The Dragon's Chosen
by Princess Angelita
DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot of this story and any original characters. Everything else belongs to Christopher Paolini.
SUMMARY: Follows the general plot of Eragon and Eldest, beginning when Eragon reaches the Varden. Amirah is the adopted daughter of Ajihad, a foundling with great magical powers. Her fate is entwined with those of the Dragon Riders and Alagaesia itself.
RATING: M, for violence and sexual scenes.
Chapter 1
"The Rider is here," Ajihad said as he strode into the spacious quarters of his two daughters. Nasuada and Amirah looked up immediately from their embroidery. "Here?" Nasuada asked, standing up quickly. Ajihad nodded and walked over the window to look out upon Farthen Dur. Amirah folded up her work silently and went to stand beside the man she had called Father as long as she could remember. "You don't seem happy, Father," she said quietly. Ajihad smiled tenderly and patted Amirah on the head. For a moment, he remembered the day he found an infant girl abandoned by nomads, lying in a basket under the sole tree in the Hadarac Desert.
It had been a long journey from Surda to sanctuary in Farthen Dur. The fact that he had just lost his wife and many of the Varden from a small skirmish with Galbatorix's troops made the trip even harder. There had been no time to bury any of their dead, only time to run to save the living, including his infant daughter, Nasuada. The small company had stopped only for a few moments to catch a bit of rest and wet their lips with precious water. Ajihad walked a few yards away into the desert, wishing to say a silent goodbye to the woman he had loved. It was then he had heard the small whimpers. Drawing his sword, Ajihad called two of his most trusted men to him and they went to investigate. Under a tree lay a small basket, and from the basket came the tiny cries of a child.
Ajihad shuddered for a moment, the thought of someone abandoning something as precious and irreplaceable as a baby hurt the depths of his very soul. He sheathed his sword and picked up the tiny infant, cradling it in his strong arms. The baby quieted immediately and looked up at him with large eyes. Ajihad murmured soothing noises to it as he moved aside the swaddling to see the baby was a little girl. "We must get her back to the others," he told his men, who looked as appalled as he. There had been no time to look over the child, for they were still on the run. Ajihad handed the infant over to Nasuada's wet nurse, who put the starving child to breast without delay. For the remainder of the night, Ajihad continued to look over his shoulder to see the nurse and her eldest daughter carrying both Nasuada and the infant girl in slings across their chests.
The vision faded from his mind as he looked down into Amirah's strange eyes, a dark ocean blue surrounded by a ring of silver, which often frightened those she first met. He smiled wearily at her and motioned for both girls to sit. Nasuada and Amirah exchanged worried looks. "Although I am happier than you can imagine at the rumors of a new Rider being true, my girls, there are things you both should know," Ajihad began. "The Rider is not what we expected." "What do you mean, Father?" Nasuada asked as she folding her ebony hands in her lap gracefully. "He is younger . . ." Ajihad closed his eyes, willing the right words to form in his mind. "His name is Eragon. He comes from a farm in Carvahall, a village close to the Spine." "So he is a farm boy?" Nasuada asked. "There is nothing wrong with that, Father."
Ajihad smiled at his daughter. "No, you are right, Nasuada. Saphira . . . that's his dragon's name . . . would not have chosen just anyone. But Eragon is not my main concern at the moment. I have . . . rather bad news, girls." "What is it Father?" Amirah asked, her pale skin growing even paler. "Urgals chased Eragon right up to the waterfall. We can be sure Galbatorix now knows where we are." Amirah gasped. Nasuada laid a calming hand on her sister's shoulder. "It is certain we will be attacked, then?" Nasuada asked. Ajihad nodded solemnly. "I am sure that is what will happen. And there is something else, Amirah." Amirah's thin black eyebrows met in the center of her forehead as she stared at Ajihad. "What?" she asked. "Arya has been found. Eragon brought her to us," Ajihad answered. "Arya!" Amirah cried, rising quickly from her seat. "Is she all right? Where is she?" "She is very ill, Amirah," Ajihad told her softly. "She was captured by Durza, tortured, and has been given Skilna Bragh."
Amirah swayed on her feet and Nasuada leapt up to steady her. Nasuada raised sorrowful black eyes to her fathers. "Will she be all right?" she asked. "Arya is with the healers as we speak, my child," Ajihad said. "She was almost at death's door when they arrived, but we can only hope they brought her in time to save her life." Amirah took a deep breath and leaned against her sister. "I want to see her," she whispered. "That is not possible until she is well, daughter," Ajihad said, touching her cheek. Amirah slumped into her chair. "That isn't all, is it, Father?" she asked. "No. The son of Morzan accompanied Eragon here," Ajihad said, his eyes hardening. "Murtagh?" Nasuada asked, her eyes wide with surprise. Ajihad nodded. "Yes. Both he and Eragon insist he is on our side, that he saved Eragon's life, but he will not allow the Twins to search his mind. Therefore, I have put him under restraint."
"But if he did indeed help Eragon, won't it offend the Rider if his friend is jailed?" Nasuada asked. Ajihad smiled with pride. "My intelligent daughter. Yes, I'm afraid it might. Therefore instead of jailing him in the dwarf dungeons, I have placed him in comfortable quarters here in our section of Farthen Dur." Nasuada nodded. "Yes. I am sure it is for his safety as well," she said slowly. "If he were able to walk around Farthen Dur, his life would be at risk from those who would avenge the deaths of the Riders." Ajihad smiled again. "Exactly, Nasuada. You will make a fine leader someday." He motioned for Amirah to stand and embraced both girls. "It is getting late, girls," he said quietly. "You should get some rest. I will inform you of what we are to do tomorrow morning." Amirah and Nasuada kissed Ajihad and watched in silence as he left them alone.