As the summary says, this isn't strictly necessary to read about Alayissa in The Task of Protector, but it does provide helpful background information.

For those of you who don't know, Alayissa is an OC that I am writing about in a story called Eldest: The Task of Protector, in which she is responsible for Roran's protection. There are some references to Alayissa's past in the story, so I am providing some help.

Many thanks to , who has pointed out several points that did not match up with the story Murtagh told Eragon. And to prevent further confusion, Murtagh is somewhere between fifteen and seventeen during this part, so just keep in mind that he's a teenage boy.

Thanks again, !

Reviews welcome!

Alayissa woke up in a comfortable bed. Woke up? That's strange… I don't sleep that often… pushing her thoughts aside, she sat up, realizing that she wasn't in a room she recognized. Her hand was throbbing. She looked down to see it bandaged. She tried to wiggle her fingers; they were numb. What had happened? She remembered a dream, where these unearthly creatures had captured her… One of them had bit her hand. That's why it was bandaged. But why would her hand be hurting if it was just in the dream that she had been injured?

Alayissa drew her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. What had happened? She had been captured… yes… she recalled the pain she had gone through. How long had that been? All she could remember was screaming. How long had she lain there? She remembered someone touching her hand, saying something, and the pain had gone away. Then she woke up, and she was here. Where was here? Where was she? She looked around the room. There were no windows, and she couldn't see any doors. How had she gotten in? She stood up, needing to stretch her legs. She had to find out what was going on. Why weren't there any doors? Was someone holding her prisoner? Then why had she been healed? And why was she given such a comfortable bed?

She remembered not being able to use magic earlier. Maybe she could now! She searched her memory, and came up with nothing. Sighing, Alayissa sat back on the bed and put her hands in her head, trying to remember what she was looking for. Let's see, she thought. I need to get out… but first I need to see where I am. I could try to scry where I am, but what if I've never seen what lies beyond this room? I could compose a spell to let me see through the walls! Maybe, if I can get an idea of what's around me, I can find out how to get out! She tried to remember the words that would let her see through stone. Just as before, she could remember nothing.

Alayissa whirled around as a door opened. So the room wasn't doorless. That was good. The door was opening upward, stone disappearing into stone. She tensed up, ready to spring out as soon as it was clear. Right now, the thick figure of a man was blocking the entire door. As soon as he stepped in, the stone dropped, leaving them trapped in the room alone, with no way for Alayissa to escape.

"Who are you?" Alayissa asked in an authoritative voice. The man chuckled, and the hair on Alayissa's arms stood up.

"So this is the daughter of the great Vrael, the last of the Dragon Riders. You do bear a striking resemblance to your father, Alayissa." The man's voice was as smooth as honey. Alayissa immediately knew that something was wrong. How had he known who her father was? He had been dead for almost a century. No one alive should know who he was.

"Who… who are you?" she asked again. This time, her voice was a little more timid. The man chuckled again.

"I am King Galbatorix," he said. "Welcome to my home, my Lady." He bowed mockingly, and Alayissa backed up until she hit the wall.

"What do you want from me?" There was anger in her voice. This was the man who had killed her parents. This was the coward who had forced her people into hiding! This was the man who had oppressed the people of Alagaesia, and now he had her – an Elvin noblewoman – in his clutches. Queen Islanzadí would not be pleased.

"Why do you assume that I want something from you?" Galbatorix asked, offended. "I was merely coming to welcome you into my home; you'll be staying here a long time, and I want you to be comfortable." Alayissa was filled with dread as she heard these words. What did he mean?

"If you wanted me to feel welcome, you would not keep me prisoner here," she pointed out.

"Well, if I allowed you to roam free about the castle, you would try to run away from me," Galbatorix replied, his voice becoming like honey once more. "That's not what I want."

"Well, I don't want to stay in this room for 'a long time'," Alayissa said, feeling less afraid and more confident. "We can't both get what we want."

"Alayissa, I would not be so reluctant to free you if I were assured that you wouldn't try to leave. If you were to give me your word that you would not try to escape, I would gladly let you roam the palace." Alayissa saw the trap that she was walking into. She knew that Galbatorix was asking for an oath sworn in the Ancient Language – which, once spoken, could not be broken. She lifted her head stubbornly.

"Never," she spat. Galbatorix sighed.

"Pity. Maybe some time alone will help you to clear your mind." With that, the king turned and left the terrified Elf alone. She sank down and cried, facing the corner. She knew she couldn't stay locked up in this room forever. She also knew that, if Galbatorix had wanted to, he could have tortured whatever information he wanted from her. And she knew that, if he had gone far enough, she wouldn't have been able to resist. She began working on ways to strengthen her mind, coming up with different barriers – ones that would require gentility rather than brute force. She would not be caught unawares by this evil king. She would not let herself be forced into his mind games.

Alayissa knew when Galbatorix was coming. She had spent the last week in silence, perfecting the new barriers around her mind. She only hoped that her theory was right. She stood ready for him when he entered, her chin raised defiantly.

"What do you want?" she asked menacingly. "I know you want something, so ignore the niceties. What do you want?"

Galbatorix stared at this girl for a little while. Then, seeming to decide that it wasn't worth the fight, he told her, "I want the location of the Elvin capital, Ellesmera. I also want the location of the egg that was stolen from me."

"And you expect me to tell you?" Alayissa asked. Galbatorix's eyes glinted cruelly.

"Yes."

"I will not betray my people," she said, her voice full of steel. "Do what you wish to me, I will not betray my people." Galbatorix laughed evilly.

"I don't believe you, my Lady," he said. "You will tell me what I want to know… or you will suffer."

