Adurna

The Newphew at Brunch

Chapter Twenty Three-

Cheers erupted from the large crowd outside my tent. I blinked in surprise and gripped the old woman's hand tighter. There was men standing there clapping, woman smiling so brightly I thought the sun would go out, and the children were jumping in the air, waving and smiling like I was their favorite person in the world, though we had never met before. Shyly, I raised my hand stiffly in greeting a beat late. They screamed even more, if it was possible. I bit my lip once I realized I had no idea what to do after this. I looked to the old woman in confusion. She nodded towards a group of men in uniform making their way through the crowd.

They formed a small huddle around me, and said nothing. The woman squeezed my arm one last time before returning to my tent with the other girls. We began to move at a steady pace, them pushing aside grinning, waving, and cheering people while I smiled politely back to them.

A little boy, about the age of five, somehow gotten under the men's legs and stood before me out of breath. I stopped short in surprise before lowering myself to one knee to be closer to his small height. The guards around me stopped in aggravation then looked alarmed at having two people in their supposedly safe hands. One shouted at the boy, who turned his wide eyes to me in confusion. Quickly, I brought a hand to his shoulder and pulled his closer to me.

"It's fine, let him be." I addressed the men as close to Eragon's manner from last night, but it lacked the wisdom he had. They nodded tensely and kept the eager crowd at bay. I turned back to the small boy.

"You could have caused a lot of trouble there, you know." I said in a quiet voice, smiling slightly. "What's your name?"

"Garrow," He answered in a loud voice, as if proud to be able to share this information with me. He had soft brown curls, similar to Eragon's shade thought slightly lighter and his light gray eyes bore into mine with the hint of interest. "What's yours?"

"Chrystal," I said with a laugh, curtsying slightly even on one knee. Garrow smiled and bounced around excitedly. My eyes watched his enthusiastic jig with light eyes, happy to have such a distraction from the shouts going on around me.

"I know you! You're that lady who's going to help my uncle!" He stopped in front of me suddenly, catching me off guard. I furrowed my brows slightly, not understanding if I had agreed to anything.

"Your uncle?"

 "Eragon!" Garrow widened his eyes at my slowness. I widened my own, though a smile spread over my lips at meeting apart of his family.

"Of course I'm going to help your uncle. That's why I'm here." I got to my feet and hoisted him onto my hip. I signaled to the men to continue forwards and adored him even more when Garrow didn't squirm in my arms. Instead he just sat talking to me.

"So you are the new dragon rider?" He didn't let me answer before jumping back into what he was saying. "Folks around here thought it would take longer to find you. Uncle was gone for a long time, and people got scared and freaky. Father said it was because people go crazy when their safety is gone. Do you think that really happens? I had a friend who lost his father's sword and he went crazy looking for it. I didn't play with him for a whole day because he was running around camp all that time. Do you have a dragon? I bet you do. Is it big like Saphira? I doubt it. Saphira sure is big. Can I see yours?"

"Maybe later." I assured, finally getting to put in my own words for a change. We had arrived at a large tent, larger than Nasuada's. Behind the men I could make out a well groomed Eragon in new looking clothes.

"Promise?" Garrow asked, sticking out his tiny pinky. The men dispersed and allowed me to step out of the cover of them. I rushed to Eragon as the screams escalated when he rested a hand on my back when I reached him. Garrow squirmed out of my grasp and I happily put him down on his two feet.