Eragon POV

It was all my fault.

Arya was now suffering because of me. If only the blade had struck me instead of her. If only I was focused on my surroundings instead of her unparalleled beauty.

But alas, it is too late now.

I picked up and examined the savage's knife. It was nothing more than a sharpened bone, but I could smell the sly poison that covered its toothed edges.

I left a sigh of relief- I knew that poison. It was extracted from a rare tulip that blossomed near rivers. Some hunters use it, because of its non-lethal properties that can paralyze the victim but rarely kills it. Arya was just unconscious, weakened from the venom and the exhaustion of the battle.

I expended my mind to search for a place to pass the night. The sun was almost behind the mountains and it was already starting to get chilly. I found a small cave that was unoccupied by wild animals and carried Arya inside. Just in time too, because as soon as I got there, I heard a thunder and the first raindrops started to fall.

I walked to the far end of the cave and put her gently on the ground. I then took a blanket from my bag and placed it on the floor, making a more comfortable place for Arya to sleep.

I had just moved her to her newly constructed bed and was about to gather some wood to light a fire when I realized how cold Arya was.

I panicked- she was whimpering and shivering in her sleep and her skin was as pale as chalk.

I immediately dashed to my bag and used every blanket I carried to cover her up to the chin. I then placed my hand to the blankets and whispered some words in the ancient language to warm them. I ran out of the cave and quickly gathered all the broken branches that were scattered near the entrance.

I didn't even notice the whipping of the rain. If anyone caught a glimpse of me running around in the mud , diving into the bushes and cutting them with Brisingr, he would surely had mistaken me for a madman.

And mad I was because the chosen of my heart, the love of my life was freezing in that damn cave!

I returned to her full of scratches ,tossed the wood as close to her bed as I dared,without risking of harming her. With a word I lit the wood on fire. Brisingr lit too and I, cursing irritably, had to put it out. I placed it in my scabbard and rushed over to Arya.

I knelt near her and after a nervous glance at her face. I touched her hand under the covers. She had warmed up a little, but she was still pale.

I felt my heart sink as I watched her laying there weak and defenseless. Dark thoughts invaded my mind.

What if the venom affected the elves differently from humans and the animals? What if her temperature kept falling down?

Arya shivered again and I knew what I had to do even if that made her hate me. I slowly put the blankets aside and started stripping her.

First her armor and the weapons and after that her clothes. I blushed and looked away as I stripped her of her underwear. I felt like the worst kind of criminal, betraying her trust in me. I drew strength from the thought- I couldn't let her suffer. She would understand, wouldn't she? I undressed as well and used my clothes to wipe up the rain from my body.

I stood embarrassed almost inside the fire, trying to heat myself as soon as possible. I waited for at least a minute, creating wards that would alert me if someone approached our camp.

In reality I was distracting myself from the fear I was feeling. The fear of Arya waking up, the fear of touching her naked body, the fear of sharing a bed with my only love, the fear of losing my self -restraint.

I looked at her beautiful face- she still was breathing soundly. I closed in on her and slipped under the blankets.

No reaction.

I came closer. Our shoulders bumped together.

She mumbled something in her sleep, felt my warmth and buried herself in my embrace. I knew that she was just drawn to me because of my body heat but I couldn't hold back my smile. She felt weightless in my arms, like glass. Despite my burning cheeks and embarrassment, I couldn't help but sigh. She was so right in my arms.

She leaned her head on my chest and I feared that the beating of my heart would wake her up, but no, she continued to sleep peacefully. She probably was used to listening to a man's heart going on a rampage. I swallowed, with the ethereal beauty and delicate figure she possessed that most likely would be true.

I excitedly wrapped my arms around her body, to feel her soft skin and the warmth that had started to spread inside of her. I closed my eyes leaving my other senses to explore her.

I could hear her heart and I almost cried.
I could smell the scent of pinewood that emerged from her felt her breath warming my chest.

I could almost taste the sweetness of her being- a taste so rich that could only be compared to the wealth of her heart.

I caressed her back and she smiled in her sleep. She was not quivering anymore but I certainly was. She had me in the palm of her hand since I met her. I realized that even in her current weakened state, she was the predator and I was her prey.

I leaned a bit forward and kissed her hair, putting a little crown in my queen's head. That was the final acknowledgement of the dominance she held in my heart.

''I love you'' I whispered, falling asleep with the most beautiful woman to walk the earth in my arms.