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[Tismri]

Jeriah sighed, tears filling her eyes.
"I'm not sure what happened, Lathem. One night, you just left home, not telling anyone where you were going. The next day, Jahag told me to go to the island of Beirland. I think it was just a diversion so he could follow you to see where you were going. Two weeks later, he came to the island, exhausted. He had run all the way from Uru'baen tothe shore near Teirm, then stowed aboard a passing ship. He eventually made it to Beirland. That's when he told me." She hesitated about the next part, not sure how to tell him.

[Backabuth]

Lathem nodded his head slowly. "Go on..."

[Tismri]

Jeriah sputtered a few unintelingable words as her throat constricted. Finally, though the tears that began falling down her face, she said, "Jahag told me that you had...sworn yourself to...Galbatorix." She covered her face with her hands, working to conpose herself.
OOC: man, mica and Taran need to get going! lol

[Backabuth]

Lathem gaped, his mouth hanging open. He sputtered for a few seconds and then blew up. "I WHAT? I would NEVER swear myself to Galbatorix! I....I....I would never...." All of the sudden a stack of memories were thrown at him that he couldn't remember. Everything that happened since that last night flashed before his eyes, just quick enough for him to remember everything. He fell to the ground, tasting blood in his mouth. His face smashed into the ground and a rock hit him in the eye. Hard. He turned his body over and looked at the sky. A cloud drifted by in a shape of a dragon. "S-so I ditched Zamah? For Galbatorix?" Lathem started crying, the cloud blurring from the tears. He looked over at Jeriah and got up suddenly, a bruise already forming around his eye. He walked over to Jeriah and took her hand. "Jeriah......Jeriah, hun. I....I have to do something to be free from Galbatorix. That wretch. I....I have to die, Jeriah sweet. I need to be free of this. I need to join you." He looked into her eyes, the tears on his cheeks drying to leave water stains. "I have to do this, love. I have to die."

[Tismri]

Jeriah stopped her own tears and looked hard at Lathem. The sudden change in her was frightening. All her training of the last year had changed her a lot. She was no longer a naive child in her own happy little world. She had grown up. Still, there were a few things about her that had not changed. She still loved Lathem. Her heart was still bent toward life rather than death. And she always did what she could to help another. All of these things made her say what she said next.
"No, Lathem. You cannot die. You will not die. I won't allow it. There has to be another way. I swore nearly a year ago that I would find a way to free you from Galbatorix that would not involve your death. Lathem," she continued in a softer tone, "I couldn't live without you. After all I did to find you, how could I let you be taken from me so quickly. There is another way, Lathem. There has to be."

[Backabuth]

Lathem shook his head. "What way would there be? I swore that I would die before I betrayed Galbatorix." He looked into her eyes and suddenly noticed how old she had grown in the past year. His face softened and he touched her face, pushing her hair behind her ears. "I missed you, sweet." He slowly bent down closer to her face, gently touching his lips to hers. After a few moments he pulled away and looked back into her sky blue eyes. "I love you, Jeriah." He looked around him quickly and got on one knee, looking up at her. "Will you marry me, my love?"

[Tismri]

A smile graced Jeriah's face, giving her more beauty at that moment than ahy human, elf, or other creature. A smile that radiated pure and absolute joy.
"Yes, Lathem. I will. I love you, Lathem." She gave him an embrace, and in her mind, she was more determined than ever that she would free Lathem from his promise, no matter the cost...no matter the cost...

[Backabuth]

Lathem held her in his arms and smiled, then quickly pushed her away abruptly, the smile leaving his face. "Wait! What about your father? And mother? Don't they have to approve of this? And also they'd probably want to see their little girl getting married......" He smiled again, pulling her back close to his chest, his heart beating at the same rhythm as hers. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes, the sound of Jeriah's breathing matching his own, as if they were one. As if they were one.........

[Tismri]

Jeriah frowned slightly. My parents... she thought. She hadn't seen her parents in over a year. She thought of them off and on and occasionally sent them a letter, but they never replied. She didn't even know if they ever got them. Still, she didn't let that upset her too much. This was a happy moment. She smiled up at Lathem.
"Well, it seems I may need to pay them a visit sometime soon," she said. She snuggled a little closer to him But now another thing ran through her mind. How would Lathem be freed from Galbatorix? Surely the false king wouldn't allow one of his servants to marry one of the Varden. Then her mind slowly began to form a plan. Lathem would be freed. She would see to that.

