Arya didn't think much of it when Eila hadn't come out of her room for their midday meal when it rolled around. The young half-Elf had expressed her worries and Arya had… more or less cast them aside. At least, that's what Eila probably thought.
She didn't mean it like that though.
The Elven Queen was beginning to grow worried when dinner time rolled around and still, Eila was nowhere to be seen. That was when she decided to take matters into her own hands. She needed to apologize and show that she had truly considered Eila's words.
So, up to her cousin's room she went, and with a few soft knocks on the door, Arya waited…
And waited…
Then waited some more. She knocked again, and this time, called Eila's name. Still, she received no answer.
"Eylörís?" Arya contacted the white and blue dragon to hopefully get some sort of answer. Thankfully she was met with an open mind.
"Yes, Ebrithil?"
"Is Eila okay? We… had a bit of an argument earlier and I fear I've… messed up. I'm just trying to apologize and make sure she's alright. She's not answering her door. I've knocked twice and called her name once, but I haven't heard from her at all."
With a mental nod, Eylörís responded. "I will let her know and urge her to answer."
Arya was able to relax at that. "Thank you." She took a step back and leaned against the railing, then let a hand drift to her abdomen. She tapped a few times with her thumb, and she smiled slightly when she received a light nudge in response. It was far less terrifying when she could expect a response during their little games of 'tag'. When he moved and tumbled around on his own… she had no way to prepare for it.
She jumped slightly when the door opened and straightened.
"You know you can contact me mentally, right?" Eila said, her tone was hard and her voice was scratchy, either from sleep or abuse, and judging the look contained in the half-Elf's eyes, the culprit was probably abuse.
"I didn't want to wake you if you were sleeping. That's why I called on Eylörís." Arya answered, allowing her tone to soften. "I want to apologize for earlier. I should have been more sympathetic and… I didn't handle it correctly."
Eila eyed her suspiciously. "You spoke according to the way you feel, why are you apologizing?"
"Because I hurt you." Arya said pointedly. "I am taking your advice seriously even though it didn't seem like it earlier. It's just needing some time to sink in and I'm working on changing my mindset because you're right; I shouldn't risk anything when I don't have to. That being said, I wasn't trying to be insensitive earlier. Thank you for opening up about…"
Eila just nodded to acknowledge what Arya was trying to say and opened the door and stepped aside. "Come in." She said and waited.
Arya nodded and entered. Eila closed the door behind them, then gestured to head downstairs.
"I uh… need to show you something that I've been meaning to tell you about for a few weeks. Elva made me promise to tell you while she's away. I haven't really had the courage, so I swore to tell you." Eila sighed and led them down into her room. She opened the door gently and walked in on silent feet.
"I'm not going to be upset, am I?" Arya asked with caution.
"I don't know, but I have legitimate reasons." Eila gestured for Arya to enter, and when the Elf looked around, she was shocked to find three different animals made of smoke wandering around the room, paying each of them no mind. One appeared to be a rabbit, another, a fox, and finally a buck with large antlers.
"It smells like Flower in here. Reiter Reed." She clarified in case Eila wasn't aware of the common term for it considering when she'd asked for Eila's favorite color, she said "a sunset on a clear day".
Eila nodded. "It was Sloan's idea and he always sends me back with more than I need, so I have a lot of it."
Arya nodded. "What are you using to smoke it with?"
"Uh…" Eila pointed to her desk. On top was the box the pipe rested in when not in use to both house and protect it. "This." She moved to undo the latches after approaching the table, then produced the pipe from within and let her fingers brush over the carvings of the forest.
Arya was still when the fox jumped up to sniff at the object from which it was created. Eila handed it over so the creature had better access. "Sloan says he prefers a wooden pipe and that this one is too pretty to go unused. He gave it to me and sent me home with some of his supply of Flower because it helps… uh… my flashbacks. And the shakes."
The fox looked up at her and she smiled tenderly, then watched it leap from the table. Arya followed the fox with her eyes as it decided to jump up on Eila's bed and curl into a ball.
"I'm not upset, Eila. I used to use it too for some of the things I ended up seeing and doing during the war. I would be a hypocrite if I were to be upset. I'm just glad it's helping you." Arya laid a hand on her cousin's shoulder. "I would like to ask how often you use it, though, and then maybe about your… creatures."
Eila nodded. "I only… take it once or twice a day. Sometimes not at all. Very occasionally more than twice. That's only happened once." She handed the pipe over to Arya so she could inspect it, then rubbed the back of her neck as she thought of the reason her smoke animals were in existence. "And, um… they were for Elva before she left. I wasn't expecting them to stick around for so long…" her voice trailed.
"Are they drawing from you or your sword?" Arya asked as she handed the pipe back. She was finished inspecting it.
