Post by Black_Rider on Dec 31, 2008 22:15:30 GMT -6
It was nearly a mile from where Aaron started to the south gate of Tronijheim. He covered the distance in only a few minutes, his footsteps loud upon the stone floor. As he ran, he caught glimpses of the rich tapestries that hung above the arched entrances to the corridors on either side and of the grotesque statues of beasts and monsters that lurked between the pillars of blood-red jasper that lined the vaulted avenue. the four-story-high thoroughfare was so large, Aaron had little difficulty evading the dwarfs who populated it, although at one point, a line of Knurlcarathn stepped in front of him, and he had no choice but to leap over the dwarfs, who ducked, uttering startled exclamations. Aaron savored their looks of astonishment as he sailed over them.
With an easy, loping stride, Aaron ran underneath the massive timber gate that protected the southern entrance to the city mountain, hearing the guards cry, " Hail, Argetlam!" as he flew past. Twenty yards beyond, for the gate was recessed into the base of Tronijheim, he sped between the pair of giant gold griffins that stared with sightless eyes toward the horizon and then emerged into the open.
The air was cool and moist and smelled like fresh-fallen rain. Though it was morning, gray light enveloped the flat disk of land that surrounded Tronijheim, land upon which no grass grew, only moss and lichen and the occasional patch of pungent toadstools. Above, Farthen Dur rose over ten miles to a narrow opening, through which pale, indirect light entered the immense crater. Aaron had difficulty grasping the scale of the mountain when he gazed upward.
As he ran, he listened to the monotones patten of his breathing and to his light, quick footsteps. He was alone, save for a curious bat that swooped overhead, emitting shrill squawks. The tranquil mood that permeated the hollow mountain comforted him, freed him of his usual worries.
He followed the cobblestone path that extended from Tronijheim's south gate all the way to the two black thirty-foot-high doors set into the southern base of Farthen Dur. As he drew to a halt, a pair of dwarfs emerged from hidden guardrooms and hurried to open the doors, revealing the seemingly endless tunnel beyond.
Aaron continued forward. Marble pillars studded with rubies and amethysts lined the first fifty feet of the tunnel. Past them the tunnel was bare and desolate, the smooth walls broken only by a single flame-less lantern every twenty yards and at infrequent intervals by a closed gate or door. I wonder where they lead, Aaron thought. Then he imagined the miles of stone pressing down on him from overhead, and for a moment, the tunnel seemed unbearably oppressive. He quickly pushed the image away.
Halfway through the tunnel, Aaron felt her.
"Saphira!" he shouted, with both his mind and his voice, her name echoing off the stone walls with the force of a dozen yells.
Aaron! An instant later, the faint thunder of a distant roar rolled toward him from the other end of the tunnel.
Redoubling his speed, Aaron opened his mind to Saphira, removing every barrier around who he was, so that they might join together without reservation. Like a flood of warm water, her consciousness rushed into him, even as his rushed into her. Aaron gasped and tripped and nearly fell. They enveloped each other within the folds of their thoughts, holding each other with an intimacy no physical embrace could replicate, allowing their identities to merge once again. Their greatest comfort was a simple once: they were no longer alone. To know that you were with one who cared for you, and who understood every fiber of your being, and who would not abandon you in even the most desperate of circumstances, that was the most precious relationship a person could have, and both Aaron and Saphira cherished it.
It was not long before Aaron sighted Saphira hurrying toward him as swiftly as she could without banging her head on the ceiling or scraping her wings against the walls. Her claws screeched on the stone floor as she slid to a stop in front of Aaron, fierce, sparkling, glorious.
Crying out with joy, Aaron leaped upward and, ignoring her sharp scales, wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her as tightly as he could, his feet dangling several inches in the air. Little one, Saphira said, her tone warm. She lowered him to the floor, then snorted and said, Little one, unless you wish to choke me, you should loosen your arms.
Sorry. Grinning, he stepped back, then laughed and pressed his forehead against her snout and began to scratch behind both corners of her jaw.
Saphira's low humming filled the tunnel.
You're tired, he said.
I have never flown so far so fast. I stopped only once after I left the Varden, and I would not have stopped at all except I became too thirsty to continue.
Do you mean you haven't slept or eaten for three days?
She blinked at him,k concealing her brilliant sapphire eyes for an instant.
You must be starving! Aaron exclaimed, worried. He looked her over for signs of injury. To his relief, he found none.
I am tired, she admitted, but not hungry. Not yet. Once I have rested, then I will need to eat. Right, now I don't think I could stomach so much as a rabbit...The earth is unsteady beneath me; I feel as if I am still flying.
If they had not been apart for so long, Aaron might have reproached her for being reckless, but as it was, he was touched and grateful she had pushed herself. Thank you, he said. I would have hated to wait another day for us to be together again.
As would have I. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against his hands as he continued to scratched behind her jaw. Thinking of how much he had missed her and if Lara missed her if Lara ever missed her. Besides, I could hardly be late for the coronation, now could I? 'Who did the clanmeet----
Before she could finish the question, Aaron sent her an image of Orik.
