked loudly so that Orik could hear him.
"Not so loud, Roran. People will be sleeping", Orik replied. Roran changed his direction so that he could reach near Orik. When he was close enough to see Orik's face, Orik asked, "What has happened to you, Roran? Your eyes are red as if its been a week since you slept."
"A fine guess. Actually its been two days since I slept", Roran said, the casualness in his words never reaching his tone.
"What is wrong?", Orik asked with evident concern. "Everything", Roran said simply. Orik nodded his head and asked, "Is it about Eragon?"
"Obviously.", Roran said and after a period of silence he said, "Something bad is happening to him"
Orik turned to look Roran in the eye. He then said, "I know. I left bed at night because of disturbing thoughts about him. I don't know why but I felt odd. I have known Eragon for two years now. When first he came to Farthen Dur, he was a over-eager young man who wanted to prove his mettle in the new and unforgiving world he was thrust in. But I saw a glint in his eyes. A glint that I had seen only in very few people. I knew he could make it to great heights. And he did. He crossed all my expectations. To see him today, as he is now, none that saw him on that fateful night when he nearly drowned in Lake Kóstha-mérna would believe he is the same person." By the end of his sentence Orik had a far away look to his eyes. But soon he came out of his reverie and said to Roran, "He will be fine, Roran"
Roran was reminded of Katrina's words earlier in the night. He smiled darkly. Both of them fell silent after that watching the night slowly run itself out. After a few hours or minutes, he didn't know, he saw the same person who disappeared before, walk through the street. He called Orik silently and showed him the sight. Orik looked at the person curiously. Determined to know who the mysterious person was he too looked at him intently.
"Well, what are you looking at?", asked a voice from just behind them. Both of them turned hastily, Orik drawing out a brilliantly shaped war hammer from somewhere in his clothing. Roran found himself face-to-face with Angela. "By Angvard's name! Angela!! Why did you sneak up on us like that?"
"I could have killed you, if only you had sounded a little more louder", Orik said with a grunt.
"Don't presume, you could kill me that easily, your majesty"
Roran was now quite used to her quirky ways to question how she would have escaped the deadly hammer thanks to her attending to Katrina. She would find a way. "What are you doing here at this time, Angela?", Roran asked instead.
"Might I ask that of you too?", came the quick reply.
"We couldn't sleep", Orik spoke for both of them. Angela smirked at them and said, "Ah!! Brothers and Cousins." She turned as if to go but then returned quickly and added, "If you need to give your farewells come with me"
"What are you talking ab...Never mind. Where should we go?", Roran asked.
"I just said come with me, didn't I?"
"Oh, well. We are coming", Roran said. When Orik started to query Angela, Roran pulled him close and said, "Never mind what she says. I learned it the hard way. But she knows something important, I am sure of that" Orik nodded and they both walked behind Angela.
She took them for a long walk and at last they found that they had reached the city gates. The mysterious person, a shaggy haired boy was waiting there already. Roran looked at the boy curiously. He was not looking like any normal human boy with his strong build, stunning reddish gold eyes and the nicely shaped dagger he carried. He tried to speak to the boy, but he turned away.
"Who is this?", Roran asked to Angela. "His name is solembum, a friend of mine", Angela said.
"Hello, Solembum", Roran tried to start a conversation with the boy. But the boy just grinned at him and ran forward. His teeth were sharp. Roran knew that the boy was no ordinary person. "Is he human?", Roran asked Angela. But Angela didn't wait to answer Roran instead followed Solembum.
After going a few feet, she turned and said to Roran and Orik, "I told you to come with me, if you have forgotten. Do you need to say your farewell or not?" She was gone again.
"I don't get it", Orik grunted. "Our best chance is to run behind her. Come lets go", Roran said and pulled Orik along.
After they had run for a long time, Angela came to a stop. Solembum had entered into a tree covered area. Roran thought that he had seen the place already. 'Yes! This was where Saphira was when I searched for her two days ago. Wonder why Angela has brought us here.', he thought.
"Are you coming or what?", Angela's voice broke through his thoughts. "What is here?", Orik asked. A torrent of fire rose from between the trees as if in answer to his question. "Saphira..", Orik said in a low voice looking at the blue-tinted bright yellow flames. Roran didn't say anything.
They entered the tree covered area and after a small walk reached the clearing where Saphira was there. Arya stood near her with a bag slung over her back, her sword belted at her waist and her bow slung over her shoulder. She was ready to leave? Roran was confused. Then he saw Saphira and noticed that she too had her saddle on. 'They are leaving!', he thought. He realised that it was what Angela had been talking about- farewell.