Eila shook her head. "I ended the spell the moment we were finished watching them. They're pulling from the trees and grass and plants. I didn't make them so they'd stay that way, though."
"Did you use wordless magic?"
Eila shook her head, then gave Arya the incantation she used.
"Oh, I see. You've created an indefinite loop between the cycles of air and the entrapment of the smoke. It's still pulling energy from the plants around us, but because it's just containing gases, the energy consumption is very low."
Eila frowned slightly. She didn't understand why her smoke creatures were still pulling energy when she stopped the incantation. When it stopped, it should have stopped completely. "Then I guess they're just going to roam Ellesméra until the forest perishes." She shrugged slightly.
Arya bristled ever so slightly at the casual mention of the destruction of their forests. "Did Elva have a hand in any of it?" She kept her tone kind.
A blush spread across Eila's cheeks and she tried to hide it. "She was holding my hand." And they were laying together halfway unclothed…
"Anything else?"
Elva's fingers against her sensitive sides, causing her to squirm slightly and lose focus. "That's it." The incantation had been successful regardless of their foolery. "Elva might've helped, but I didn't sense anything."
Arya nodded. "I'm curious about her Gedwëy Ignasia and how her own magic mixed with Kitlàn's is affecting her. For all we know, she might be able to use dragon magic, to put it simply, at will."
Eila softened. "She's scared of herself. She knows just about as much as you do when it comes to her abilities anymore. She doesn't want to hurt anyone like she did in Ilirea."
"I can understand that. I still think Angela is the best to teach her at this point because of how much information that woman knows. She's a mystery." Arya smiled. "Regardless, I wanted to talk with you about something that has been bothering me ever so slightly from the back of my mind in tandem with my apology today."
Eila frowned. "Go on." She was cautious.
"I've heard you mention Thorn and Murtagh. Do you have any contact with them?"
Eila slammed the lid to the pipe box and latched it in a smooth movement from each hand. Thankfully the pipe was unharmed. "Why would I? They abandoned me. They didn't tell me Ilirea had been overtaken by people I could trust not to hurt me within the first five seconds of realizing I exist. They didn't acknowledge my being there, hidden in the walls, mostly starving and compromised… my shoulder. They didn't even so much as let me know they were okay. Hell, it wouldn't have been hard to come find me in person to say goodbye unnoticed if they were worried about the spellcasters and Elves." She shot angrily, then sighed defeatedly. "I cared about them and they chose to forget about me. It's been over a year since Galbatorix died and they haven't so much as tried to scry me. The wards active around me before you and Fírnen released me didn't exempt mental communication. At times, my father did restrict me from using all mental communication, but he gave me a little bit of slack sometimes when necessary. He never took away the ability to be scryed because I would've lost my True Name, though. He made me wear a pendant on occasion, but that was just a precaution because nobody saw my face…" she stiffened, realizing she'd gone off course, then signed. "He could have scryed me. He could have contacted me, they both could have done these things. Instead they chose not to. Arya, he, Thorn and Shruikan were my only family. I thought Shruikan died when you set him free. I never expected Thorn and Murtagh to leave me so willingly, though. Not after everything we've been through." She was angry and hurt, and Arya went to pull her into a hug, but was surprised when Eila jumped away. Realizing what she'd done, the half-Elf apologized and returned Arya's offer of comfort.
"I don't know if it's right to hate them, though. They've saved my life on multiple occasions… I thought… we were close."
Arya heard her cousin's voice crack and she felt sadness swell around her because she could almost feel the pain Eila carried in this moment.
"Murtagh… I didn't know him all that well, but from what I did know of him, he always had a purpose behind his actions and he was occasionally smart about them. You know him better than I do. Does that seem uncharacteristic of him to have left you like that?"
"Yes." Eila stressed. "He was almost always there for me when I needed him. He was like an older brother to me. He understood the position I was in because his father was Morzan and I am of Galbatorix. We're scorned because of that. I was just kept a secret better than he was…" she trailed.
"Then I think you should scry him. If he did something risky before he left, it could explain his actions. I would look to see what he's doing before your judgement is set. I know he hurt you and badly at that, but at least let him explain himself. He's our family now, through Eragon as they are half-brothers and Eragon is the father of my child." She smiled a little shyly. It was still odd to think about it, but she did her best to not get hung up on it either. "Speaking of family, I intend to scry Roran and Katrina later to see how the developments are coming along in Carvahall. They might not be able to see you, but if you want to attend, you're more than welcome."
Eila nodded. "Can I think about it? I… might not be okay right after talking to Murtagh if we end up talking…"
Arya nodded. She understood. "Make sure to take care of yourself. It's important that you come first to preserve your own health, Eila."