Ah, she sighed, her satisfaction flowing through him. He will make a fine king.
I hope so
Is the star sapphire ready for me to mend?
If the dwarves have not already finished piecing it together, I'm sure they will have by tomorrow
That is good. Cracking open an eyelid, she fixed him with her piercing gaze. Nasuada told me of what Az Sweldn Rok Anhum attempted. Always you get into trouble when I am not with you.
His smile widened. And when you are?
I eat the trouble before it eats you.
So you say. What about when the Urgals ambushed us by Gil'ead and took me captive?
A plume of smoke escaped from between Saphira's fangs. That does not count. I was smaller then, and not as experienced. It would not happen now. And you are not as helpless as you once were.
I've never been helpless, he protested. I just have powerful enemies. For some reason, Saphira found his last statement enormously amusing; she started laughing deep within her chest, and soon Aaron was laughing as well. Neither of them was able to stop until Aaron was lying on his back, gasping for air, and Saphira was struggling to contain the darts of flame that kept shooting out of her nostrils. Then Saphira made a sound Aaron had never heard before, a strange jumping growl, and he noticed the oddest feeling through their connection.
Saphira made the sound again, then shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of a swarm of flies. Oh dear, she said I seem to have the hiccups.
Aaron's mouth dropped open. He held that pose for a moment, then he doubled over, laughing so hard, tears streamed down his face. Every time he was about to recover, Saphira would hiccup, bobbing her head forward like a stork, and he would go off into convulsions again. At last he plugged his ears with his fingers and stared at the ceiling and recited the true names of every metal and stone he could remember.
When he finished, he took a deep breath and stood.
Better? Saphira asked. Her shoulders shook as another hiccup racked her.
Aaron bit his tongue.Better...Come on, let's go to Tronjheim. You should have some water. That might help. And then you should sleep.
Can not you cure hiccups with a spell?
Maybe. Probably. But neither Brom nor Oromis taught me how.
Saphira grunted her understanding, and a hiccup followed an instant later. Biting his tongue even harder, Aaron stared at the tips of his boots. Shall we?
Saphira extended her right foreleg in invitation. Aaron eagerly climbed up onto her back and settled into the spot at the base of her neck.
Together, they continued through the tunnel toward Tronjheim, both of them happy, and both of them sharing in each others happiness. Aaron watched the tunnel go by as Saphira shared her memories of the past few days they have been apart. Your turn now little one her tone was warm but followed by a hiccup. Aaron bit his tongue again and began to share his memories with her.
The dwarves at the entrance had to open the gate again. They said something but the two friends where not listening. Once back at Tronjheim the dwarves where thrilled to see Saphira. They came over to look at her and Aaron shook his head when someone said something. " She needs water " he spoke absently.
With an easy, loping stride, Aaron ran underneath the massive timber gate that protected the southern entrance to the city mountain, hearing the guards cry, " Hail, Argetlam!" as he flew past. Twenty yards beyond, for the gate was recessed into the base of Tronijheim, he sped between the pair of giant gold griffins that stared with sightless eyes toward the horizon and then emerged into the open.
The air was cool and moist and smelled like fresh-fallen rain. Though it was morning, gray light enveloped the flat disk of land that surrounded Tronijheim, land upon which no grass grew, only moss and lichen and the occasional patch of pungent toadstools. Above, Farthen Dur rose over ten miles to a narrow opening, through which pale, indirect light entered the immense crater. Aaron had difficulty grasping the scale of the mountain when he gazed upward.
As he ran, he listened to the monotones patten of his breathing and to his light, quick footsteps. He was alone, save for a curious bat that swooped overhead, emitting shrill squawks. The tranquil mood that permeated the hollow mountain comforted him, freed him of his usual worries.
He followed the cobblestone path that extended from Tronijheim's south gate all the way to the two black thirty-foot-high doors set into the southern base of Farthen Dur. As he drew to a halt, a pair of dwarfs emerged from hidden guardrooms and hurried to open the doors, revealing the seemingly endless tunnel beyond.
Aaron continued forward. Marble pillars studded with rubies and amethysts lined the first fifty feet of the tunnel. Past them the tunnel was bare and desolate, the smooth walls broken only by a single flame-less lantern every twenty yards and at infrequent intervals by a closed gate or door. I wonder where they lead, Aaron thought. Then he imagined the miles of stone pressing down on him from overhead, and for a moment, the tunnel seemed unbearably oppressive. He quickly pushed the image away.
Halfway through the tunnel, Aaron felt her.
"Saphira!" he shouted, with both his mind and his voice, her name echoing off the stone walls with the force of a dozen yells.
Aaron! An instant later, the faint thunder of a distant roar rolled toward him from the other end of the tunnel.
