A/N: ("Computers are as addictive as alcohol, it's causing physical disabilities as well, such as eye strain and back ache." The psychologist informed Mr. McCoy sadly. "That's no reason to commit murder." The prosecutor commented firmly. The psychologist looked at him and responded dubiously, "That's what they said about Twinkies until jurors bought it." This is a totally awesome quote from Law and Order from I LOVE LENNIE month! I'm gonna have to get one from Lennie maybe...I mean, since it is I LOVE LENNIE month! Anyway, sorry. I'm watching L&O as I'm writing this, so sorry if it's kinda boring. I have to get through all the past stuff before I can return to the awesomely coolio story. So, thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this! Laterz, -Writing Fairy- Oh, and thank you all SOOO much for your reviews and adding me to alerts and favorites, it really means a lot!)

Chapter 2, Pasts and Prejudices

Eragon's gaze fell on Raeliesha hard, taking her in completely, from her worn leather shoes to her scuffed black pants and fitting black shirt. She had the enticing and mysterious beauty of the elves in every graceful contour of her face and lithe body. His eyes rested on her deeply soulful violet ones and strayed momentarily to her silky auburn hair. Both Briam and Saphira were standing just outside the front of the tent, their large forms casting shadows over the candle that lit the conversation going on within.

"Another Rider." Eragon commented slowly.

"Who'da thunk it." She drawled. He just looked at her, "Sorry. I got over this a while ago. I know it's quite a shocker for you." She leaned back in her chair and tiredly closed her eyes. "Would you like me to just give you an overview of myself?" She finally asked, tired of the silence. She may have looked like and elf but she sure didn't have their interminably and excessively patient nature. She seemed perfectly human beyond her beauty. This was just getting stranger and stranger...

Eragon sat down, opened his arms and said, "Be my quest."

She opened her unusual violet eyes and started, "My name is Raeliesha Crescent, daughter of Erik Crescent, someone that I never knew." She spoke in the ancient language and Eragon was surprised at her complete willingness to be completely and utterly honest with him, it was as if she was on a mission to make trusting her easier, "My mother's name was Alicia, a healer and an elf in Galbatorix's palace." Eragon flinched, she ignored him and continued, her voice nondescript, "I was a maid there for many years. It was one day as I was coming into a drawing room to serve food and drink to Galbatorix and his guest as well as doing some off hand cleaning that an oddity occurred. I believe he was with Morzan, but I am not altogether sure." Eragon's eyes widened and he looked at her intently. The son of Morzan, it was all confirmed now, in her mind anyway. "The two were arguing about something or another, I don't very well remember. I was too absorbed with the round object on the table I had been ordered to clean. It was a pure shade of emerald green and was the most beautiful center piece I had yet to encounter in the entire palace." Raeliesha smirked, apparently laughing at her own stupidity, but Eragon knew the feeling. When he had first encountered Saphira's egg he had though it was an stone he could barter, "I touched it, intending to pick it up, clean under it, and go away, but it quaked as soon as my fingers grazed the object and I nearly dropped it. Morzan kept yelling whatever the two were arguing about but Galbatorix's attention immediately turned to me. The object quaked again, this time I wasn't as caught off guard but it was definitely a shock. Suddenly I heard Galbatorix's voice in my head, Take it and go, he said. I was unsure and again I heard, Take it and go. I fled the room. It wasn't too much later that the egg hatched. My mother found out almost immediately, and, fearing I would be swayed to the dark side, she used every ounce of magic she had in her to transport me far away. To this day I am not sure where I was. I wandered for days until I came upon a city, but by then I was delirious from heat, starvation and dehydration. I do not recall the name of the city. It wasn't until many years later that my fears where confirmed: my mother was dead. The rest of my life was rather typical." She let out a hollow laugh, "For a Rider anyway. My dragon and I developed together and I perfected my magic." She finished lightly. Then she leaned forward, her arms resting on the table as she said, "You may ask what you wish Shadeslayer."

Eragon was caught off guard by her peculiar language and straight forward attitude. She spoke with a blunt blatancy that had an authority to it that he had been trying to achieve for years. It wasn't something he was used to. And, to add to it, her language was very foreign and extremely diverse. It had an elven touch to it with a bit of an Alagaesian hint added in, but there was something underlying that he could not identify. Her voice had an almost fanciful story telling lilt to it that mesmerized him. The words came out gracefully and she stumbled over not a single word. The vowels were oddly pronounced and rather sped over, she almost completely skipped over the y's and pronounced many words with a touch of breathiness. Yet the words came out firm and important. It was the oddest lingo he had ever heard, but created an interest in him that even he didn't altogether understand, "How old were you?"

"I was ten." was her easy response.