"So be it," Alayissa said, preparing herself both mentally and physically for attack. She was not disappointed. Alayissa gasped as a force hit her mind. The cruel fingers scratched and clawed, but there was no entrance to be gained. Alayissa sank into herself, letting her new barriers come forward.

Galbatorix laughed as the Elf's walls came crashing down around her. She had been stronger than he had expected, but no matter; he was inside, now. He searched through her memories, looking for the path to the Elvin capital… but all he saw was pictures of things that he already knew. He saw the Elf's fear when his Ra'zac had captured her. He saw her rage as she realized that he was behind it. Then he saw her at the beach, laughing as the sea came up to meet her. He saw other clips from her life; but there was nothing there about Ellesmera or the missing dragon egg. Enraged, Galbatorix plunged further into the Elf's mind. She whimpered, but he paid her no heed. Where was that blasted information?

After he had gone through every bit of information he could find, the king still hadn't seen the Elvin capital. He withdrew his mind from that of Alayissa's, and stared at the girl, furious.

"Where have you hidden it?" he shouted at her. She cringed.

"You will never find it!" she cried. She was trembling, traumatized by the ordeal she had just gone through. "I've already told you, I'll never betray them."

"If that be the case, then you shall never leave this castle," he said quietly. For some reason, this silence was more frightening than his shouting. "You can leave this room – it will only make your confinement all the more miserable for you to see the world outside, but to know that you will never again be a part of it." Alayissa shuddered, knowing that the king was right.

Alayissa spoke to no one. She walked the halls of Galbatorix's castle-fortress with her head down, not acknowledging anyone. No one seemed interested in the mysterious girl, anyway. No one knew about her Elvin blood – whenever she was out of her chambers, she either walked with her hair covering her ears, or a cowl down over her face. She would often stare out of the windows of the castle, but every time she even put a finger on the outside of the castle, she would be bombarded with a pain more excruciating than the time the Ra'zac had bitten through her entire hand. She knew that by staring at the green grass, she was only making herself more miserable, but she didn't seem to be able to help it.

People ceased to wonder at the secrecy surrounding Alayissa. No one cared about the oddity any more. No one, that is, except for the young man that knew her secret. Alayissa didn't know anything about him – she was too concerned with the things that could never be. However, the man certain things about the Elvin lady - things that she had unintentionally revealed, though no one else noticed them - and he was determined to find out more.

Alayissa first noticed the strange youth when she was walking back to her room to eat. That's all she did now – walk. Galbatorix had visited her several times since she had first defied him, and each time he had taken away some joy from her life. First, he had taken away her access to the gardens. Then, he had taken away the library. But this – this last time was the worst. This last time, Galbatorix had taken away her windows. She could no longer gaze out at the waving grass, or at the blue mountains far to the west. She could never again see the sunlight, or the clouds, or the stars.

She was lost in her own thoughts, tears glistening on her cheeks, when she saw him. He was dressed all in black, leaning against one of the pillars outside of her room. She scowled. Why couldn't people just leave her alone? She didn't want to speak to anyone, but it looked like she would have no choice. The man was staring at her intently, and she found it disconcerting. As she passed him, he stood up straight.

"My Lady," he said. Alayissa stopped, annoyed. Great. Now she would have to answer.

"My Lord," she curtsied.

"I trust your day is going well?" he asked congenially. Alayissa frowned. Of course it wasn't going well! She had long since lost any hope of ever seeing her family again, and this… this man had the audacity to ask her how her day was going? Why couldn't she just live in peace? Why did she have to answer to him? But he was speaking again. What was he saying? "Forgive me if I stare, my Lady," he was saying. "It is only that I've never seen an Elf before, and I am curious." Alayissa whirled back to face him.

"What did you just say?" she asked warily. The man grinned.

"I see that I've gotten your attention, Lady Elf. About time; I've been trying to catch your eye for ages."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Murtagh, my Lady. And you're Alayissa."

"How do you know this? And how do you know that I am an Elf?"

"You're not as careful as you may think," Murtagh replied. "For someone who takes in details, it is painfully obvious that you are not human."

"Well, I'm not completely an Elf, either," Alayissa said neatly. This clearly took Murtagh by surprise.

"No?"

"For one thing, Elves don't have brown hair." Alayissa threw back her cowl, showing that she was a brunette. "And their ears are more pointed than this."

"Than what are you?" Murtagh asked in wonder.

"I am Lady Alayissa du Ellesmera, daughter of the Dragon Rider Vrael and Lady Ramina du Breoal abr Wyrda." Alayissa drew herself up to her full height, looking down at the man, trying to look as regal as possible. Murtagh's eyes widened.

"You are Vrael's daughter? But he died-"

"Ninety-eight years ago," Alayissa finished. "Yes, I'm aware."

"But that must mean you're-"

"I am one hundred and thirty-five years old. But what about yourself?" Alayissa was feeling a little more polite now. Probably because Murtagh wasn't as bad to talk to as she had thought. "Who are you?" Murtagh looked down darkly.

"I'm just Murtagh," he said. "Just Murtagh." Obviously, Murtagh's heritage was a tender subject for him. "What is the daughter of Vrael doing in the court of Galbatorix?"

"Wishing she could be elsewhere," Alayissa said bitterly, leaning against the wall. "But alas, it seems that I have upset his most gracious Majesty, and as punishment, I may never again see the sky, or the sea, or the sun… I am trapped here."

"What have you done to upset the King that much?" Murtagh asked. Alayissa shrugged.

"I won't let him into my mind," she answered.

"How did you manage that?" Murtagh asked, eager to know. Galbatorix had made a few half-hearted attempts to enter his own mind, but Murtagh's mother had taught him how to block his mind when he was little. Galbatorix obviously didn't think that he was much of a threat, because he hadn't tried very hard to gain entry.