The first sign that Arya and the others had arrived near the Varden camp wasn't the sight of the dark tents bristled with makeshift walls and fencing, nor was it the sound of the various machinations of humans and Urgals living together. No, the first hint that they had approached the Varden camp was the sight of immaculate snow and ice that riddled the landscape. Even as her feet crunched against the hardened ground Arya couldn't help but wonder at what being could have created such a severe change in environment.
However, the Elf would admit freely that she loathed the cutting chills that blew through the land she walked, if there was desire beyond insuring that Eragon returned to the camp safely it was returning to her warded tent as quickly as possible. Under her clothing Arya could very well manage the cold climate, but she didn't enjoy it or how it affected her, how her ears were freezing at their tips and how insufferable her fingers were.
Selena, Eragon's Mother, a fact that the Elf was still struggling to adjust to, was faring no better. Even several feet away Arya could hear the clattering of her teeth and the strings of curses she was spewing forth. She wasn't about to freeze though, and not because of any fiery determination that she may have possessed, no, Eragon had simply noticed her state and with a few words the older human's cheeks were a burning red and her shivering less intense.
Arya felt petty after watching such a display, if she had attempted something of that calibre then the Elf would have had to sit down for several minutes and allow the waves of exhaustion to pass. For the Rider he acted as though he had done nothing. It was an example of how strong the Rider transformation was Arya believed, it changed even the weakest of magical users into masters, and Eragon probably didn't even know how to use magic before his bonding with Saphira, he may not have known it even existed.
Sparing herself a moment from her thoughts Arya decided to look over to the Rider she had been thinking of, he was straggling behind her and Selena, his expression vacant. He was livelier, well more than he had been after the incident with the Imperial patrol. He had spared a few more words with her and Selena, though Arya felt silly for doing so she kept her ear out keenly to make sure that Selena didn't break her promise to keep her identity secret.
The Elf's eyes lingered for too long however and the Rider soon found the source of his watcher.
"We'll be at the Varden camp today" Arya told him in an attempt to hide her discovery.
"Hmm" the Rider sighed, his focus still elsewhere.
"Are you not eager to see Saphira?" the Elf questioned, now determined to drag Eragon back into reality, if only because she feared what his mind contained.
"She already knows I am here" Eragon muttered, walking past the Elf in a quiet manner.
Deciding that any further attempts at cajoling the Rider would be useless, Arya chose to continue the trek through the snow covered field. No further discussion was had between the trio, the Elf for her part felt there was nothing else to say, Selena was unable to say anything and Eragon had chosen to be silent.
The morning sun shone over them as they walked, the cold breeze biting away slowly at Arya's limbs and yet there was still no sign of the Varden camp she so desperately sought. The Elf remained undeterred however and she continued to walk forward, leading the Rider and human with no hint of hesitation. Minute after minute Arya strove onward, her Elven eyes searching for any signs of life. Such hopes led her emerald irises to look upward, partially so that she could look at the warmer skies and not the desolate ground she was bound to. Yet when the Elf glimpsed at the pale clouds and the burning sun she was also greeted by the sight of a familiar being, her distinctive figure cutting through the air.
"Hey Elf what's the hold up?" Selena questioned as stood by Arya, who had stopped to gaze upward.
"Do you not see her?" Arya responded, a hint of wonder and joy lacing her words as she gazed at the Daughter of the Sky and the way she weaved through the ocean of blue, all with the intent of getting close to her Rider.
The human stared weirdly at the Elf before slowly following where her eyes were looking at, the first thing she did was gasp in surprise, "shit!" she exclaimed, the sound of metal being drawn rousing the Elf from her staring.
"Selena sheathe your blade" Arya instructed, annoyance tempering her expression at the human's idiotism.
The human's grey eyes thinned at the Elf's words, her stolen blade remaining in her hand, "has madness taken you Arya, it's a Dragon!"
"She won't hurt you" Eragon told her from behind, his voice still faint as though he was distracted. The Rider then walked past the two women in the direction of the approaching Dragon, the sound of draconic moans and grunts now noticeable to the Elf's ears. With some reluctance Selena shoved her Imperial blade back into its scabbard, a noticeable look of irritation and confusion colouring her face.
With this small obstacle handled Arya turned to watch as Saphira arrived, her gleaming azure scales shining in the bright light of the day. Arya however was thrown off as the Dragon did not come to an immediate landing and instead circled the group in a wide angle, her large leathery wings beating rhythmically as she slowly descended. Finally the majestic creature fell from the sky, landing with a bone shaking thud on the icy ground infront of Eragon, her blue eyes looking from Selena, a stranger to the Dragon, and then Arya.