"How old are you now?" He quizzed rather shocked at her early age.

"Sixteen." She admitted, "Just a few months younger than yourself."

"You've been a Rider for a long time." Eragon observed. She looked older than he did though, which caused him to wonder if she was lying perhaps. But that would mean she'd been a Ryder for even longer, pending on if she was telling the truth-

"I'm not lying. Fending for yourself half your life tends to cause you to mature faster. You don't look like much of a boy yourself." Raeliesha hastened to say almost sarcastically. Eragon looked at her in shock. He hadn't even felt her presence! "I'm sorry." She muttered sheepishly, "I have a knack for getting in people's heads."

"Do you mind if I..." He trailed off, gesturing that he'd like to see just how strong her mental barrier was.

"Go right on ahead." She allowed nonchalantly. She didn't steel herself. She didn't strain herself. Not a single look of concentration crossed her face.

Eragon nearly laughed at her naive attitude. She wasn't the only one who was stronger than she looked. He felt out for her presence and found her aura rather quicker than he had thought. Her mind was much like Arya's, foreign with a curious mystery to it that caused him to want to know more. It almost seemed like she didn't have any mental barrier at all, but as he made to find out anything about her past, to see if she was "lying" in that elven way, an intolerably awful pain filled his entire body and the next thing he knew he was back in his own head and staring up at her from an odd and painful position on his spine lying on the hard ground. He was kicking himself, he should have known better...

Eragon! Saphira growled, her head snaking in concerned.

What did you do Raeliesha? Briam accused.

"Nothing." She remarked innocently.

"I'm fine Saphira." Eragon breathed.

If you're sure... Saphira responded uneasily, glaring at Raeliesha.

"I'm positive. I got what was coming to me." Eragon assured her, propping himself up on his elbows.

I hope that wasn't on purpose... Briam trailed off watching his Rider closely. Raeliesha just gave him that same innocent look and they left saying nothing more.

She grinned and offered a hand. "Sorry bout that. Nothing personal." He stood up, taking the proffered hand and eyeing her wearily as she pulled him to his feet, his head spun slightly and he felt rather dazed. "Alright, maybe it is. But I've been hiding from Galbatorix so long..." She trailed off with a sigh. They were silent for a moment. It was rather awkward but Eragon couldn't help it. This Rider was one hell of strong with a dodgy past to boot. Just what he needed right then. Suddenly she flashed a grin and confessed, "I'm a lousy shot though." They both laughed. It was just so random, neither of them had really had many laughs in a long time and anything even remotely funny had to be taken advantage of at all costs.

"May I ask you something?" Eragon ventured.

"Please, go right on ahead." She shrugged.

"You are allowing me to ask you all these questions about yourself, perhaps so I can trust you, yet you haven't asked me a single question about myself. Why not?" He couldn't help but ask, it was rather odd, she hadn't asked him a single question. Not one.

She laughed, a light sound that his ears welcomed. It was a full yet sweet laugh that he, for some reason unknown to him, really liked. "Oh but Eragon, I already trust you. After everything I have witnessed you go through, after what I have heard from Angela and Solembum, I need not evidence of your loyalty." She said dismissively in that peculiar way of hers.

"You know Angela?" Eragon inquired curiously. This girl was becoming more of a curiosity with every question answered. There always seemed to be one more thing to ask for each question answered with every coming response.

She will not go away Raeliesha. Briam informed her solemnly.

He will not let her in. Saphira added angrily.

"Do you know who Briam is speaking of?" Raeliesha turned to him interestedly.

"Eragon!" A voice called angrily through the closed flap of the tent.

"Lady Nasuada." Eragon sighed, berating himself mentally. The first thing he should have done was report to his liege lord.

Briam, let her in! Raeliesha scolded her dragon.

How do we know if she's safe- He argued.

"Briam, now." She ordered aloud, pulling aside the cloth to allow the woman in. She was tall, with dark chocolate colored skin. Her almond eyes surveyed the newfound Rider in shock and disbelief. "Hello, I am-" But she was cut off as Raeliesha's head snapped toward the front of the tent.

There is another. Briam added monotonously a second later. An elf.

"Stop it Briam. Let her in." She demanded. "I apologize about Briam. He is rather overprotective. Worse than a mother, I swear. He can breathe fire, fly, and rip anything into pieces with his talons, he seems to think it makes him my keeper." She smirked. Then her attention turned to the elf that had just entered. She had long ginger colored hair and light blue eyes and looked very familiar. "Arya." She greeted, inclining her head slightly.

"Raeliesha." Arya responded studying the half elf with curiosity. "You've come far from the little girl that loved to listen to me tell stories." Arya laughed lightly and that's when Eragon realized that Raeliesha's laugh was also another foreign combination. Who was this girl?