Once again he found that Solembum had disappeared. He longed to question his arrivals and departures but Saphira and Arya leaving was more important. 'Are they going to rescue Eragon?', questions rose in his mind. But Orik asked before him, "Where are you going?"
Arya tensely turned towards Orik and said, "To Ellesmera"
Orik looked confused as was Roran. He had expected they would go to rescue Eragon but what was the need to go to Ellesmera. Again Orik put his doubts into words "Ellesmera? why?"
"We have work to do", Arya said.
"Hardly acceptable answer. Why are you elves always like this? Speaking roundabout. Tell them. Tell them that you are trying to rescue their beloved brother", Angela cut in on the conversation. Arya turned sharply towards Angela and glowered at her.
"Its not as if you would stop from going down to Uru'baen if they know you are going. Is it? It is hard to change the mind of a dragon and an elf, afterall", Angela said casually. Roran nearly admired Angela's guts for he knew he couldn't have stood the scrutiny of Arya, never mind mocking it.
"Why are you here?", Arya asked after a moment in which she sighed heavily.
"Well, If you are asking them, they are here to send you off. As for me, I am here to help you", Angela said.
Saphira took two steps forward and looked Angela in the eye. 'Understand Angela. I have been feeling bad about Eragon's state the past two days and Arya and I just had an odd vision of Eragon as if he was asking for our forgiveness. I fear that his life is in danger. Our situation is dire. We have to go' Her voice was miserable and listless. Roran had never heard such a tone from Saphira and he had not thought it was in her to break down to this extent. He knew she was the most affected by Eragon's capture but he had no idea that she was affected this much nor could he imagine her like that. One look at Orik showed that he too was affected in the same way as Roran.
Even Angela looked stricken and she said in a kind voice, "I understand Saphira. But without knowledge about Uru'baen, you can't do anything. Not even one mighty as you can break into that accursed city"
'We know. That is why we are going to Ellesmera first, so that we can improve on our half-baked plan', Saphira said softly.
"I can help you in that", Angela said. Arya turned sharply towards Angela and asked, "How?"
Angela looked Arya with the same kind expression with which she did Saphira and said, "Solembum has information to share with us about Uru'baen. He had been spying there for two weeks. He returned today. He somehow learned of your departure plan. So we shelved our plans to speak to Nasuada and came to you."
Saphira moved fast towards the end of the clearing and crouched in the darkness. Arya looked at Saphira as if alarmed but when she saw her crouch, she relaxed. Roran couldn't understand what was going on. He thought, 'Solembum? That small boy. How is it possible?' and voiced his doubts to Angela. She turned back to her witty ways and said, "Solembum is a bit like Saphira. Only he is small."
Roran didn't know what those words meant. Did she mean that Solembum was a dragon? Or did she mean he was powerful like dragon? He found that he didn't care unless Solembum helped their cause. So he fell silent.
Orik had gone to speak with Arya. So Roran had none to speak with except Angela but he wasn't ready to face her odd style of speaking at this time of seriousness. So he stood watching the proceedings silently. A glint of golden red flashed at him from beside Saphira's snout but before he could know what it was it was gone and Saphira had raised her head.
As soon as Saphira stood, Arya climbed into her saddle and secured the leg straps into her legs. Roran looked at Saphira and said, "I wish you luck, Saphira in your quest. I will be waiting eagerly for Eragon and you." Saphira blinked her blue eyes in response. He turned to Arya and said, "Thank you, Lady Arya for your help. I know you are risking your life for the sake of my cousin. I am eternally grateful for that" She nodded her head towards him as if in acceptance as was her custom.
Orik had his own words of encouragement and wishes. "Bring back my brother safe, O, mighty one", he said. Saphira eagerly dug her legs into the ground readying herself for flight. "Thank Solembum for his help, Angela", Arya said suddenly. It sounded odd as it was said after all talk was already wrapped up but Angela didn't find anything unusual in it. She just nodded and said, "He will accept your thanks if you return alive from there" Saphira flapped her wing once and thrusting her hind legs against the ground took off into the air eagerly. A tint of red was visible in the east as Saphira flew out of sight in that direction. Dawn was coming. Yet darkness still reigned.
Author's Note:
There it is. They have gone on to do the impossible. Will they manage it? I know you would be thinking surely, yes. But you can't say. And I had fun writing Solembum's hide-and-seek with Roran. And the vision that Arya and Saphira shared, Orik's odd feeling will be explained in coming chapters. Remember the cat's sound Eragon hears in the chapter 'visitors'.. Well, It was Solembum. I think many of you might have guessed, even though..for the record
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