Elf and Dragon held such stare, the depth of Saphira's irises astounding the Elf. At the same time the Elf felt the brush of the Dragon's mind against her own, the Elf allowing her entrance without a second thought. Only one thing was passed to the Elf and then the Dragon retreated.
"Thank you" the Dragon's deep mind said to the Elf, the raw gratefulness in her voice bringing a single tear to the Elf's slanted eyes.
Whilst Arya rubbed the salty substance from her eye, weary of what the climate would do to such a source of water, the Dragon's attention fell to person who stood near her maw.
If it was any other human Arya believed that they would have fled at such an intimidating sight, but Eragon stood his ground and raised a single hand to rub against the scaled jaw of the Dragon. This action continued for a few seconds before Saphira's eyes closed with a deep rumble emanating from her being. Arya couldn't help but liken the sight to that of a content cat purring. Eventually the Rider used his other hand to scratch at the bottom of Saphira's maw, earning even more sounds of appreciation.
However, it seemed that Saphira wasn't happy with being the only reciprocate of such affection as she abruptly opened her scaled eyelids and nudged the Rider with her large snout, pushing him to the ground. The Elf knew what was going to occur before it even began, and such knowledge only made her smile grow in size as the blue Dragon sniffed at the floored Rider, her jaw keeping him pinned to the ground. Several inhalations later Saphira pulled away and her tongue darted out, flicking her Rider.
"Is he OK?' Selena questioned with worry at the sounds emanating from Eragon.
"Saphira wouldn't hurt him" Arya responded, "and he isn't in pain, he's laughing".
The human moved ever so slightly closer, her eyes widening as she came to the realisation that her son wasn't complaining at the Dragon's ministrations, but in fact enjoying them. Arya listened to the sound, a noise that she rarely ever heard come forth from the Rider and one she had never been the cause of, but being able to witness Eragon with Saphira was a sight the Elf knew was personal, the Dragon would never display such perceived weakness within the Varden or infront of her people, at least not openly. Arya savoured the feeling that came with watching a Dragon reunite with her Rider.
"I've never seen him so… happy" Selena commented, her teething chattering quietly.
"You haven't been around him long enough to see it, but Eragon does find moments of comfort" Arya informed her whilst also trying to avoid making the human Mother feel terrible for her absence.
"While I believe you Elf, I question how frequent these moments are" Selena muttered, even as the Rider's laughed quietened and his attempt to remove himself from Saphira's bathing increased.
"They have grown with Saphira's company" Arya insisted, though she admitted to herself that she didn't know whether Eragon had ever laughed before becoming bonded with the sapphire Dragon, this thought filled the Elf with an unusual chill, not one borne of the elements but that of a fierce protectiveness, the mere idea of the Rider in such a hellish world made the Elf focus on Eragon as though some invisible thread would rip him away from Saphira and back to the little settlement that lay on the outskirts of the Spine.
"But what happened before this Dragon came into the company of my son?" Selena questioned pointedly.
The Elf looked to the human with an almost defeated expression, she couldn't tell her, it wasn't her right. "You will have to ask Eragon for yourself" Arya said, repeating what she had previously told Selena.
The human's face morphed into one of defiant resistant, "if you will act like this Elf then I will, and we are nearing your camp are we not? I no longer have to abide by your ridiculous demands", as if to make her point Selena pointed beyond Saphira and Eragon to a small clump of shapes, tents and barricades. The Varden camp.
The final stretch of the walk was far more pleasant than the previous days, with Saphira in company the general area radiated a subtle yet noticeable heat which turned both Arya's and Selena's moods to a more agreeable sort. Eragon however was the happiest of all, he sat atop the Dragon's saddle, a small smile adorned on his lips. Arya had guessed that Rider and Dragon were in deep conversation as Eragon's brown orbs remained in a glassy state, not out of focus but not at attention either. Her theory was based on Saphira's presence on the ground and not in the skies where she ruled supreme.
Approaching the camp Arya noticed that little had changed, the soldiers who were meant to be standing guard all huddled around fading fires, the tents themselves had icicles and a permanent layer of frost adorned on them and everyone that Arya could see looked miserable.
"Some camp" Selena muttered with a frown as they walked through the guard entrance of the camp.
