Disclaimer: We don't own Eragon. I again apologize for the delay, school started, and so my life now circles around the evil that is school. But be prepared, for this is a very long chapter! Tamara's chapter!

Chapter 21: Women Are Necessary Evils

They didn't stay in Ceris long. They took boats again to travel to Silthrim, much to everyone's displeasure.

"I wonder what Brom's doing?" Brittany mused.

"I don't really care," Tamara grumbled.

"Can't we swim?" Brittany moaned.

"No," Arya said shortly.

Fortunately, this boat trip only took a day. They reached Silthrim, and took to horses.

From there, they rode very quickly to Ellesmera. "You must be cordial to Queen Islanzadi," Arya demanded suddenly.

"Why?" Tamara scoffed.

"Are you afraid we'll embarrass you?" Brittany teased.

Arya scowled. "Let your dragons know that as well."

They were led by the Elves into a palace, where Queen Islanzadi, clad in a beautiful red dress, rose to meet them. They greeted her in the custom way of the Elves.

She returned the greeting, and then embarrassed Arya. "Oh my daughter! I have wronged you!" she cried.

Tamara and Brittany exchanged glances, eyebrows raised.

"Well, I'll be a werecat's mother," Brittany whispered. Tamara elbowed her in the ribs to shut her up.

They listened with interest, as Islanzadi attempted to reconcile with her long lost daughter. After a magnificent, meat-less feast, Islanzadi led the girls and Eragon to an elegant tree house.

"Unfortunately, there is only one lodging here worthy of Dragon Riders," Islanzadi said. "But there is room enough for all of you. I've seen to it that extra beds have been put in."

"Thank-you," Eragon said.

"You will also find, that new clothes have been set on your beds," Islanzadi continued, before walking away.

They entered the tree house, and saw that it was definitely an Elvish dwelling. The wood was rich and polished, and had designs that could only be accomplished with Elven magic. There were three beds, and the one in the middle, was obviously Eragon's, for it was the only one that didn't have dresses on it.

"We should get to sleep," Brittany suggested.

"I wonder who are trainer will be," Tamara mused.

"Togira Ikonoka," Eragon muttered.

"Who?" Tamara and Brittany asked in unison.

"The Cripple Who Is whole," Eragon stated.

"You aren't making any sense," Tamara declared, removing her boots.

"After I killed Durza, I was visited by and Elf," Eragon explained.

"You mean spiritually?" Brittany asked.

"Did you see Yemi?" Tamara asked.

"Who?" Eragon gave her weird look.

"Never mind," Tamara sighed. These Alagaesians would never understand Lost.

"He told me that we should come here," Eragon stated.

"Why not us?" Brittany asked. Eragon shrugged. Tamara and Brittany seethed.

'Never go to bed angry,' both of their dragons advised.

'We're not angry, just confused,' the girls replied.

'Of course,' Edoc smirked.

'Get out of her head,' Brittany and Nalia both snapped.

'Stop arguing,' Saphira intervened.

'Get out of our heads!' Brittany, Tamara, Nalia, and Edoc all yelled.

The next morning, after a yummy, yet meat-less breakfast, Tamara and Brittany pointed out the wash closet to Eragon, who was fascinated. They took turns bathing, and when they were done, the girls changed into their new clothes: Eragon didn't.

Tamara got a black dress that reached just past her knees. It was creatively embroidered with pale grey silk. Brittany wore a short red dress, that showed more leg than was necessary.

"Who would've thought Elves have such a great fashion sense?" she remarked.

There was a knock on the door. Eragon opened it, and Orik entered.

"How can you guys manage this tree house?" Orik puffed.

"We're super-humans," Tamara said with a straight face.

"Yes, well, Queen Islanzadi is wishing to see you," Orik muttered. They met Islanzadi at the base of the tree.

"Before we continue, all seven of you must swear to tell none of what we are about to see," Islanzadi said by of way greeting.

"Why?" Tamara asked rudely.

"It is not a matter of trust, but of safety," she explained.

"Very well," Brittany sighed. The seven of them swore to Islanzadi in the Ancient Language, of course. They followed her to the top of a large cliff, and waited.

"Did you hear that?" Orik asked suddenly. Everyone nodded. They heard the sound of what only could be described as air thudding.

