The Name of Names

~34: Sorrow~

It had been dusk when Vanya blacked out, and now it was dark when she regained consciousness. The first feeling that enveloped her was isolation before Kaldar's presence flooded into her mind. His emotion was sorrowfulness, and the painful memory of what had happened the previous morning all came back to her.

Her eyes opened slowly, and she felt the warmth of Kaldar next to her. The fire had long since gone out, leaving the area in complete darkness.

"Brisingr raudr." Vanya whispered, and the bright red fire appeared above her, casting light on everything. The bodies of her friends cast strange shadows upon the ground next to where they fell. "Brisingr, iet tauthr." Vanya walked slowly, first towards Aiden's body.

For the first time since she had awoken, she remembered the necklace clenched in her fist. She opened a shaky hand and looked at it for a second before tucking it away in her pocket.

She knelt down beside Aiden, a deep sorrow clutching at her heart and threatening to overwhelm her.

"Stydja unin mor'anr." Vanya said quietly, reaching out and closing his eyelids. Rest in peace.

She went to each body, repeating the process, and each time a fresh wave of pain rolled over her heart.

Once she had finished, Vanya stepped back and began using magic to dig within the earth, forming graves. Kaldar helped every so often by using his talons to scrape the dirt out to spare Vanya the energy.

Once they had finished, Vanya used magic to lift the bodies of her friends and move them into the graves, which were placed side by side. The dirt was scraped back on top of them, and Vanya lifted stone out of the earth to create larger stones to inscribe words on befitting the Riders.

Each tablet she inscribed from her heart, wanting each word she wrote to be true and honoring.

By the time she had finished this whole process, light was creeping into the sky, and she turned her back on the graves, holding onto Kaldar.

What happened to their dragons?

Madness took them. Aiden's dragon retreated into himself, into his Eldunari. Nym's flew off I know not where. Rathen's... killed himself.

Vanya was saddened by the news, We should retrieve the Eldunari of the ones we can. She climbed onto Kaldar, and together they first flew to Rathen's dragon, Kaira. There were claw marks around her neck and chest, and her talons were bloody as they hung limply to the side.

They approached it with sorrow, and just stood there for several moments, before Kaldar spoke, We should speak with Ebrithil first.

Vanya nodded, feeling a wet tear splash onto her hand. She dismounted, and using a simple spell, drew water from it to form a pool large enough to scry and speak with Eragon.

Saying the required words for it, she found herself looking out of the mirror that was set up in the great hall. "Ebrithil!" Vanya called, hoping he would hear her.

The Urgal, Begnaz's face appeared in front of the mirror, registering Vanya.

Vanya's face was solemn, "Get Ebrithil. I have grave news."

Begnaz nodded slowly and left. In a moment, Eragon appeared in the mirror.

"She struck last night." Vanya choked out, dashing her hand against her cheek to wipe away a tear, "Killed everyone except for me and the dragons, who are mostly dead now."

Eragon's face paled, before it became sorrowful, "We have to find her again. She needs to be stopped."

"By whom?" Vanya demanded, her anger and sorrow mixing together as she lashed out, "Me? I'm not strong enough, Eragon." she ground out, angry tears starting to fall.

Eragon's face held sympathy now, and he spoke again, "Stay where you are. I am sending help."

Vanya jerked her head to acknowledge he had spoken, and then released the spell, dissolving into choked sobs. Her head was tilted down, and the grass lifted up it's stalks to receive her tears.

It'll be alright. Eragon said soothingly to Saphira. You'll be back before you know it. He sighed, I don't want you to leave either, but it seems the only way.

Murtagh waited close by, watching as the dragon and Rider spoke to each other. After Thorn's death he had become quiet, not saying anything unless necessary.

Fine. Although I do not like this. Saphira growled, allowing Murtagh to climb on her back. The plan was that Murtagh and Saphira would go to Alagaesia to assist Vanya, while Eragon stayed to continue training Begnaz.

Murtagh and Saphira flew quickly over the ocean, going much quicker due to Saphira's size and strength. They landed on the shore for a quick rest, before taking off again, following the instructions Vanya had given Eragon later.

They flew in the clouds, to avoid undue attention, dipping below them every once and awhile to check where they were.

Finally, they got to the right place, and saw two small dots, which Murtagh recognized as Vanya and Kaldar.

Saphira dove down to hurry, and they saw Vanya's head snap up as she drew Wyrda. As they got closer, however, she sheathed her sword, recognizing Saphira. Waving a hand to make sure they saw her, she leaned against Kaldar and watched as they descended to the ground.

They landed as quietly as Saphira could, and Murtagh looked around them solemnly, seeing the three graves, lying neatly with inscribed words on the stones marking them.

He climbed off Saphira, and stretched his legs, enjoying the flight, but missing the dragon who previously would ferry him. His jaw worked once or twice before he turned to Vanya, who was looking at him.

"What instructions did Eragon give?" she asked, standing next to Kaldar.

"He said to check wherever, until he received wind of her." Murtagh explained.

Vanya nodded once, bowing her head to Saphira.

Murtagh saw Saphira exchange a few words to Vanya, where Vanya nodded, and then sat down next to Kaldar, "So we just wait?"

"It would seem so." Murtagh crossed his legs as he sat, Saphira moving several yards away from either of them before laying down.

Kaldar nuzzled Vanya, and Vanya gave a half-hearted smile for him, scratching the underside of his neck.

Time slipped away with silence filling most of it, each one thinking about his own separate things. Vanya herself seemed stuck in a loop of memories of her friends. Them laughing together, and having fun together. They truly had been her only friends, besides Vanir.

I wonder where Vanir is. She reflected, closing her eyes and leaning back against Kaldar.

Vanya, it does no good to keep remembering things from the past, if all they will do is hurt you more. Let them go. They have passed on. Kaldar reminded her quietly, Let their peaceful memory remain, but do not remember the good times in bitterness.

Vanya was quiet, You are right. I lost myself to my misery, and I apologize.

Kaldar nudged her, There is nothing to apologize for. We all need correction sometimes.

"Indeed." Vanya murmured quietly to herself, watching Murtagh drifting to sleep as Saphira announced she would keep the watch.

Soon, Vanya herself drifted off into troubled dreams, with Aiden's death repeating itself over and over again in new and painful ways.