Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Eighty: Amatory

"No, no," I said as I scratched my head. "I am sure that's not right."

I was staring at the tent that should be neatly formed with four walls and a cloth roof. Instead, it looked like a jumble of sticks with fabric twisted around them. My tent making skills were terrible, I will admit that.

"It isn't." I glared up at my Dragon and huffed.

"Obviously," I snapped, crossing my arms. "I just have never been good at setting the blasted things up."

A puff of smoke emitted from my Dragon's nose. I threw my hand up in the air in surrender.

"I give up, I'll just sleep under your wing." Walking back over to what should have been a neat and tidy tent, I gathered the jumble in my arms and toted it over to the firepit so I could unravel my mess in the light. I waved my hand at the firepit.

"Brisingr," I mumbled right before my Rider's mark lit up, and fire sparked to life. Satisfied by the light from the fire, I got to work untangling the ultimately useless mess of a tent. "why did I even bother packing it."

It took me a good ten minutes to sort the mess I had created in my lap. From there on I folded it neatly before packing it away in the saddlebags. Once that was done, I took out a map and held it out in front of me.

"We are just outside of Gil'ead." I nodded in agreement as I trailed my finger down the map.

"We should reach Ilirea by midday tomorrow." I mused before folding the map back up. My Dragon yawned, revealing rows of lethally sharp teeth.

"Indeed." Yawning myself, I walked over to my Dragon and settled down where my bags lay.

"Why exactly are we heading for Ilirea first?" I asked. "It's not like they need us for anything."

"Nasuada wanted to see you before you headed for Vroenguard." Sighing, I leaned back against a glittering side.

"It's not like I'm going to never come back," I grumbled. "I'm just teaching, and I'm not even sure why they want me to teach."

"It's because you have ten years of experience and vast knowledge of the sword and ancient language not to mention your magical prowess."

"Now you're just bragging."

"Am I wrong?"

"No." I retorted after a period of silence.

"Perhaps it is also due to who trained you?" I thought back to my teachers, that was the most likely reason. I didn't run around displaying my abilities, I preferred to have people believe me to be average. It always ended in an advantage.

My eyes flickered over to where my sword stuck out of one of my bags. Rhunön had been a beast to convince her to help me make that sword. The hilt glittered from the firelight, giving it an ethereal look that made me wonder if I really did use it to kill. I did.

"Possibly," I muttered before settling down for the night. "possibly."

"When was the last time you talk with your mother?" My eyes remained closed as the questioned burned in my mind.

"Her last birthday, we were there for that, weren't we?" I mumbled as I got comfortable.

"For an extended time, my human." My Dragon chided. Huffing, I rolled onto my side.