[Backabuth]

Lathem nodded. "We should. When do you want to go? I would like to meet your parents." He smiled slightly and then pulled away from their long hug. He kissed her forehead gently and then walked slowly to the waterfall nearby to ponder his thoughts. He sat down to the spraying water and enjoyed the refreshing feeling of the water washing his dirty face, running onto the rock below him and then running into the small river that the waterfall ran into. He laid back on the rock and closed his eyes, an idea forming inside his head. He thought the words over carefully in his head and then said them aloud in the ancient language, holding the palm of where his gedwey ignasia used to be over the thick rock. In the ancient language he said, "Make this golden band with a clear diamond and the colors of our dragons." He was surprised when he felt the energy leave him, him having no attachment to his dragon any longer. A small piece of the sturdy rock unattached itself from the part Lathem sat on and started changing into a beautiful engagement ring. When it was finished, the golden band matched the size of Jeriah's left ring finger, the clear diamond reflecting the sun into Lathem's eyes. An amethyst gem was on the side that faced Lathem and a citrine gem was shining onto the side that faced the waterfall. Lathem held the ring in his fingers and smiled tiredly at it. A strange feeling started coming over his mind that seemed familiar somehow, but foreign. It seemed that another thing was moving into his brain, a familiar presence. A slight hum filled his mind, telling him exactly who he was. I've missed you, little one. Zamah's voice shocked Lathem, the sound frightening, yet comforting. In a small and raspy voice, Lathem said aloud and in his mind, Zamah. The hum got louder, filling his whole mind leaving only a little space to think. Yes, little one. 'Tis I. A tear slipped down Lathem's cheek, then he laid his head down on the cool rock, the ring that he made Jeriah lying in his open right hand. It started burning on his hand, his eyes flying open. A searing pain surged through his body, like when he touched Zamah for the first time. A couple minutes later, the burning sensation stopped, his eyes not leaving his palm. There lay and exact duplicate of the ring he had just made and a gedwey ignasia, combined and scarred onto his palm. He heard the humming getting louder, the numb feeling in his mind leaving even more when ever the humming got louder. Suddenly, it wasn't just in his brain, but right before him. A larger dragon than he remembered stood before him, it's amethyst scaled shining from the sun. The dragon yawned, it's larger than Lathem fangs gleaming from the waterfall. A large purple eye suddenly appeared before him, piercing through his very soul. Long time no see, my rider. Lathem smiled and tried to attempt to wrap his arms around Zamah's muzzle. "I missed you, skulblaka."

[Tismri]

Jeriah was sitting a little away, giving Lathem some space. When Zamah appeared, Jeriah felt an unexpected surge of joy. She ran to Lathem, gave Zamah a hug around his leg as far as she could reach, then spun back around to face Lathem. She saw there was something in his hand.
"What's that?" she asked.

[Backabuth]

Lathem still shocked from from Zamah and him becoming one again that he didn't answer Jeriah until a couple minutes later. He looked at her, finally noticing her presence. He looked down at his palm and saw the ring. "Oh this?" He held up the ring in his two fingers. He grinned sheepishly. "Oh, it's just a little something I made.....an engagement ring." He took he hand and smooshed it onto her left ring finger, laughs escaping him at every attempt. Zamah's hum was the only thing that he could hear. So many questions that he had for Zamah. So many questions that Zamah had for Lathem. Lathem asked first. Where.....what......how.....why? Zamah roared with laughter. Time will tell, little one. Time will tell. Lathem looked back down at his palm to see the strangely misformed gedwey ignasia. He held it up for Zamah to see. You know how this happened? Zamah studied it, sniffed it, licked it, and nuzzled it. After a few moments he said, Nope. Lathem rubbed his large muzzle and turned back to Jeriah, anxious to see her reaction.

[Tismri]

Jeriah gasped when she saw the beautiful ring Lathem placed on her finger. The new gold was shining brightly, without any scratches or flaws. The three gems were glowing with magic, magic from their creation and magic from their love. She looked up at Lathem, then down at the ring, then at Lathem agaon. Then she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She held that kiss for a long time, never wanting to let go.
After a while, Jeriah finally pulled back. She gazed into his love-filled red eyes.
"I love you, Lathem," she said, her eyes shining with the truth of the statement. She looked down and found a fair-sized rock and made another ring, exactly like hers, big enough to fit on Lathem's left ring finger. A huge smile on her face, she slipped it on his finger and held his hand, still looking in his eyes.

[Backabuth]

Lathem laughed suddenly. He pulled her close and he laughed. He swirled her around, his laughter echoing of of the cliffs nearby. Water splashed onto their faces and clothes until they were soaked, Zamah's hum making the music for their dance. Lathem looked up at the sky and saw stars. He looked down at Jeriah, amazed. "We've danced the day away!" His laugh was deep, soul touching. He finally laid down on the rock ad put his arms out, the water still splashing onto him. The moon shone. Shone on the newly engaged couple.

[Tismri]

Jeriah laid down on the rock next to Lathem, simple joy bubbling inside her. She stared up at the sky, leaning her head against Lathem's shoulder. Suddenly a thought crossed her mind.
"When do you think Ganer's gonna wake up?" she asked, beginning to laugh.