Redoubling his speed, Aaron opened his mind to Saphira, removing every barrier around who he was, so that they might join together without reservation. Like a flood of warm water, her consciousness rushed into him, even as his rushed into her. Aaron gasped and tripped and nearly fell. They enveloped each other within the folds of their thoughts, holding each other with an intimacy no physical embrace could replicate, allowing their identities to merge once again. Their greatest comfort was a simple once: they were no longer alone. To know that you were with one who cared for you, and who understood every fiber of your being, and who would not abandon you in even the most desperate of circumstances, that was the most precious relationship a person could have, and both Aaron and Saphira cherished it.
It was not long before Aaron sighted Saphira hurrying toward him as swiftly as she could without banging her head on the ceiling or scraping her wings against the walls. Her claws screeched on the stone floor as she slid to a stop in front of Aaron, fierce, sparkling, glorious.
Crying out with joy, Aaron leaped upward and, ignoring her sharp scales, wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her as tightly as he could, his feet dangling several inches in the air. Little one, Saphira said, her tone warm. She lowered him to the floor, then snorted and said, Little one, unless you wish to choke me, you should loosen your arms.
Sorry. Grinning, he stepped back, then laughed and pressed his forehead against her snout and began to scratch behind both corners of her jaw.
Saphira's low humming filled the tunnel.
You're tired, he said.
I have never flown so far so fast. I stopped only once after I left the Varden, and I would not have stopped at all except I became too thirsty to continue.
Do you mean you haven't slept or eaten for three days?
She blinked at him,k concealing her brilliant sapphire eyes for an instant.
You must be starving! Aaron exclaimed, worried. He looked her over for signs of injury. To his relief, he found none.
I am tired, she admitted, but not hungry. Not yet. Once I have rested, then I will need to eat. Right, now I don't think I could stomach so much as a rabbit...The earth is unsteady beneath me; I feel as if I am still flying.
If they had not been apart for so long, Aaron might have reproached her for being reckless, but as it was, he was touched and grateful she had pushed herself. Thank you, he said. I would have hated to wait another day for us to be together again.
As would have I. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against his hands as he continued to scratched behind her jaw. Thinking of how much he had missed her and if Lara missed her if Lara ever missed her. Besides, I could hardly be late for the coronation, now could I? 'Who did the clanmeet----
Before she could finish the question, Aaron sent her an image of Orik.
Ah, she sighed, her satisfaction flowing through him. He will make a fine king.
I hope so
Is the star sapphire ready for me to mend?
If the dwarves have not already finished piecing it together, I'm sure they will have by tomorrow
That is good. Cracking open an eyelid, she fixed him with her piercing gaze. Nasuada told me of what Az Sweldn Rok Anhum attempted. Always you get into trouble when I am not with you.
His smile widened. And when you are?
I eat the trouble before it eats you.
So you say. What about when the Urgals ambushed us by Gil'ead and took me captive?
A plume of smoke escaped from between Saphira's fangs. That does not count. I was smaller then, and not as experienced. It would not happen now. And you are not as helpless as you once were.
I've never been helpless, he protested. I just have powerful enemies. For some reason, Saphira found his last statement enormously amusing; she started laughing deep within her chest, and soon Aaron was laughing as well. Neither of them was able to stop until Aaron was lying on his back, gasping for air, and Saphira was struggling to contain the darts of flame that kept shooting out of her nostrils. Then Saphira made a sound Aaron had never heard before, a strange jumping growl, and he noticed the oddest feeling through their connection.
Saphira made the sound again, then shook her head, as if trying to rid herself of a swarm of flies. Oh dear, she said I seem to have the hiccups.
Aaron's mouth dropped open. He held that pose for a moment, then he doubled over, laughing so hard, tears streamed down his face. Every time he was about to recover, Saphira would hiccup, bobbing her head forward like a stork, and he would go off into convulsions again. At last he plugged his ears with his fingers and stared at the ceiling and recited the true names of every metal and stone he could remember.
When he finished, he took a deep breath and stood.
Better? Saphira asked. Her shoulders shook as another hiccup racked her.
Aaron bit his tongue.Better...Come on, let's go to Tronjheim. You should have some water. That might help. And then you should sleep.
Can not you cure hiccups with a spell?
Maybe. Probably. But neither Brom nor Oromis taught me how.
Saphira grunted her understanding, and a hiccup followed an instant later. Biting his tongue even harder, Aaron stared at the tips of his boots. Shall we?
Saphira extended her right foreleg in invitation. Aaron eagerly climbed up onto her back and settled into the spot at the base of her neck.
Together, they continued through the tunnel toward Tronjheim, both of them happy, and both of them sharing in each others happiness. Aaron watched the tunnel go by as Saphira shared her memories of the past few days they have been apart. Your turn now little one her tone was warm but followed by a hiccup. Aaron bit his tongue again and began to share his memories with her.
The dwarves at the entrance had to open the gate again. They said something but the two friends where not listening. Once back at Tronjheim the dwarves where thrilled to see Saphira. They came over to look at her and Aaron shook his head when someone said something. " She needs water " he spoke absently.
