Destiny (Volume I: Shur'tugalar)

Chapter Two Part XVIII (ED)

As she tilted her head forward so that her face was shrouded by her hair, Eragon scooted his chair nearer to hers. He rested a hand gently on her back, and Arya stiffened at first before relaxing slightly. She nodded at him once, and he withdrew.

"She was beautiful, wasn't she?" Nathan said quietly. The reminiscence had paused on Leafë's face, her dark red lips turned slightly upwards; the Rider touched the glass, and the image changed to a one of a room.

The only thing in focus was a small bed, on which Leafë sat with a young child on her lap. The boy was frowning as he wiped tears from his eyes, and she was humming softly, stroking his dark curls as she rocked him back and forth. His warm brown eyes looked up trustingly into her own, and Eragon realized this was one of Nate's memories of his mother.

"Whenever I was sad, Mor would always sing this lullaby to me." Nathan laughed quickly and shook his head, staring at the image as if he was trying to go back in time. "I don't think any pain remedy will ever be as good as her's."

He sat back up, and the scene faded to be replaced with the reminiscence. Arya looked up to meet her nephew's gaze and tell him, "That was the song Islanzadí used to lull us to sleep when we were but children."

Nate simply nodded at that, and his sister tapped the mirror to begin start the reminiscence from where they'd paused.

Leafë continued her descent, gliding towards Tristan and Niom. The satyr smiled and bowed, but the young man just stood there, awestruck. Eragon could sympathize, as he remembered how he'd first felt seeing Arya.

"Yer highness," Tristan said grandly. The elf just laughed at his words, and Niom's dragonet - which had coiled around his neck in an attempt to hide - untucked its head to trilled at her.

Dark slanted eyes widened in amazement. "Is that truly a dragon?"

"Yes, miss - I mean, majesty," Niom said, flustered as she moved towards him. Cocking her head, she bent down slightly - for the human was several inches shorter than she - to stare at the young dragon. It stretched out its neck and stared back, gray eyes bright with intelligence.

"May I?" asked Leafë as she looked at the dragonet with barely suppressed happiness.

"Of - "

Niom was cut off by his dragon's peep as it leaped from its perch to Leafë, who held out her arm. The dragon glid forwards and managed to clamber onto her arm, rubbing its head against Leafë's hand as she softly stroked it.

"Beautiful," she said, smiling at Niom. He blushed and looked down. "What's his name?"

"Uh, well, it just hatched for me a few hours ago, so I haven't really - wait, how do you know the dragon is male?"

"I'm an elf."

"Oh," he mused, reflexively opening his arms to catch his dragonet as he returned to his Rider. "Well, I don't know any good dragon names."

"Then follow me," said the other before turning back to Tristan. "Will you be accompanying us?"

"I thank ye, Highness, but I think I best be heading off. The Elders will want to be kenning about this."

"I understand...just as you do about addressing me as royalty, correct?"

Tristan grinned and tugged his beard. "Aye, there isnae a need, but 'tis still polite, no?"

"You're leaving?" asked Niom a bit worriedly. To Eragon, it seemed as though the young man wasn't very comfortable at the idea of staying alone with the beautiful royal älfa.

"Ye'll be fine, lad. Just make sure ye choose a proper name for that lil dragon."

Niom smiled. "Will do."

"Then I'll be seeing ye soon." Tristan bowed once more to Leafë before turning back and walking to the doors, which swung open for him before closing shut.

"So, child, what is your name?" asked Leafë as she lead him up the stairs.

Frowning slightly at the word child, he responded, "Niom, your majesty. Niom Ajihadsson."

"A fine name. And please, you don't have to address me by any royal title; Leafë shall be fine."

"Leafë," repeated Niom, testing the word with his lips. He smiled tentatively and said, "It suits you well."

She turned, searching his eyes. He blushed almost unnoticeably, but kept his gaze on hers, and was rewarded with her smile and a thank you.

Coloring further, Niom looked down and muttered what sounded, "You're welcome." They'd reached the top of the staircase and had started around walkway. Leafë came to a halt at the first door on the right, which opened with a single touch. She walked in as the Rider trailed behind her, stunned by the sight.

It was a room full of books. Shelf after shelf stood in rows all the way down to the far wall, made of pine and standing at least ten feet tall. They stretched downward towards the back, where Eragon could barely make out the table and chairs clustered there. "Is this the library?" the young man asked. The dragonet looked up and yawned, a bit of smoke rising from his nostrils as he snorted.

"Only a part," replied the elf. "This is but one room."

"So every room looks like this?"

She smiled at the incredulousness in his tone. "Every one besides those to live in. This particular chamber contains all the knowledge on the Riders."

"The Riders," Niom said quietly, looking down at his open palm on which the gedwëy ignasia still shone. "I'm a Dragon Rider."

"You are." Leafë too looked at his palm before turning back to the books. "A little less than a quarter of these books come from Ellesméra, provided by me through my own discovery."