"General Jörmundur, the unit that attacked us just before Furnost came from Petrovya, or at least they came from that direction. We have located an inn where they stayed overnight. The innkeeper overheard some of their conversations while they were drunk and obtained valuable information. This includes the fact that they were stationed somewhere before Aberon, and after completing their mission, they were supposed to report to a man named Milan. They referred to him as a 'dreadful sorcerer' multiple times, and none of them seemed to trust him. Otherwise, according to the innkeeper, they were just babbling incoherently."

"Thank you, Loraan. You have been a good choice for the guard of the young rider. I will relay your information to the queen, and she will take further measures. If your information is correct, we have a big problem with Surda and King Orrin."

"I agree with you, General. Should we continue traveling south? If this unit truly originated from Surda, we need to determine their exact purpose in order to counter it."

"Can you handle it? You are still injured from the battles, and you are still wearing your Nightfallen armor. If you travel to Surda like that, you won't get very far. However, I do agree that we need to find out the purpose of this undertaking."

"Our condition is stable. The Dragon Rider Arya fully healed our wounds before we left for Furnost. As for our equipment, Norell has already found a solution. We are storing it here in the local barracks and will travel with simple clothes. In Surda, we will pretend to be travelers and can then investigate the area more closely."

"It honors you that you think ahead. I grant you this mission and will send a mage to accompany you. Gather as much information as possible and be mindful of your cover. If you are exposed, and if Surda truly harbors hostility towards us, we may not be able to help you quickly unless they kill you directly."

"We are aware of the risks, but we cannot let this cowardly attack on us and the young rider go unpunished!"

With a brief bow, Loraan disappeared from Jörmundur's sight, and the mirror once again showed his reflection. It was late in the evening, and Queen Nasuada had long retired to her chambers. Despite the discomfort of disturbing the queen so late, the general hurried to her sleeping quarters and nodded to the Nightfallen guarding her room. Jörmundur gently pushed the door open and found the queen sitting at her desk, staring into her mirror. Startled, the general realized he had interrupted a conversation between the leader of the humans and the leader of the dwarves. Annoyed, Nasuada turned towards the opened door and wiped the remaining paint off Jörmundur's face with a gesture. Slightly irritated, she spoke before her general could react.

"Do you realize why guards are stationed outside my door? What is so important that you disrupt an urgent conversation?"

"Forgive me, Queen Nasuada, but we just received a message from Furnost. The information we obtained from there is far from reassuring."

"Speak. King Orik should hear this information directly."

"Our Nightfallen there have learned that the regiment that attacked the young rider came from Petrovya, or at least from that direction. After completing their mission, they were supposed to report to a man named 'Milan.' They intend to pursue this lead, and I have given them permission to do so. I also thought it wise to send a mage to support them, allowing for more effective movement through the cities. If Surda is behind this attack, it is a significant cause for concern. We do not know how the information about the new rider and her route leaked, which would mean that there is a spy among our ranks."

"These are indeed troubling pieces of information. You made the right decision to continue the mission. Go to the academy and dispatch a suitable mage. Since Trianna has not yet returned, we must rely on her files to select an appropriate candidate."

"With your permission, Nasuada, I have a suggestion. How about sending a dwarf mage for support? As far as I know, a group of them is currently east of the Beor Mountains on their way to Furnost, and they should be near Petrovya."

"That would be truly helpful, thank you. Our mages would not be able to reach there as quickly as yours. I leave the selection of a suitable candidate to you."

"No problem. If King Orrin is involved, we must be able to react swiftly."

"Exactly, King Orik. As for our suspected spy, Jörmundur, I give you the freedom to act. You have proven to be effective in identifying Galbatorix's spies in the past. Now, I need to ponder more about that stubborn king. I sincerely hope he is not involved in this. You may leave."

After the general had left the queen's chambers, Nasuada turned back to the mirror completely and sighed.

"I just hope that the whole situation doesn't worsen any further. Thank you in advance for your assistance."

"We will find out soon enough, Nasuada. Have you heard anything new from my clan brother in the east? He hardly ever contacts us."