From above, a large golden dragon materialized, it's Rider on it's back. The dragon landed, causing the ground to shake. The Rider, a tall and old Elf, dismounted. "I am Oromis, and this is Glaedr," he smiled.

"I thought all the Riders were dead," Eragon gasped in astonishment.

"Brom's not dead," Brittany protested.

"He meant the important Riders," Tamara clarified. Brittany gave her a glare.

"All Riders, good or evil, are important," Oromis chided. "What Eragon says is true. I have a condition that rendered me useless for battle, so I stayed here so I could train the next Riders. Even I, however, didn't foresee my training three Riders. Or females: this is the first time in history that there have been female Riders."

"Well, aren't we special?" Tamara smirked.

"Very," Oromis smiled.

"It is a pleasure, Glaedr," Brittany said to the golden dragon.

'The pleasure is mine, Argetlam,' Glaedr replied.

"You will be pleased to know that another Rider has joined our ranks," Oromis continued. "Within a few months time, he will join us."

"Golly. If this keeps up we'll have a whole army of Dragon Riders!" Brittany exclaimed.

"Alas, no," Oromis sighed. "His egg was the last egg in the world."

"That's life I suppose," Tamara sighed, ending the conversation.

Many months passes unnoticed in Ellesmera. The Riders had sword training with the most annoying Elf in the world named Vanir. He was very young. Following those, they had lessons with Oromis, who was more agreeable than Vanir, but he was also more rigorous. The dragons had lessons with Glaedr. Arya had gone back to the Varden, who were now located in Surda. Orik remained in Ellesmera.

One night, Eragon, Tamara, and Brittany were wandering through a more secluded section on the city. With the absence of Murtagh and Brom, the three of them had become a whole lot closer, and were like a family. Their silence was broken by the sounds of female voices.

"Hello?" Brittany called. The voices stopped, a large group of Elven girls, no older than fifty (young for Elves), appeared.

"You should not be here Shur'tugals," their leader stated.

"Why are you here then?" Eragon asked.

"We live here," th girl explained.

"I didn't think anybody lived here," Tamara stated.

"We're what you may call 'juvenile delinquents,'" the girl said, sounding fairly proud.

"I didn't know they existed for Elves," Brittany exclaimed, shocked.

"That's what they want you to think," the girl said.

"They put you here so you won't embarrass them?" Eragon guessed.

"Exactly," the girl replied. The three Dragon Riders gasped. "The officers Islanzadi sent to check on us are the worst though."

"What are your names?" Tamara asked.

"Well," the girl said, "I'm Rosalia. There's Consuelo, Maria, Bella, Aquila, Aiguala, and Linnea."

"Tamara, Brittany, and Eragon," Tamara introduced.

"You said the officers were the worst. Who are they?" Brittany asked.

"To be honest, we don't know their names," Rosalia said.

"What?!" Tamara and Brittany laughed.

"We never bothered to find out," Rosalia shrugged. "We just call him Officer Krupke."

"Krupke? What does that mean?" Eragon asked.

"Who's 'him'?" Brittany asked.

"Well, he's the main officer," Rosalia explained.

Eragon suddenly whipped Tamara over the head with a book. "Hey you!"

"Who me, officer Krupke?" Tamara asked.

"Yeah you. Give me one good reason for not dragging you down to the station house, you punk!" He hit her again.

Tamara fell to her knees in a pleading gesture:

'Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke
You gotta understand
It's just our bringin' upkeThat gets us out of hand
Our mothers all are junkies
Our fathers all are drunks
Golly Moses, naturally we're punks!'

She rose to her feet and everyone (excluding Eragon), broke into song.

Everyone:

'Gee, Officer Krupke
We're very upset
We never had the love
That every child oughta get
We ain't no delinquents
We're misunderstood
Deep down inside us there is good!'

Rosalia: 'There is good!'

Everyone:

'There is good, there is good
There is untapped good
Like inside, the worst of us is good!'

Eragon:

'That's a touching good story.'

Tamara:

'Lemme tell it to the world!'

Eragon:

'Just tell it to the judge.'

Tamara sang to Brittany:

'Dear kindly Judge, your Honor
My parents treat me rough
With all their marijuana
They won't give me a puff
They didn't wanna have me
But somehow I was had
Leapin' lizards, that's why I'm so bad!'

