So...I got hit with an idea that I needed to get out right away, for all the current fics, and so you all benefit by getting a second update within two days. Enjoy!
Kylie gently removed the sling from Briar's shoulders and the woman moved her arm and smiled when there was no pain to be felt. She nodded to Kylie that she was okay and the healer went and sat with her dragon. It was early morning and they were all just beginning to stir and get moving. Eragon had left a few minutes ago with dwarven guards to Celbedeil to learn his deities, or so Orik claimed. All Briar knew was that Eragon had gone to visit the place which was information she had gotten from Saphira.
Briar stood and began moving her arm this way and that, punching at invisible opponents. She swung more with her right than her left since the excruciating pain had been when she had been mock fighting by herself. She didn't know what would happen know that she was officially free of the sling. Undbitr was in her room with the rest of her stuff. They would be leaving early in the morning.
She swung again and her fist was caught by a hand. She looked past it and saw her father's grinning face. She smirked and brought her leg up to kick his side, keeping her left arm close, pretending it was still weak and unable to be used until she found the time to strengthen it. Brom avoided the kick and their sparring match began. Briar's hair flew into her face every time she moved, but she ignored it. She had fought with it like this before, worse when her hair was to her lower back. As it was, the shoulder length hair moved out of her face quicker than the longer had. The two exchanged jabs and punches. Briar punched out with her left once or twice, but mainly to block her father when he had one hand on her right. She blocked his double punch with her leg and swung with her left fist, forgetting the reason she wasn't using it.
Her fist never made it to her father's side as she collapsed in pain. Fire seemed to burn down her arm from her shoulder. She screamed in pain, and curled tightly. She was aware of voices above her and someone pulling her shirt to the side to see her shoulder. All she could feel was fire. When she was able to see through the pain, she saw the worried faces of Kylie, her father, and Arya above her. Beyond, Ûndin was watching them, a mix of worry and fear on his face.
"I'm fine." Briar said through gritted teeth.
"No, you're not. I shouldn't have taken the sling off." Kylie said, pulling it out of her bag. Brom stopped her and looked at Arya.
"Put the sling away, Kai." Brom said gently. "It'll be no help here. Her arm is strong enough. What pains her is not physical."
"Sure as hell feels like it." Briar mumbled. Brom helped his daughter to her feet and took her inside while Ûndin called Arya over. Kylie stayed outside as well, seeming to sense that whatever was to be said would be between father and daughter only. When they got to Briar's room, Brom handed her some water which she took with a shaky hand. "Who is she? What did she do to me, Dad?" Brom sat on a chair while Briar sat on the bed.
"What was the color of her dragon?" Brom asked.
"Light blue. Who is she?"
"Her name is Corinna." He answered her. "I'd had a feeling when I found you after the battle. Corinna was friends with Evlin. The two of them were almost inseparable, but Evlin and another friend of hers," Brom stopped. He went to the door and muttered some words. "It's time you knew the truth about your mother, Briar. Your mother did leave, but it was to go on a mission since, as you know, she was fighting against Galbatorix. But it wasn't with the Varden. I met your mother long before the Fall, when we were both training as Riders." Brom waited for the information to sink in, watching Briar's face. The young woman didn't show her reaction so he continued on. "Your mother never told me where she had come from, but she seemed happy to leave it. As you know, I was friends with Morzan. Your mother was best friends with Evlin, Morzan's sister. The two had set us up and we fell for each other. Before that, Evlin and Iris were best friends, the closest any could be. The third member of their trio was Corinna. She was more of Evlin's follower than their friend and was often left out of Evlin's and Iris's talks and games. Evlin and Morzan stood for your mother and I at our wedding. Corinna didn't take it well that Iris had asked Evlin to stand for her and not Corinna. When the Fall had come, Evlin followed her brother while Iris came with me. Your mother was betrayed by Evlin and their feud started then. Corinna, I assume, saw the opening left by your mother's abandonment of Evlin and joined them in the Foresworn. Even before then, Corinna had a wickedness about her. She often enchanted her blade to make sure her opponents would never forget they fought her. Most times, it would drive them mad to the point they would kill themselves. It disturbed the elders, but they couldn't control her and often wondered why her dragon had chosen her.
"After the Fall and the death of my Saphira, your mother took my place among the Riders more than she had before. I went to start the Varden to gain the Rider's some help. One night, your mother returned, half dead, but with her dragon. We hid in the Spine outside the valley. She became pregnant with you. After you were born, she left on a mission and never came back. I don't know what happened to her. It could be that she is hiding. She could be captured. Or she could be dead. She never told me where she was going, but made me promise to take care of you. And now that you've met Corinna, well, let's just say I hope your mother is forgiving in the fact that you are a grown woman and a Rider."
"This Corinna, Dad. What did she do to me?"
"It's her favorite enchantment. While she is fighting her opponents, she studies them, identifies their dominant fighting style, and attacks it. She must have noticed you fighting with your left arm. When she stabbed you in the shoulder, she enacted her enchantment. It's more of a curse, similar to what Durza did to Eragon. Your dominant arm is now useless in a fight. You can't even defend yourself with it. Watch, block my fist with your left hand." Brom swung at his daughter and she quickly raised her arm to catch it. Her shoulder burned and she had to turn instead. "See? Useless. It's Corinna's favorite because it forces the person to adapt or die. Most die because it takes effect so quickly."
"Yeah, I figured that one out. My arm was useless during the fight after she managed to stab my shoulder. If not for your forcing me to learn to use my right hand, she might have captured me." Briar said and moved her left arm. The burn returned enough that she stopped. "How am I supposed to defend myself if I can only use one hand. And you said yourself that it is hard to use magic in the hand without the gedwëy ignasia." Briar turned her hand to look at the silver oval.
"I will talk to Arya. Maybe she knows of a spell that can block some of the enchantment. But as far as I know, neither the Riders nor the elves ever found a way to remove her curse. It was something she came up with on her own." There was a knock on the door and Brom got up to answer it. Arya stepped through and Brom closed the door again.
"Tarnag is like an overturned anthill." The elf said. "The Az Sweldn rak Anhûin have turned the city's people against Eragon. I'm going to get him now, but we leave early tomorrow. It might be best, however, if we were all outside where we would be safer and can fight easier than if we were in the halls."
Father and daughter nodded their assent and the elf left. Brom looked at Briar.
"I'll be fine." She assured him and let her arm hang limply by her side. She had to tell Dwervevindr about her mother. And Corinna. "I am not going to let this cripple me. I will find a way to fight past this pain. I swear I will."
So, I had been thinking about what to do about Tarnag and it actually turned into an opportunity for Briar to learn about Corinna and, subsequently, the truth about her mother. More next chapter.
Thanks for reading and please review.