"Not since he sent us the dragon egg. Knowing him, he works so hard that he falls into bed exhausted and doesn't spare a thought for anything else. His fate is probably even harder than bearing the crown."

"How true. I will inform him tomorrow that a certain elf, who interests him more than just greatly, will be expecting him at noon, and she will initiate the young rider into the teachings of the Order."

"Do that. Send my regards to Arya and tell her she can visit Ilirea again anytime. She was lucky enough to be relieved of the burden of the crown."

"Indeed. Her dealings with the stubborn elves were more than magnificent. With her help, I managed to keep a few stubborn dwarves at bay."

"But now, I will retire to bed as I am truly exhausted. I wish you a pleasant night's rest, Orik."

"Thank you, and the same to you, Nasuada."

She then put on her nightgown and lay down, exhausted, in her large, soft bed.

All the current Dragon Riders are causing quite a stir. I wonder how 'he' is doing. He hasn't contacted me since his last letter. Although he suspected a spy in my ranks, the fact that this suspicion comes from another source truly worries me. I hope you are well...!

"The dreadful sorcerer expects a report tomorrow morning. I don't want to have to tell him that you let an intruder escape, and that would not be good for you. So, what about him?"

"Apologies, Captain, but we can't locate him. The Ra'zac are also searching for him, but they can't find any traces. However, we doubt that the intruder is human, as the Ra'zac would have sensed him by now."

"What else could have intruded here, then? A dwarf? An elf?"

"We don't know, but we will continue to search every corner."

"I hope so. If I have to report something like this tomorrow morning, you will be 'tested' by the Ra'zac next!"

Since his first intrusion into the dungeon chambers outside Aberon, Grimrr explored a different part every day. After being discovered the first time, he increased his vigilance to an almost paranoid level because the Werecat wanted to explore as much as possible. In the past few days, he had indeed gathered a lot of information. The inhabitants of this complex referred to this place as the Torture Chamber, contrary to its official name, Castle of Repentance. Grimrr had to admit that both names were fitting, as officially it housed only prisoners awaiting a hearing before a judge. Unofficially, according to overheard conversations among the human guards, the Torture Chamber was used to train units of the Surdanese army in combat against dark creatures. Grimrr found some documents detailing training plans and battles against the Ra'zac. However, since Grimrr was not convinced by those plans, he searched for further clues and traces to uncover the true activities of the inhabitants.

After the captain dismissed his subordinates to continue the search for the intruder, he sneaked straight through the room. Grimrr made sure that the captain was looking in the opposite direction, studying his notes, before continuing his way. The goal of the Werecat was the staircase that led deeper into the chambers, and it could only be reached by passing through the captain's room. Successfully reaching his destination, as the captain was practically glued to the parchment scrolls on his desk, oblivious to everything else, Grimrr noticed that the air, just like in the palace's dungeon chambers, seemed to change more and more as he descended the stairs, and the feeling of fear he had experienced a few days ago returned.

Upon reaching the bottom, he encountered a closed iron door that he painstakingly opened with the help of his humanoid form. The fear that the Werecat felt was more than justified when he looked into the room behind the iron door. Countless jet-black objects shimmered in the light of several torches mounted on the walls. Upon closer inspection, these objects turned out to be Ra'zac eggs, as they exhibited the typical shape of a chicken egg but were still large and uneven. Quietly and gently, Grimrr continued to move through the room, wanting to examine every nook and cranny. The closer he got to the back wall, the more peculiar he found the sight of the Ra'zac eggs. It seemed as if he was wading through an endless sea of shimmering pitch.

Suddenly, a sight that he could not even have imagined in his dreams froze him in mid-motion. An egg, colored and shaped like any other Ra'zac egg, perched on a pedestal at the end of the room. What made him freeze was the size of the egg. The Werecat believed he had seen enough and began making his way back to the surface. On the way up, he encountered the captain again, who was still studying his plans for training the new recruits. This made it really easy for Grimrr to pass by him.

How can an egg of the jet-black semi-creatures grow to such proportions? It was at least as big as two fully-grown bipedals! Well, now it's just getting out of here. I've had enough of this place, and my two companions are probably waiting for me.