Brittany took up the song:

'Right! Officer Krupke
You're really a square
This girl don't need a judge
She needs an analyst's careIt's just her neurosis
That oughta be curbed
She's psychologically disturbed.'

Tamara cried: 'I'm disturbed!'

Everyone:

'We're disturbed, we're disturbed
We're the most disturbed
Like we're psychologically disturbed!'

Brittany: 'Hear ye, hear ye. In the opinion of this court, this child is depraved on account she ain't had a normal home.'

Tamara:

'Hey, I'm depraved on account I'm deprived!'

Brittany:

'So take her to a headshrinker.'


Tamara:

'My daddy beats my mommy
My mommy clobbers me
My grandpa is a commie
My grandma pushes tea
My sisters wears a moustache
My brother wears a dress
Goodness gracious, that's why I'm a mess!'


Brittany:

'Yes, Officer Krupke
She shouldn't be here
This girl don't need a couch
She needs a usefully career
Society's played her a terrible trick
And sociologically she's sick.'

Tamara:

'I am sick!'

Everyone:

'We are sick, we are sick
We are sick sick sick
Like we're sociologically sick!'

Brittany:

'In my opinion, this child does not need to have his head shrunk at all. Juvenile delinquency is purely a social disease.'

Tamara:

'Hey, I got a social disease!'

Brittany:

'So take her to a social worker.'

Tamara:

'Dear kindly social worker
They tell me get a job
Like be a soda jerker
Which means I'd be a slob
It's not I'm antisocial
I'm only anti-work
Glory Osky, that's why I'm a jerk!'

Brittany:

'Eek, Officer Krupke
You've done it again
This girl don't need a job
She needs a year in the pen
It ain't just a question of misunderstood
Deep down inside she's no good!'

Tamara:

'I'm no good!'

Everyone:

'We're no good, we're no good
We're no earthly good
Like the best of us is no damn good!'

Rosalia:

'The trouble is she's lazy.'

Consuelo:

'The trouble is she drinks.'

Maria:

'The trouble is she's crazy.'

Bella:

'The trouble is she stinks.'

Linnea:

'The trouble is she's growing.'

Aquila and Aquala:

'The trouble is she's grown.'

Everyone:

'Krupke, we've got troubles of our own
Officer Krupke
We're down on our knees.'

Tamara:

''Cause no one wants a chica
With a social disease.'

Everyone:

'Dear Officer Krupke
What are we to do?
Gee, Officer Krupke
Krup you!'

There was the sound of applauding as they finished. The girls rose hastily, dusting off their skirts. There stood Brom and Murtagh, each with big smiles.

"Oh my goodness!" Brittany screamed, and ran into Brom's waiting arms.

"Er, how long have you been there?" Eragon asked.

"Since, 'my brother wears a dress,'" Murtagh answered.

"More importantly, what the bloody hell are you guys doing here?!" Tamara exclaimed.

"Surely Oromis mentioned the creation of a new Rider," Brom declared.

"Yes, I do recall him saying something of the sort," Tamara mused.

"Who is it?" Brittany asked, glancing hopefully at Murtagh.

"Me," Murtagh mumbled.

"How?" Tamara gasped.

"Well, I found an egg, and it hatched for me," Murtagh said hesitantly.

"Obviously," Brom snorted. The girls laughed, causing Brom and Murtagh to notice them for the first time since their little performance. "Who are you?" he asked, directing the question to Rosalia.

Rosalia smiled, "just me?"

Brom frowned. "All of you," he scowled.

"You'd best get your signals straight," she laughed. "I'm Rosalia."

"Consuelo."

"Maria."

"Bella."

"Aquila."

"Aquala."

"Linnea."

"Like the Elf that became the Menoa Tree," Brom said, regarding Linnea.

"Exactly," Linnea curtsied.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Murtagh asked Tamara.

"I could ask you the same thing," she replied.

"Someone said they saw you come this way," Murtagh shrugged.

"Are you coming to the Agaeti Blodhren tomorrow?" Brittany asked Rosalia.

"What's the Agaeti Blodhren?" Murtagh asked.

"It's a celebration that only happens every hundred years," Maria explained.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Rosalia told Brittany.