Their presence however hadn't gone unnoticed, as soon as they had approached the people that were walking about attending to their own business turned their heads to see Eragon and Saphira. The misery that previously lingered on all of their faces seemingly evaporated and they all began to whisper and mutter amongst themselves. Arya merely sighed, humans were still terrible gossipers. Crowds began to form around the Sapphire Dagon and her Rider and for a few tense moments Arya was close to being shoved aside, however swift reactions from the Elf ensured she stood by Saphira's side.
"We need to go Eragon" Arya called up to the Rider, who in response looked down at the Elf and nodded. With an offered hand, Eragon invited the Elf up. Assuming the invitation included Selena, the Elf tapped the human's shoulder and gestured for her to climb up the Dragon.
"Err" Selena said, "I don't think that would be a good idea".
"Neither is waiting to be trampled on" Arya retorted and clambered up Saphira's foreleg, using Eragon's open hand as a leverage to get herself up the final way. Now sitting behind the Rider Arya watched as Selena muttered a string of curses before following in her direction, albeit in a slower, and far clumsier fashion. In the end though Selena found purchase in some of Saphira's loose scales and was able to sit behind the Elf.
"Ready?" Eragon called out, his voice more focused than it had been for the past few days.
"Yes" Arya called out, the opposite of the "no!" Selena yelped, her hands clinging to the Elf's slender waist as Saphira jumped into the sky, her wings sending a chilling gulf of air down on the encroaching crowd.
Rather annoyingly Arya was too forced to find a surface to support herself, which happened to be the Rider infront of her.
"Apologies" the Elf muttered as her hands gripped onto Eragon's waist, the Rider jolting in surprise.
"It's… it's alright" he replied awkwardly, his voice jumping wildly, earning the Elf's raised brow.
The flight was a short one, and something of a false start as just as Arya was beginning to savour the sensation of flight it was abruptly ripped away from her when Saphira fell down in the upper grounds of the Varden camp where Nasuada and the other military leaders were encamped, and thankfully guarded from the rest of the Varden. When Arya went to disembark from the blue Dragon she was silently grateful that Saphira had collapsed her legs and was now sitting, making it easier for her to simply leap off of the Dragon's back, her Elven legs easily absorbing the force of landing. Selena followed swiftly after, almost feverishly.
"I'm never doing that again" Selena panted as she dropped the final few metres of Saphira's leg.
"You should feel honoured to know such a sensation, few would ever know it" Arya pointed out.
"The only sensation I am feeling Elf, is that of emptying the content of my stomach" Selena growled, her face a paler shade than it had been only a few moments ago.
The Elf shook her head and turned her attention back to the Rider, still perched on Saphira's back, Arya didn't need to squint to see he was fiddling with a strap that clung to his leg. She was too slow to warn the Rider as he leaned in and gave too much weight to one side. The strap that had stubbornly held on gave way and the Rider fell from Saphira, the Dragon's head turning sharply, though too slow to do anything as he tumbled off and slammed into the ground with a dull thud.
Arya was by his side in a second, searching for any sign of injury.
"Ow" Eragon grunted as he attempted to rise.
"Stay" Arya instructed, the Rider had fallen on his side and she was looking to see if he had done any damage to his arm.
Eragon pulled away from the Elf's slight touch, "I'm fine Arya" he insisted, "look barely a scratch".
To prove his point Eragon raised his hand, untarnished, but his wasn't what had caught the Elf's surprise. Underneath the Rider's hand lay a patch of ground, untouched by snow or ice when only moments ago there had been plenty of either. Confusion was written across the Elf's face before it struck her how such a change had occurred. Ignoring how uncomfortable the Rider was, Arya grasped his wrist and placed it against the ice, his palm cresting the white substance. As soon as Eragon's pale skin touched the white blanket it melted away into nothingness.
"Incredible" Arya muttered to herself before she looked to Eragon's wide eyes, "how are you doing this Rider?"
"I… I don't know" Eragon whispered, yet the Elf was hardly convinced when the Rider was unable to keep her stare.
The pair were drawn away from their discovery by the sound of rustling metal and footsteps. Rising to her full height Arya looked to the disturbance to find two columns of thickly armoured Nighthawks approaching with Nasuada wrapped in rich cloaks. The Elf noted that none of the humans approaching seemed deterred by the cold climate, all of them covered in expensive or warm clothing, something that hadn't been given to the soldiers in the rest of the camp.
