Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Iridescent

Eragon and Saphira angled south toward the Varden's encampment, but before they traveled more than a few yards, Eragon saw Roran approaching from the Jiet River. Trepidation filled him. Roran stopped directly in front of them, planted his feet wide apart, and stared at Eragon, working his jaw up and down as if he wanted to talk but was unable to get the words past his teeth.

Then he punched Eragon on the chin. It would have been easy for Eragon to avoid the blow, but he allowed it to land, rolling away from it a bit, so Roran did not break his knuckles. It still hurt. Wincing, Eragon faced his cousin.

"I guess I deserved that."

"That you did. We have to talk."

"Now?"

"It can't wait. The Ra'zac captured Katrina, and I need your help to rescue her. They've had her ever since we left Carvahall." In an instant, Eragon realized why Roran appeared so grim and haunted, and why he had brought the entire village to Surda.

Brom was right, Galbatorix sent the Ra'zac back to Palancar Valley. Eragon frowned, torn between his responsibility to Roran and his duty to report to Nasuada. "There's something I need to do first, and then we can talk. All right? You can accompany me if you want...."

"I'll come." As they traversed the pockmarked land, Eragon kept glancing at Roran out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he said in a low voice, "I missed you."

Roran faltered, then responded with a curt nod. A few steps later, he asked, "This is Saphira, right? Jeod said that was her name."

"Aye."

Saphira peered at Roran with one of her glittering eyes. He bore her scrutiny without turning away, which was more than most people could do.

"I have always wanted to meet Eragon and Mal's nest-mate. "

"She speaks!" exclaimed Roran when Eragon repeated her words. This time Saphira addressed him directly.

"What? Did you think I was as mute as a rock lizard?" Roran blinked.

"I beg your pardon. I didn't know that dragons were so intelligent." A grim smile twisted his lips. "First Ra'zac and magicians, now dwarves, Riders, and talking dragons. It seems the whole world has gone mad."

"It does seem that way."

"Where is Mal?" Eragon frowned, realizing that he didn't know where she was.

"I don't know, but we can find out."

"I saw you fight that other Rider. Did you wound him? Is that why he fled?"

"Wait. You'll hear." When they reached the pavilion Eragon was searching for, he swept back the flap and ducked inside, followed by Roran and Saphira, who pushed her head and neck in after them. In the center of the tent, Nasuada sat on the edge of the table, letting a maid remove her twisted armor while she carried on a heated discussion with Arya.

The cut on her thigh had been healed. Nasuada stopped in the middle of her sentence as she spotted the new arrivals. Running toward them, she threw her arms around Eragon and cried, "Where were you? We thought you were dead, or worse."

"Not quite."

"The candle still burns," murmured Arya. Stepping back, Nasuada said, "We couldn't see what happened to you and Saphira after you landed on the plateau. When the red dragon left, and you didn't appear, Arya tried to contact you but felt nothing, so we assumed..." She trailed off.