'This is our first one," Consuelo added.

"The only real reason we want to go is for the dancing," Bella stated.

"Oh boy! I love dancing!" Tamara exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Every celebration there is a large dance-off between the males and females," Aquala said.

"Or so we're told," Aquilia finished.

"It's true; the men have never lost," Brom said.

"Oh really?" Brittany stated.

"We'll have to change that," Tamara smirked.

The following evening, Eragon and Murtagh were kicked out of the tree house so that the girls could get ready for the celebration.

Brittany was bathing, and Tamara was looking at the dress Islanzadi had made for her. It was a simple white dress with a flowing skirt that reached her knees. A red sash was bound at the waist. She spun for effect, and watched as the skirt flew up around her knees.

Brittany entered in a brilliant purple dress that was just past her knees. It seemed to have many skirts.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Come on in, we don't bite," Brittany called.

Brom, Murtagh, and Eragon entered. "You look beautiful," Brom told Brittany. Brittany smiled, and took Brom's hand, and they exited.

Murtagh glanced hesitantly at Tamara, who understood his dilemma. She solved the matter by linking arms with both Eragon and Murtagh, and they escorted her to the Menoa Tree, where the party would take place.

Tamara heard her name called, and looked up to see Rosalia and her friends hurrying toward her, wearing dresses similar to hers and Brittany's. "Where's Brittany?" Rosalia asked. Tamara scanned the dancers until she spotted Brom twirling Brittany. She pointed.

"I'm not impressed," Consuelo muttered.

"By what?" Tamara asked.

"Their dancing."

"Who's dancing?" Bella asked.

"Everyone's," Consuelo muttered.

"Why don't we do a little. . . dance. . . of our own?" Maria suggested mischievously as the dancers started doing a little swaying motion.

"Wonderful idea," Tamara mumbled. She grabbed Murtagh, Rosalia snagged Eragon, and the others grabbed their respective others.

Tamara placed Murtagh's hand around her waist, and her hand beneath his arm. She then took his other hand in her's, and they entered the dance floor with a bang. They paraded around the 'dancers,' effectively stopping the dancing. The girls released the boys, and they separated. There was a moment of silence, before everybody took up the dance floor again. Suddenly, everyone stopped dancing, and the girls crowded around Tamara and Brittany, cheering them on. Brittany swung her kips from side to side using her skirts for effect, and Tamara spun in an intricate circle. Suddenly, they were forced backwards by the men practically charging them down.

The men on the sidelines clapped to the beat, and the women took up the dance. They did flips, which was difficult in skirts, but they didn't miss a step. Tamara and Brittany clasped hands high in the air, and spun and dipped. Rosalia and co. joined the dance, showing that juvies could dance.

Suddenly, the music slow, and the two parties converged. Each girl stood facing her love interest, whether they knew it or not. Tamara was paired with Murtagh. They swayed forward towards each other on their toes twice. They then held their arms out and took a step-and-a-half in opposite directions and snapped their fingers twice. Next, they crossed and snapped once. Then they spun slowly and ended up on opposite sides. They did the sway movement again, and finished the dance before spinning and ending up on the sides they had started on. They looked into each other's eyes. Tamara tilted her head upward, and Murtagh lowered his. It seemed to take forever, but at long last, their lips met.

The music got faster, and they pulled apart. Brittany rushed up, oblivious to what had just occurred, and pulled Tamara back to the girls's side. Murtagh returned to the guys side, and the dance-off continued. Tamara swung her hips from side to side, and slowly, deliberately, raised her arm, which Brittany took as an invitation to join the dance, and they danced faster, spinning and dipping, and basically showing that girls can dance better than guys.

The next days, the Agaeti Blodhren was still in action, and the dance-off was continuing. Elves did not tire easily, so the dancing still remained the same vigor.

Tamara had retired from the dancing for a brief moment, and Murtagh walked up to her. "May I have a word?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied. Murtagh offered his arm, and courteously escorted her to the tree house. Tamara sat on her bed and removed her red high heels and flexed her sore feet. Murtagh raised his eyebrows. "Not the most lady-like behavior, perhaps." Tamara laughed.

"Good Lord, it is nice to get away from the noise."

