The Name of Names

~27: Around the Fire~

Vanya looked around nervously at the waiting Riders, who smiled encouragingly at her. They were in a ground, sitting around a campfire and talking. Lessons for the day were already come and gone, and now Eragon and Saphira were off at another part of the island, training the dragons. She was dimly aware of Kaldar listening attentively.

As the Riders had been talking, Nym had suggested going around in the circle, with each of them saying something the others didn't know about them.  When it was Vanya's turn, she had said that she loved learning poems, which followed with everyone wanting to hear one.

Taking a deep breath she began one of her favorites, staring into the flickering flames that beat back the darkness in the circle.

"On the road again, I am

By the sea-salt water.

My homeland awaits,

Calling me nearer.

I yearn to return

And one day I shall,

To the great wide expanses

And flowers abloom."

Aiden clapped, and the others followed his example. "Where did you learn that?" he asked, "It sounds very human."

Vanya nodded, "It is. My father taught it to me when he came back from one of his trips." Memories of her family came back as she said this, and she remembered how her father each time he returned would see if she remembered the poems he had told her the previous time. Each time until he didn't return.

Vanya took a deep breath, remembering to find the good in the memory instead of just the pain, and switched the subject to avoid the questioning looks from the others, "Okay, Aiden. Your turn to tell a fact that none of us know."

"Well," he thought for a moment, "I'm colorblind, I guess. I don't think any of you know that."

Vanya raised her eyebrows, "Really?"

Aiden scratched the back of his neck, "Yup. Anything red and green is a bit hard to differentiate."

Rathen pointed at the grass, "So, that looks red?"

"Well, not really. It's a bit hard to explain." Aiden said, shrugging, "It's weird. I didn't realize that anything was really wrong until awhile ago, when I was trying to buy a necklace for someone--"

"For who?" Nym interrupted curiously.

Aiden turned a shade of red, before ignoring the question. "I thought it was a ruby, and turned out to be emerald."

Vanya laid down on her stomach, "Strange."

"Haha, yah." Aiden agreed, uncrossing his legs with a quiet groan.

"So," Nym continued with her previous question, pretending that he hadn't tried to avoid it, "Did you end up buying the necklace for that unknown person?"

"This conversation is over." Aiden said shortly, looking down at his hands.

Vanya shrugged, deciding to drop it, but Nym persisted, "Who?"

At Aiden's uncomfortable, and a bit serious expression, Vanya sent a warning hint to Nym, who apparently was oblivious to everyone else's glares.

"C'mon, who?"

"Drop. It." Vanya muttered.

"It's fine." Aiden was suddenly quiet, and everyone else followed suit. "She was just a girl back home."