"Rider Eragon, it is good to see you safe" Nasuada commented as she escaped from her guard detail, said Nighthawks turning on the stop and assuming a wall, blocking the leader of the Varden from prying eyes.
Eragon looked at the dark leader before inclining his head, "and you Lady Nasuada, I hope that my absence wasn't noticed".
Nasuada's forehead scrunched for a flicker of a second before fading rapidly, "not at all Rider, though if I may ask, were you successful in destroying the Ra'zac?"
"How did you know sought the Ra'zac's destruction?" the Rider parried.
'You're admission" Nasuada smiled before she shook her head, "nay Rider I will not play with you, your cousin Roran informed of your intent when he returned upon Saphira. Though you should know that the Varden have sorely missed your presence, many of our injured lay incapacitated by the ice that fell upon them, we pray that you may hold some cure to their ailment. Some of the men believed you had abandoned them to Galbatorix".
Arya frowned at the Varden leader's forced smile and her pressuring words, but the Elf refrained from interrupting, it wasn't her place.
"Your men have little to fear Nasuada, I do not plan on leaving" Eragon told her, his back painfully straight and his words not altogether convincing.
"Ah, we shall see Rider" Nasuada responded brightly, "but I will not torture you with my presence any longer, go and rest. That goes for you to Arya, even if I may not command you".
"I will respect your council regardless Lady Nasuada" Arya replied formally, her head nodding to the human.
Just as the Varden leader was about to turn and walk away her eyes fell upon Selena who had been standing a little away from them. "And who is it that my eyes see?" Nasuada questioned, her head tilted as though expecting some input from the Rider or Elf.
"Someone who may aid us in our fight against Galbatorix" Eragon explained, "she was imprisoned by the Ra'zac and she has offered to help".
'What have you offered in return Rider?" Nasuada pushed, her body twisting to meet Eragon's eyes.
"Nothing of importance Nasuada" Eragon responded coolly.
"Very well, if Eragon speaks on your behalf then by all means you may consider the Varden your ally" Nasuada said loudly, enough so that Selena heard, "I shall have my people construct a tent near the Rider's, I hope that is acceptable?"
"It will do" Selena remarked, her blunt comment earning her a tilt of the head from the Varden leader. Nasuada merely shook her head and retreated back from where she had come from, her Nighthawks swarming to cover all angles and blocking the leader from sight. Arya thought it strange how Nasuada hadn't asked for Selena's name, such a detail wasn't something the keen eyed human would have simply forgotten.
"The leader of this resistance is a child? Are you trying to lose?" Selena questioned, unconcerned over whether she was heard by the retreating Varden leader.
A sigh echoed from the Rider drawing looks, "she isn't mine or your leader, we are merely her allies" Eragon explained wearily, "we don't have to follow her orders, and I doubt I will listen to her suggestions".
'Why is that Eragon?" Arya questioned earnestly.
"You saw how she looked at me Arya, she is scheming and plotting constantly" Eragon replied irritably, "how can I trust someone who would stick a knife in my back the moment it suits their needs?"
"Ah I see it now" Selena interjected, "you are all allies of conveniences". Both Elf and Rider were unable to offer a practical retort because the truth was how Selena had stated it.
"Damn it this place is cold, can we go somewhere that's warm" Selena cursed after a period of silence, her hands rubbing drastically against the opposing arms. Arya couldn't have agreed more with such a desire, though she had her own business to attend to.
"You may go where you wish Silva" Arya responded, using the human's fake name without a hitch, "but I must speak to my Queen".
"If you wish you can stay with me Silva, at the very least my tent will be warmer than staying out here" Eragon suggested.
The sudden idea of Eragon and his unknown Mother spending time together didn't seem wise to the Elf, and from the agreeing expression forming on Selena's face Arya knew that nothing good would come from such an arrangement.
"Perhaps it would be best if I accompanied you both, at least to your tent Eragon, I doubt you remember where it is" Arya interjected, ignoring the look Selena shot the elf as she spoke.
"I… well you are right I suppose" Eragon admitted lamely.
The Elf internally sighed with relief, though she had only kicked the problem down the road. Resigned to finding a solution, Arya began to head out of the small enclave that housed the Varden's hierarchy and towards the Rider's camp. The camp was set out in an almost village-like manner with tents and the wooden spiked barricades providing different paths and roads through the labyrinth. The Elf felt some sympathy for Saphira as she growled and grumbled under the thin pathway she was forced to follow, her tail being forcibly held still to avoid any damage.