"I have, haven't I?" Raeliesha conceded with a sigh, "It's nice seeing you again, Arya Svit-kona. Very nice indeed."

"I don't understand." Nasuada interrupted, "You two know each other?"

"In a way." they insinuated together with a look.

Nasuada shook her head and turned to Eragon, "And why did you not inform me of..." She looked at me apologetically, "I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name..."

"Raeliesha. Raeliesha Crescent." She introduced.

"It's nice to meet you." Nasuada greeted, "I'm Nasuada, son of Ajihad, Leader of The Varden."

"You're reputation precedes you my lady. I have heard much of you and your actions against Galbatorix." Raeliesha informed her, nodding her head in recognition.

"Raeliesha, I must ask, what has caused you to reveal yourself now?" Arya asked immediately.

Raeliesha studied the other elf momentarily before saying, "There was a long time when I felt alone. The Varden was not strong enough to defeat Galbatorix and I was too young to be of any assistance. Now I see that I was wrong. Maybe if I had taken a stand things would be different. But I did not." She said simply, "I would like to right those that I have wronged. Fix the terrible mistake I have made."

Nasuada glanced at her and asked slowly, "I hope you do not mind me asking, how have you stayed hidden for so long?"

Raeliesha grinned, "Between Du Weldenvarden, the Beor Mountains, and remote areas of the Hadarac desert I have managed to keep myself hidden. Oh, and of course the Spine. I daresay I'd be dead without it. Many people don't understand that there are many more places to hide than just what can be seen."

"Isn't that the point of hiding?" Eragon ventured quizzically.

"Right you are." She tipped at him.

"Do you plan to join the Varden?" Nasuada asked tensely.

Raeliesha gave her an odd look, "No, I'm going to leave the Varden's camp with all of you fully knowing I exist because I'm just here to mock you all so it'll hurt even more when I go speak to Galbatorix about coming on as his apprentice even though for all intensive purposes he is the reason both of my parents are dead and my kind has been scared into Du Weldon Varden in one of few elven cities, Ellesmera. So no, I'm not joining the Varden." Everything was silent, Eragon working hard not to fall over laughing. Her face was just so perfectly straight, it set the mood and made what she said even more sarcastically funny than it was before. He was about to burst when Arya beat him to it.

"And that's how we know you are not full elf Raela." Arya commented, her voice still ringing with her laughter.

"Please, rub it in." Raeliesha conceded dryly.

"You're not full elf?" Nasuada questioned curiously.

"I'm a Halfie." She muttered bitterly. Then she looked up suddenly, her expressive face completely apathetic, "Ya know, I've quickly learned that more than three and less than five is the worst crowd there is. Especially when three are tired, bloody, and injured. I believe we should finish this conversation tomorrow when we are all well rested." Her eyes were guarded and Eragon couldn't even imagine the pain he'd be in if he tried to breach her mind at that moment. Though he would've given quite a few things to find out what she was thinking.

"I suppose that is acceptable." Nasuada allowed reluctantly, unwilling to anger the new Rider before knowing she was fully on their side.

"Until the morrow." Raeliesha nodded, heading for the tent flap. "Briam, I'm leaving." She called quietly.

"Leaving?" Eragon repeated.

"To our cave." She clarified. "I will be back at sunrise tomorrow. No worries, Shadeslayer." Her hand reached for the tent flap when Arya called softly, "No one discriminates you for being the production of a forbidden love, Raela. I hope you know that." The Rider paused completely, a dark look crossing her face, "Tell that to those you have shunned me. To those who have whispered behind my back. Who have thought unkindly of me without knowing me. To those full bloods who have looked down on me because they saw themselves as my superiors simply because I'm a Halfie. Tell that to the elves." Her voice was steady but there was an underlying grudge to be heard in her words. She left and no one spoke until they heard the flapping wings of Briam soaring off into the night.

"I pity her." Arya spoke softly, "She is but a young one and has led such a hard life. A harsh life. A half life." She added after a moment. "Her mother was an elf. Her father a human. At the time it was completely forbidden. It was nearly twelve years later that it was deemed fine, not acceptable or good, but has been respected as something that happens. Twelve years is nothing in elven time, I think that is what angers her most. She was born just before elf/human relationships were fine." She paused and whispered softly, "She doesn't fit in with humans, she looks to much like an elf, she can't fit in with the elves, her personality is misunderstood. She fits in no where." She was silent for a moment, then added, her voice filled with a peculiar hardness, "That is what she believes anyway."

That's sad. Saphira reiterated.

"It is." Nasuada agreed quietly.

Eragon looked up with a determined expression on his face, "We'll just have to convince her that it's not true then, won't we?"