The Rogue Rider (An Inheritance Fanfiction)

Chapter 10: Riders in Teirm

Ragin slowed his horse to a trot as he approached the gates of Teirm. The iron enforced oak gates had been swung open, letting hundreds of people move through the walls. Like most cities since Galbatorix's fall, it had grown substantially, and was now one of the largest and most secure cities in Alageasia. It's position as a port town and the fact it wasn't officially controlled by the empire had been a great help in its growth.

Lord Theam, the current ruler of Teirm, controlled the place both justly and with an iron fist. Being caught committing a crime often led to serious consequences. The guards and soldiers were payed well and most of them were loyal, so bribing was out of the question. Any weapons that were brought into the city were usually taken and stored away until the owner wished to leave, unless the owner was given special permission, so Ragin hadn't bothered to bring his sword or bow. He already had a small cache inside the city if he really needed a weapon.

One thing he liked about the city however was everyone within its walls was given an equal opportunity. It was seen as a place where anyone could grow, and more importantly stay, rich. With its access to the ocean it was a massive centre of trade, and most ships came through Teirm before making their way to the rest of Alageasia.

Despite the cities rigorous rules and regulations, there was still the occasional outbreak of crime. Ragin himself had been responsible for numerous robbings and assassinations within the city, and was one of the few that had managed to keep himself anonymous as he did so. It tended to be a place where a lot of important people who felt threatened gathered.

It had been a while since he had visited the city, three years almost, but this time it wasn't for a robbery. He was here for information. He passed by the guards rather easily, as they checked him for both weapons and magic. The magician that was supposed to look in his mind for malicious intentions was rather easy to trick. There was a technique one could do with the mind. Instead of guarding it, you could choose what you wanted the other person to see, and you could choose anything.

Ragin chose to pose as a traveller that was simply passing through, wanting to see the legendary Teirm. He used many of his own memories to create the illusion, considering he had already been to a lot of different places, and he could feel the magician was actually rather impressed with the extent of his travels. He didn't use this technique often, considering how difficult and how much concentration it required, especially to hold the façade for any extended period of time, but it came in useful at times like these. After a shared laugh with the magician, he was let through.

The city had a cobblestone pathway that was spread like a spider's web through the buildings and walls. The buildings were mostly a dull sun-bleached brown with flat rooves, each roof a little lower than the one before it. The make of the city made it far easier to defend from attackers that tried to do so, but it also made it a lot easier for people who wished to do wrong to get away if they knew how.

Ragin glanced at the mountain range of the spine he had left behind, where Akaysha and Uthun were eagerly awaiting his return. He had left early that morning, donning a brown and green travellers outfit. The dragoness had been rather sad, watching him go, and even now he could feel the general ache of being apart through their bond. It was so strange, not having her constantly in his mind. Their bond had been a growing comfort over the past couple of months and without having her near him he felt... empty.

But this was something he had to do. It had been a month since he and Akaysha had spotted the dragon riders flying toward their location. They had landed in Teirm, and since then spent every day searching the mountains high and low for something. Ragin a suspicion he knew exactly what. The riders' constant vigilance had left all three of them feeling anxious. The dark blue dragon hadn't even been able to fly in fear of getting caught. Eventually Ragin had had enough, he had decided to go into Teirm to figure out if there was any way to see exactly how the riders were operating, and maybe try and lead them off the scent.