As they crossed the threshold of the highest tier of the camp the trio and Saphira found themselves faced off against a group of humans. These people however were not on duty guards, or people of the Varden. No some of them were men but there were women and a few children. In this mingle of humans Arya was surprised that she recognised one of them, Eragon's cousin.
"Could we go at least five minutes without being cornered" Selena groaned angrily as she inspected the approaching humans.
Arya frowned, she too just wished to retire for the day, though the Elf was left curious as to why she could hear Saphira's rumbling growing in intensity and volume.
"Eragon lad, is that you?" A stout man called out, the Elf's eyes narrowing as he broke from the group and rushed ahead, his chiselled face dotted with black and white stubble.
"What are you doing here Horst, why is the village here?" Eragon responded, his voice shaking. The name the Rider used however begun to draw forth an older memory within Arya's mind. Horst had been one of the men to torment the Rider. Without consciously knowing it the Elf stepped closer to the startled Rider.
"Why we came to see the Great Dragon Rider!" Horst proclaimed boldly to the small cheer of the rest of the villagers, "we're proud of you laddie, we knew you were meant for great things".
As the older man continued to walk ever closer, the Rider stepped backwards, the Elf noting a change in the winds.
"Funny you say that Horst, the last time you saw me you weren't that thrilled with my presence" Eragon said shakily, a worrying chuckle following his words.
"All in the past" Horst responded nonchalantly, ignoring the threatening sounds Saphira was creating. "Say why don't we catch up Eragon? The whole village would love to know what you've been up to'".
Arya knew the Rider's retort before he even spoke.
"While I appreciate the offer Horst" Eragon began politely, a hint of intrepidation lining his words, "I have other matters to attend to, maybe another time".
However the Rider's answer did not seem to be the correct one for the ex-villager, whose nostrils flared and he took a further step closer to Eragon.
"You'd abandon your people Eragon? For what, that freak of an Elf? You even look like her" Horst declared angrily, his finger being thrust accusingly at Arya.
"I would watch what you say human" Arya scowled as she stepped in between the Rider and his abuser, equally offended and angered.
The short tempered gaze of Horst passed from Eragon to Arya, "or what?" he challenged.
The Elf didn't offer any response. Instead she reached and yanked the human forward, her hands balled around his shirt in an iron unyielding grip. Any sign of impudence or resistance faded instantly as fear shrouded Horst's eyes.
"I know what you did" Arya seethed quietly, allowing her anger out for the briefest of moments.
The human quivered where he stood, the Elf letting the meaning of her words sink into his mind before she released him. Horst fell to the ground, skittishly he flayed about before he ran back to the rest of the villagers.
"If any of you try and corner the Rider, if you even think of talking to him, I will know. Am I understood?" Arya said in a clear, unquestioning voice.
The group of humans shared odd looks, some of them confused by what Arya had meant. Though there were some among them that shared knowing, fearful expressions, they were the ones had been party to Eragon's mistreatment Arya concluded. Eventually the group dispersed, whatever scheme they had planned lying in ruins. Only when the path was clear did Arya turn to her associates.
"We should go" Arya told them.
Eragon's tent was in a secluded part of the camp. Away from the crowded mass of humans and noise stood a small grouping of tents, a wide open field encompassing them. Saphira settled into a spot near one of the tents that held a large split in the fabric for her to poke her head through. The Elf already knew that this tent in particular was the Rider's tent, she had been the one to suggest the access for Saphira. What threw her however was the other accommodation, indeed a few Varden peons still hung about nailing the final pikes into the ground for one of the tents.
"Whose tents are these?" Arya asked one of the human lackeys.
"Lady Nasuada ordered the construction of additional tents Lady Arya" the human responded tiredly, "this one is for the Rider's guest".
The Elf nodded and dismissed the worker, she was surprised by the Varden Leader's rush to prepare Selena's quarters but if she was seeking Eragon's favour it didn't seem too much of a leap to assume this act was in some ways an attempt to gain it.
"It would look as though your tent is ready Silva" Arya told the human.
"Hmm, a small act I suppose" Selena admitted, "but a nice one, I think I shall call it a day".
"So soon? It is barely midday" Eragon questioned, having returned from his tent, his bag now absent. The Elf too was curious as to why Selena seemed suddenly so keen on rest when only minutes ago she would have had the Rider to herself.
