To Walk The Land Alone Part 2

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AN/ Well, this took a while, but it's finally done. I will try to update again soon but I am going to try and update some of my other stories first. Hopefully, I will get at least one more done this week but I won't make any promises. I don't have much else to do since I am stuck at home isolating because I Tested positive for covid. Anyway, enjoy the chapter. 

Percy's POV

As we wandered through the wilderness Eragon told me a bit more about the elve's culture, but in particular, he told me about their courtesy. I was going to let Eragon talk to Islanzadi himself since they already knew each other, but Eragon pointed out that if she'd heard that a new rider had joined the Varden she would probably want to meet me.

Eventually, we found a low, broad rock covered with scabs of lichen and with a bowl-like hollow in the middle. "Adurna rïsa," Eragon said, although I could have also used my powers to bring up the water. Around the rock, countless minuscule droplets of water filtered up through the soil and coalesced into flawless silver tubes that arched over the edge of the rock and down into the hollow. When the water started to overflow and return to the earth, only to be again ensnared by his spell, Eragon released the flow of magic. He waited until the surface of the water became perfectly still—so that it acted like a mirror and he stood before what looked like a basin of stars—and then he said, "Draumr kópa," and many other words besides, reciting a spell that would allow him to not only see but speak with others at a distance.

The water went completely black, as if someone had extinguished the stars like candles. A moment or two later, an oval shape brightened in the middle of the water and we saw the interior of a large white tent, illuminated by lights unlike any that I'd seen in Alagaesia so far. Normally, Eragon would be unable to scry a person or place he had not seen before, but he'd said that the elves' seeing glass was enchanted to transmit an image of its surroundings to anyone who contacted the glass. Likewise, Eragon's spell would project an image of himself and his surroundings onto the surface of the glass. The arrangement allowed strangers to contact each other from any location in the world, which was an invaluable ability in times of war.

A tall elf with silver hair and battle-worn armour entered our field of vision, and Eragon seemed to recognize him. If the elf was surprised to see us, he did not show it; he inclined his head, touched the first two fingers of his right hand to his lips, and said in his lilting voice, "Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eragon Shur'tugal." Eragon duplicated the gesture with his fingers and replied, "Atra du evarínya ono varda, Däthedr-vodhr."

Before they continued their conversation, Eragon introduced me to Däthedr and we also exchanged the elves' traditional greeting. Däthedr asked us a few questions before Eragon explained that we needed to speak to the Queen. Not long after that our conversation ended after Däthedr agreed to go get Queen Islanzadi.

As the elf turned away from the seeing glass, Eragon grimaced. A couple of minutes later I heard him mutter, "Come on," He quickly glanced around to make sure that no person or beast was creeping up on us while we gazed into the pool of water.

With a sound akin to ripping cloth, the entrance flap to the tent flew open as an elf woman who I assumed was Queen Islanzadí thrust it aside and stormed toward the seeing glass. She wore a bright corselet of golden scale armour, augmented with mail and greaves and a beautifully decorated helm—set with opals and other precious gemstones—that held back her flowing black hair. A red cape trimmed with white billowed from her shoulders. In her left hand, Islanzadí wielded a naked sword. Her right hand was empty, but it appeared gloved in crimson, and after a moment, I realized that dripping blood coated her fingers and wrist.

Islanzadí's slanting eyebrows narrowed as she looked upon us. Eragon touched his lips with his fingers, then twisted his right hand over his chest in the elves' gesture of loyalty and respect and recited the opening line of their traditional greeting. Islanzadí made the expected response, and in an attempt to please her and demonstrate his knowledge of their customs, Eragon concluded with the optional third line of the salutation: "And may peace live in your heart." The ferocity of Islanzadí's pose diminished somewhat, and a faint smile touched her lips, as if to acknowledge his maneuver. "And yours as well, Shadeslayer."

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⏰ Last updated: Apr 12, 2022 ⏰

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