"The silence is deafening," Murtagh said, dead-panned.

"What did you want to talk about?" Tamara asked.

"Us," Murtagh sighed.

Tamara rolled her eyes, "can't it wait?"

"Not really. I know you well enough to know that you'll be too distracted to give our relationship status much thought," Murtagh said. "I know Oromis will push us hard, and I would feel much better if I was certain of our relationship now. That way, you, me, and everyone else that we've dragged into this bloody mess could concentrate on the war."

"My dear Murtagh, it seems you've grown a backbone in my absence," Tamara cried.

"This is serious, Tamara," Murtagh snapped.

"I know it is, but I don't see why we can't speak of this after the war."

"Because I have to know now," Murtagh snapped.

"Well, I have an idea: why don't we just let things play out as they are?!" Tamara demanded, standing up.

"I see you haven't matured once ounce since you've left," Murtagh sneered.

Tamara slapped him across the face. "You don't have the right to talk to me that way." She put her shoes on and made for the exit.

"You're not leaving until this is resolved," Murtagh said as Tamara placed her hand on the doorknob.

Tamara opened the door. "We have nothing to talk about," she snarled. Murtagh grabbed her arm gently, but firmly, above the elbow. "Let me go," she said coldly, ignoring the tears that ran down her cheeks.

"What is wrong?" Murtagh asked softly, coming closer and gently closing the door.

Tamara didn't answer for awhile. Finally, she managed to choke out, "everything."

"What's happened since we've been apart?" Murtagh asked, sitting Tamara back on the bed.

"Believe it or not, I've thought a lot about us. I've come to the conclusion that I want to spend my life with you, but we just don't have the time!" Tamara said.

"I know," Murtagh said, giving her a hug.

'There's a place for us. Somewhere a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air, wait for us. Somewhere,' Murtagh sang.

'There's a time for us. Someday a time for us. Time together with time to spend. Time to look time to kiss. Someday!' Tamara sang.

'Somewhere we'll find a new way of living,' Murtagh sang.

'We'll find a way of forgiving somewhere,' Tamara sang.

'There's a place for us: a time and place for us. Hold my hand and we're halfway there. Hold my hand and I'll take you there. Somehow! Someday! Somewhere!' They sang together before sharing a luscious kiss.

"We should go," Murtagh said finally.

Tamara lifted her head from Murtagh's chest. "Just a moment,"she said, rising and walking into the bathroom. She washed all evidence of tears from her face. When she looked nice, and fresh, she banged into the bedroom, terrifying Murtagh. "I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeVille," she announced, posing.

Murtagh laughed, and kissed her. They linked arms and went back to the Menoa tree, where the dance-off was continuing.

"Who's winning?" Tamara asked Brittany as Murtagh went back to the guys side.

"We are, of course," Brittany grinned. "Brom's very put out about it. I was waiting for you to return so we could kick 'em to the curb."

"Let's go," Tamara exclaimed, and they drew attention back to themselves, doing their sexy moves.

The Agaeti Blodhren lasted for three days in all. At the end, after the girls had been pronounced winners of the dance competition, Tamara, Brittany, Murtagh, and Eragon headed warily, to their tree house, while Brom headed to his lodgings with Orik after sharing a kiss with Brittany.

"I'm tired, but I don't want to go to bed," Tamara yawned. "Let's sing a song."

"I'm game. What song?" Brittany asked.

"America," Tamara replied.

"America?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah, you know, from 'West Side Story," Tamara said.

"No, that requires dancing, and we'd have to get our juvy friends to help. How about the Jet Song?" Brittany replied.

"Just this one song, and don't sing it up here," Eragon said.

"We'll sing it in the study," Brittany said, dragging her friend upstairs.

'When you're a jet, you're a jet all the way from your first cigarette to your last dying day. When you're a jet let 'em do what they can. You've got brothers around you're a family man. You're never alone. You're never disconnected. You're home with your own. You're well-protected. Then you are set with a capital J, which you'll never forget 'til they cart you away. When you're a jet you stay a jet!' They sang, laughing.

"That was pointless," Brittany said.

"But now I can sleep," Tamara exclaimed.

They went downstairs and found the boys already asleep. They quickly got ready for bed, not at all eager to go to training first thing in the morning.