"You may be able to journey halfway across Alagaesia with ease Eragon, but for some we need rest" Selena told him, her voice gaining in warmth as she looked to her son, "and I am not as young as I once was, nor did I get the greatest of exercise in that little room of mine, the soreness in my bones will linger for a while".
Without another word spoken the Mother to the Rider entered her tent, the Elf finally noticing hesitancy in her step, she had been hiding pain in her legs.
"She is an odd woman" Eragon muttered under his breath.
"Guarded may be the fairer word" Arya added, though seeing the look the Rider gave her the Elf expanded, "remember she has walked into a war camp where she knows no one, do not be surprised if she isn't comfortable with everyone. In fact you should feel happy that she trusts you enough to show weakness as she has".
The Rider's face shifted expression a few times at the Elf's words before settling into a frown, which threw Arya off.
"Arya I think we need to have a talk" Eragon told her, a look of uncomfortable resolution resting on his face.
"What had brought this on Eragon?" Arya questioned, not in an unkind manner, just confused.
"I… I do not think you recent behaviour has been helpful" the Rider explained, his word choice seemingly careful, "I do not mean to say that I find your assistance unhelpful, the opposite in fact, but you are… overbearing at times".
"I see" Arya muttered, though disagreeing with what Eragon was saying, "in what way has my behaviour been improper?"
"The stunt you pulled with Horst comes to mind" the Rider replied in a short fashion, "I was capable of handling that by myself".
The Elf disagreed again with what Eragon was saying, he had been timid with Horst, he would have given into his demands. "You may have Eragon, but how was I to be sure? You were not acting like yourself, I didn't want you to be tormented by those people again".
"And I appreciate your concern Arya" Eragon stressed, the Elf noting how calm he was trying to be, "but if you do not allow me to fight my own battles how will I ever be able to stand alone?"
"So you are saying I should stand aside while I allow you to be bullied by those monsters?" Arya asked before she shook her head, "no, you cannot ask that of me Eragon, I will not allow it".
"You can't protect me from everything Arya, you are only doomed to fail if you pursue such a goal" the Rider warned, "I am not some delicate piece of glass, I can handle the pressures in my life".
"If that was the case then you would be able to sleep at night" Arya retorted, though she instantly regretted her words from the shocked look the Rider gave. "I am sorry Eragon that was uncalled for".
"No less truthful though" Eragon replied bitterly his eyes falling.
"My intent wasn't to demean you Rider" Arya said earnestly, "it was for you to recognise that you cannot function without those around you, acknowledging such isn't a weakness, denying it is".
Eventually the Rider nodded in reluctant agreement, "you speak rightly Arya, forgive me, though I still believe you went too far with Horst" he admitted.
"I may have, but I do not regret what I said Eragon. If any of them trouble you I want you to tell me" Arya replied simply.
Eragon folded his arms as he looked away from the Elf, conflict arising on his face, "and what will you do if I am bothered by them?" he questioned.
Stepping closer to the Rider, closer than the Elf knew he was comfortable with, Arya raised her hand and lifted the Rider chin so that he couldn't avoid her focused eyes or the meaning of her words.
"If they bother you I will make sure then never can again" Arya said quietly, though there was no room for doubt in her message. As she spoke Arya noted the deep look that Saphira gave her, though the Elf put any thought of the Dragon's interest to one side for the moment.
Eragon shivered under the Elf's touch, but Arya knew that this wasn't due to the frigid climate. The Elf studied the Rider's face a moment longer, taking in his half Elven, half human face, trying to see if Eragon was unsure about her words. Yet there was none, Arya stood by her declaration. Releasing Eragon's jaw Arya backed away, knowing that there nothing else to say and that she put off updating her Mother about the current situation.
"Try and rest Eragon, our journey wasn't an easy one and I do not believe that the path we follow will be a fraught-less" Arya instructed to the silent Rider before walking away.
A/N:
DID HE JUST USE QUOTATION MARKS?! THE MADMAN!
Yeah, I'm giving speech marks a go, I'll admit there were a lot of grammar errors because of it, there's probably a few I've missed, but no one is perfect. Over the next few days I'll be updating the rest of the story to include speech marks, though book 1 and 2 will have to wait a little longer.
Next chapter will be going back to Eragon's POV, I enjoy writing from Arya' POV quite a bit, if only because I like writing a protective Arya. That being said I wonder if I may have been a bit too extreme how Arya reacted, some feedback in that regard would be greatly appreciated.
That's all from me, see you all in March!