Age of the Dragon 2: The Thedas Rider

Chapter 12

They arrived quietly, landing near her home. Fang would slip in behind her, while Fallyn made her grand entrance.

Not normally one for theatrics, Fallyn was reluctant - especially since with so many powerful warriors there it would be dangerous if it went wrong.

But she was calm and confident. This would work. She would play by the rules of Ellesmera for now - she needed them for her plan to work.

So she cast off her travel clothes and grasped her staff. The robes she wore exposed her tattoos and she pulled her hair tightly. She had noticed one of the feathers had been missing but was not too upset since she had spotted it in Murtagh's room, with him.

So she wore the other, considering the one he had as proof of her promise.

As she was about to depart, she noticed her sword resting on a table. The scabbard lost, it appeared that Rhunön had made a new one for the sword. Strapping it to her hips, she then departed for the Menoa Tree. As she approached, the crowd slowly parted until she stood in the middle.

Silence fell over the crowd, and Fallyn heard Arya gasp her name. Her eyes fell on Eragon, who stared at her in confused awe.

Then she sang.

She sang the song of Lathbora viran - the path to a place of lost love that she had painstakingly translated into the Ancient Language over the years. She poured into it, all the emotion she had learned from her time among the Dalish, for it was they who felt most keenly what was missing. She poured into it all the sorrow she felt for the loss of the dragons, the deaths of their Riders, and the lives sacrificed since. She sang, pouring in the longing in her heart for things she felt deeply but might never know - she sang for the love of history beyond her reach. She could feel it welling up, as her blood sang out its own sorrow for the loss of Arlathan.

When the last note died on her tongue, all present had bowed their heads and openly wept.

"You return... alive and well and carrying with you such ancient sorrow," Islanzadí said softly. "Welcome back, Fallyn Stormrider."

Fallyn dipped her head and demurely moved to return to the darkness, as Fang rumbled her greeting from the darkness.

Saphira's head shot up, and Fallyn noted the wide-eyed surprise in Eragon's eyes.

The Celebration was not yet done, but Fallyn had played her part and was now weary from her travels. With one tap of her staff, the gem lit up and revealed the dragon to the crowd. The light danced off her silverite necklace, and Fang presented her creation.

Hers was also a poem - though she did not sing hers. Spoken in measured meters and melodic rhyme hers told of rolling mountains and silent skies. She spoke of how once dragons and griffons soared to impossible heights, now the skies were empty of their mighty song - but she also uttered words of hope, that someday the skies might sing with dragonsong again.

Then they departed, returning to their home to rest after their long travel and to prepare for those who would demand answers after the disappearance of them both.