Here's Chapter 4. It is a continuation of Chapter 3. Parts of my other story, "ELDEST: In A Starry Glade: Partial Rewrite" shows up in this chapter, although in a different form. Also, in this story, Eragon has already found out about the Agaeti Blodhren.

I do not own Eragon. Christopher Paolini does.


See that you do, came Saphira's response. Arya sighed. Eragon slowly got up, not refusing Arya's help. "Are you strong enough to go to Oromis-ebrithil?" she asked. Eragon shook his head, as he barely grasped the root of the Menoa Tree and pulled himself up onto it. "Very well, I will communicate with him and tell him that you will not come today."

"No," Eragon quickly said. Arya tilted her head sideways, wondering why. "I must go on with the training, the cost to me is irrelevant."

Arya nodded her head. "All right, then I will tell him you will be late, and I will explain to him why you will be late, because of me."

"It's not your fault," Eragon said, but Arya ignored him, as she focused on contacting with her mind Oromis-ebrithil. She felt his mind, along with Glaedr.

Oromis-ebrithil, she said, it is I, Arya Drottningu.

Why have you contacted me this way? Oromis answered. Arya hesitated, and Oromis asked, Is something wrong with Eragon?

Yes, Arya answered, and it is my fault.

How so? Oromis asked.

I thought that I could undo the curse the Shade laid upon him, but I only made the situation worse. Oromis pushed, and Arya revealed more, I came to the conclusion that a simple 'Waise heill', or any derivation of those words, was not the right approach to take, instead I concluded the only way to break the curse was to speak words of magic which would undo the effect. However, the result of my effort was only to put Eragon through another bout of seizures, worse, I think, than any he has undergone before.

Arya sensed Oromis thinking about what she just told him. Would he, being a Dragon Rider, have anything more to say? Perhaps he would say she should have contacted him before proceeding, and then he would have told her not to proceed, and then they would not be in the mess they were in now, which was entirely her fault. She then heard Saphira speaking to Oromis and Glaedr. A surprised Arya listened to their conversation.

I can think of no reason why the Shade's curse would have reacted that way when you tried to lift it, Oromis finally told her. Arya sighed, but noted that Oromis did not go so far as to say he was glad she had tried. I take it Eragon will not be coming today? Oromis asked her.

No, Arya answered vehemently, he said he must continue to train with you as if he had no curse.

Arya could tell Oromis was speaking with Glaedr. He is learning, Oromis finally said,I will wait for him to come when he is ready.

Thank you for your kind attention, Arya said, and thank you for not holding my mistake up, for already I will have to live with it, and ponder just what exactly this curse has done, although you are more likely to know. I witnessed the curse, however you are a Rider and must know many things that I do not.

That is true, Oromis answered, However, I am just as puzzled as you, for now. Remember, the Forsworn caused my injury, not the Shade. I say this to you only because you are honorable, Arya Svit-kona, and you do have Eragon's good always in mind, but you must promise to me in the Ancient Language that you will never reveal this to anyone, even Eragon. He is not ready for this yet, and though I will not tell you any specifics, he is curious enough to bother you for every word I shared. Arya immediately promised in the Ancient Language not to reveal any of what Oromis would share with her to Eragon, or any other elf, dwarf, Urgal, Raz'ac or human alive. Very well, he said, I know the true source of Galbatorix's power. A stunned Arya could not say anything. So I may know more about the Shade's curse. Let me think on it. Tell Eragon I look forward to seeing him when he is ready.

Very well, Arya said, and then felt Oromis break contact with her mind.

As she turned back to Eragon, he was looking at her. "I have been thinking of the tale you told me about Linnea and the origins of the Menoa Tree," he said. That surprised Arya, but she kept it hidden behind the mask she wore around others.

"And your conclusions?" Arya asked.

"I think that something evil turned out to be a blessing for the forest and the elves alike."

"How so?"

"Consider what you told me of the Agaeti Blodhren. All the elves gather under the Menoa Tree to celebrate elves and dragons coming together, and at all other times, the Menoa tree watches over the rest of the forest. Linnea had to take responsibility for what was wrong and in making it right she became much more of a blessing than she ever could have thought possible. Can you imagine the forest without the Menoa tree?"

Arya stood quietly for a moment. "No, I cannot," she finally said. Arya stood silently, thinking. She had not expected Eragon to come up with something so true. It is true, she had to admit to herself. Eragon surprised her constantly these days. He was not the boy she had first met in Gil'ead, and he had thought of something she had never considered.

So she changed the subject, saying to him, "I have spoken with Oromis-ebrithil, and you have won great approval from him in insisting on coming even though I have failed to lift the Shade's curse."

"Saphira told me," he said absentmindedly, "Besides, you inflicted more pain than I have ever experienced before, that is, concerning my back." Arya immediately got a look of true sorrow on her face. "At least as far as concerning the Shade's wound. I broke my wrist while traveling with Brom."

Arya reached down and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her straight in the eyes. "A broken wrist is nothing compared to what I have put you through! For that, I am truly sorry. I do not know where I went wrong, or what madness the Shade had done to you, that something which would lift the curse seems to have only inflamed it." She paused, then added with a great deal of anguish in her voice, "I truly am sorry!"

Eragon said slowly, "No, it is alright. Saphira told me that she was in agreement with your approach. Therefore, do not worry about it." Arya dropped her hand from his chin, and Eragon stood.

"I must be going now, I do not want to keep Oromis-ebithil waiting any longer. Know this, I will continue on with my training, no matter what the cost." Arya nodded, looking serious. Eragon offered, "But I might need someone to remind me of that when I am in the midst of a seizure. Perhaps that person will be you."

Arya nodded. Eragon did not say anything, just clasped his hand over his sternum in the elven way, and climbed aboard Saphira. As she took off, Saphira said to Arya, See, I told you it would work out. Eragon does not think you have done anything wrong, and neither do I. Arya sighed, watching Saphira go. She looked around, and left the shade of the Menoa Tree because suddenly the Tree did not feel so forgiving. She finally ran, as if she could undo the experience with every step she took. However, she could not.

Asshe arrived back in Tialdari Hall, and made her way back to her own room. She picked up the fairth of her father, King Evander, and whispered, "You always knew how to comfort me when I was a little girl. Who will comfort me now?"

A knock came at the door. Arya carefully placed the fairth of her father back on the dresser where it had come from, and said, with a slightly irritated voice, "Open." The door swung open and an elf stood there, waiting on Arya to speak. "That is what I get for being a princess," Arya thought, irritated. "Yes," she said out loud.

"The Queen wishes to see you," he calmly said.

Arya responded, "I will come." The younger elf bowed, and exited. "What does Islanzadi want with me now?" Arya thought, calling her mother by her full name, not having forgiven her for seventy years of silence, but she went to see her, because she was the Queen, and Arya was only a princess. She could not have avoided Islanzadi no matter how much she wanted to. Arya only wished that the reason for the command to come had nothing to do with her decision to accept the yawe. "That is something I could not deal with right now," Arya thought.


I appreciate reviews. See, now Arya has made mistakes, but just wait until the next chapter to find out how Eragon shows he still is a young person. The next chapter is a continuation of this one.