The moon was full that night and Aillyira did not have much sleep. The moment she closed her eyes she found herself in the Burning Forest, a forest of nothing but smoldering ashes and charred remains of what use to be a lush, green forest. She looked down and found herself in a black satin dress. She was unarmed and in a place where she did not belong. Something was not right. She had been summoned here in her sleep. But who could have that kind of power? Suddenly Galbatorix came through a Vail of smoke. Aillyira moved backward as he moved toward her. She continued backing up until she could back up no more. She found her back against a dead tree, the heat from the cinders on the tree where burning into her skin. Before she could move Galbatorix was up against her forcing her back harder into the tree. She resisted the urge to cry out. The burning had turned to a searing pain.
"Aillyira." He said. His voice alone made her body feel cold. "I have come to give you a warning." She lifted her chin, as if showing him that she as not afraid. "You will align your forces with me or I will destroy you and your lands. Betraying me is punishable by death." Aillyira's eyes narrowed.
"It is hard to betray a self appointed King, Galbatorix." His eyes gleamed with anger. Then he did something she had not expected. He stepped back and bowed to her. He then took her hand and kissed her palm. She cried out as his lips burned her.
Aillyira sat bolt up in her bed, soaked in a cold sweat. She looked at her hand and found a burn in the shape of a kiss. She cursed Galbatorix, he had figured out a way around her curse. He could not set foot in her lands but she had not barred him from her dreams. A mistake that could cost her. She would have to find a way to solve this new problem.
"Waíse heill." She whispered into her palm. She watched as the blue light danced around the wound like fairies, healing the red flesh. She took a deep breath; it was time for a walk. She could not risk closing her eyes again, if she died without warning, her people would be unprotected. Things had gotten more complicated, fresh air would be of great assistance. She got up and pulled on a pair of black leather pants, black knee high boots and a pirate shirt. She walked outside in the forest and was not surprise when she came across Eragon and Saphira. She sensed them long before she saw them.
"Your highness." Eragon nodded and bowed his head. Aillyira held up her hand.
"Please, call me Aillyira." She asked, nodding to Saphira. Saphira returning the slight nodded. Aillyira took a deep breath. "I have made my decision." Eragon raised an eyebrow.
That was fast. He thought.
Indeed. Saphira agreed.
"And you decided to seek me out in the middle of the night to tell me?" he inquired. Aillyira shook her head, a smile slipping across her lips. Then disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.
"I could not sleep." She said, hoping that he would drop it. Thankfully, he seemed to pick up on her discomfort. He nodded, knowing that it was a talk they would have to have later. "I will join you, Dragon Rider. You have the full support of me and my people." Eragon felt his heart skip a beat. Saphira smiled. There was a silent understanding between them. Suddenly there was a shriek that filled the air. Eragon watched as Aillyira turned into the White Panther they had encountered in the woods. His eyes grew wide as the Panther at his side began to growl. He watched as Saphira turned her head in the direction that the Panther was looking, she too began to growl. Eragon invoked Saphira's eyesight and saw the heat signatures of hundreds of creatures.
Quickly, on to my back! Saphira sent to Eragon. He did as she had asked.
What about Aillyira? He asked, worried.
I will take care of that. Saphira grabbed Aillyira and took off back to the castle. Eragon looked around the outskirts of the land. Heat signatures everywhere. Galbatorix no doubt. He knew Eragon had come to enlist Aillyira's help. These heat signatures must be his troops making sure that if she did decide to help, they would not make past the outskirts of the Nations boards. Once they landed in the courtyard Saphira released Aillyira and she stumbled into the great hall. She collapsed to the cold stone floor and curled up into a ball. The sudden flight had left her very disoriented. She shifted back into her human form. Eragon resisted the urge to blush when she turned back to her human form and her form was completely naked. He removed the cloak that he was wearing and covered her with it.
Take her back to her room. Saphira said. Eragon nodded and scooped her up. They had gotten half way there when Aillyira's disorientation subsided. She insisted on walking the rest of the way, there was something that stirred inside her when she was in his arms. Eragon gently set her down but keep an arm wrapped around her waist. In case she stumbled. Once they arrived, Eragon waited outside the room while she put on some more clothes.
Aillyira closed the door gently behind her, leaning against it for a moment to calm her rapidly beating heart. She stood there composing herself; she took a few deep breaths and walked over to her cedar chest. She pulled out a pair of leather pants and another pirate shirt, making a mental note to go back out to the forest in the morning and gather the clothes she shed when she changed. Aillyira looked down at her feet, decided that is was just too much effort to put on shoes. She walked to the fireplace and knelt down.
"Brisingr." She whispered, holding out her hand. A ball of fire erupted from her hand and lit the wood. Aillyira stood up, satisfied with the fire she had created. She turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin when she spotted Saphira's face at her balcony doors. Aillyira walked to the door and opened them. She watched as the very large Dragon walked over to the fire place and settle down in the flames light. Aillyira walked back to the door and reached for the handle.
Eragon fidgeted with the hilt of his sword until he heard the click from behind him. He turned around to find Aillyira in black leather pants, a pirate shirt, and bare feet. He looked at her small feet for a moment before entering the room. He looked around and noticed that she had opened the balcony doors for Saphira, who was sitting close to the very large fireplace, the roaring fire lighting the whole room. Eragon walked over and scratched Saphira's jaw. He turned and sat down in the chair beside his Dragon. Aillyira took the other, facing both of them.
"What are you?" he asked, breaking the momentary silence. Aillyira sighed.
"My mother was the ruler of this kingdom. She was an elf. The most powerful of her kind. My father was a deserter. He was one of Galbatorix's highest general and a Shapeshifter. He sort refugee here and my mother granted it." Aillyira paused. Both Eragon and Saphira had their eyes locked on Aillyira. She let her mind drift back to when her mother was telling the story. "Then something unforeseen happened. They fell in love." Her lips spread across her lips. "Soon after they married with the blessing of the entire kingdom. About 2 years later I came along. My parent's marriage was something no one had ever heard of. A Queen and a Deserter. Then there was me. A halfling. Half elf, half shapeshifter. An elemental bender of extraordinary powers. Some of the abilities I have, well, have never been heard of." She paused again, swallowing. "I was never really allowed to be a kid. I was forced into training as soon as I could understand spoken and unspoken words and actions. Then came Galbatorix. He had found out about me and my parents. He was searching for us. When I was 13 years old my mother was killed by Galbatorix and my father was taken back to Urû'baen, never to be heard form again." Aillyira paused, feeling the sadness welling up inside her. "In a fit of rage I wage a war with Galbatorix alone, me and him. He thought, due to my young age, he could easily defeat me. He was wrong. In my rage my powers exploded. They grew far past that which anyone had ever known, let alone recorded. I banished him from my lands for as long as I was breathing." Eragon looked at her, knowing that there was more. "Once he was gone, my mind broke. I could not control these new powers nor the level. I was put into a deep mending sleep by the most powerful and skilled healers of this land; it allowed my mind to mend itself. When I came out of it, I was the way you see me know." Saphira sighed. A sad tail of woe indeed, but Saphira could see it plain as day that Eragon felt a connection to Aillyira. It was very early in the morning when Aillyira finally decided it was time for rest. Aillyira stood at her door and watched as Eragon walked away.
"Eragon?" she called. He turned around. "I am sorry about your family. You have paid a great price for your courage." She said, leaning against her doorway, arms holding herself in a hug. Eragon walked back up to her, running his hands down her arms, letting them come to rest on top of her hands.
"So have you." They let to words linger between them before Eragon bowed to Aillyira and walked toward his room. Aillyira felt something pulling at her as she watched him walk away. She shook it off, there were more pressing matters than her connection to the Dragon Rider. Like what were those heat signatures they saw outside the boundaries of her land. No doubt Galbatorix's minions waiting for the curse to break. It was comforting to know that her curse still had potency. Aillyira sighed and turned back into her room, she had planning to do.