The half-Elf nodded and smiled softly. "I don't know if I'm ready to scry them, but we need to know if they've found themselves in a sticky situation or a peaceful one. I don't want anything bad to happen to our world so recently after achieving peace after so long of fighting."
Arya brought her hand to cup Eila's cheek. "It'll be okay. If anything, just know that here you are safe and that you can end the conversation whenever you like if it gets to be too much, alright?"
Eila nodded and reached up to Arya's hand. "I promise."
"And if you need me, don't hesitate to call for me."
Again, Eila nodded. "I promise. Thank you, Arya." Eila stepped forwards and wrapped her cousin in a warm embrace.
"Always. Just be safe. Do you need help scrying him?"
"I think I've got it, but I'll ask if I do." She pulled away.
"Very good then, I'll see you in a little while. I think I might go do some drawing." Arya nodded and Eila cocked her head with a frown.
"I didn't know you drew."
Arya shrugged. "I usually don't, just for some reason I feel like drawing." She smiled playfully, earning a similar expression from her cousin.
"I've had inclinations like that before." Eila smiled, then frowned when the large buck interrupted both of them, the grey smoke whispering around their forms to make it seem like it had gone through them despite hardly even truly touching them. "Hey, that wasn't nice. I told you could go through the bed and my other furniture, but it's incredibly rude to go through people or their closed doors. Okay?" She raised an eyebrow at it and it stared at her. "Okay?"
"Eila, I don't think-" Arya began, then stopped when the deer bowed to them.
The half-Elf bowed back and the buck went on its way. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" Eila said towards the largest smoke creature, who flicked it's tail in annoyance. "I have no idea if they can actually understand me or if they even register that I'm saying something. I don't know if they can move objects or influence the air on their own accord. These creations are an enigma to me, and quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if part of this is Elva's doing and I just hadn't been able to notice or sense it." She shrugged, then looked at the rabbit who was exploring her room. "If I can figure out what happened, I might go make one for Sloan. I think he needs a companion like this that doesn't need to be fed or watered." She thought aloud.
"I'm sure he would appreciate that." Arya smiled.
"You're right, I think. He might call it ridiculous or odd at first, but once he got used to it, I know he'll end up enjoying it." She gave a happy look. "I need to go visit him soon. It's been a few days. He's sort of turning into my incredibly grumpy grandfather." Her grin let Arya know she was at least feeling better about scrying Murtagh, if not, she was distracting herself."
"Well, just let me know when you go visit so I have a general idea of where you are, that's all."
"I promise." Eila smiled, then bowed slightly to her. She sighed, then gestured weakly. "I'm going to uh… scry Murtagh and see what he's up to."
Arya nodded. "Alright then. I'll see you later." She smiled and kissed Eila's forehead. Arya remembered her mother doing that to her before she was sent to bed in the evening as a child. It just seemed like something she should do with Eila too.
"See you later." Eila waved a little awkwardly, then watched as the gesture was returned just before Arya left to head back up the stairs. She closed the door behind her and left Eila to her own devices.
Within the room, however, Eila just stood for a moment and watched her creatures roam aimlessly. Her eyes flicked to the full-length mirror mounted into the wall and walked over to it. She gazed into her reflection and frowned softly at the scars along her arms. She reached up with her left hand to feel the skin around her bicep, but she ended up looking at her stitches instead.
She straightened her posture, allowing her hands to clasp behind her back as her feet assumed Actor's Neutral. She took a deep breath and brought an image of Murtagh to her mind. "Draumr kópa." She whispered and waited for the mirror to shimmer and darken. It brightened to reveal a face so familiar in a white background she wasn't able to see because she'd never seen it.
She had to fight the tears that welled in her eyes. "Murtagh." It looked like he was sitting. He flinched and he grasped at the short necklace he kept around his throat. She recognized that pendant. It was used to indicate when someone was scrying him. It was a gift she had given him, and her heart warmed that he had kept it even after all this time.
He looked up, possibly at Thorn, and proceeded to dig through a bag she recognized. He produced a small steel mirror polished to reflection and spoke an enchantment to scry the one who is scrying him. Her own mirror shimmered and she jumped back. Murtagh's face appeared again, but this time, he was surprised. He could see her now.
"Eila?" His eyes widened and he relaxed slightly at recognizing the person who was trying to contact him or look for him. "Where are you?"
She stiffened. He was friendly with her and she felt he didn't deserve friendliness from her in immediate return. She ground her teeth together. "I could ask the same about you."
He frowned lightly. "Thorn and I are in the Northern regions of the Spine."
She nodded, her body becoming tense again. "I hope you're well."
"It's cold and unforgiving up here, but yes, both Thorn and I are doing well." He nodded towards her. "You look healthy."
"I am, no thanks to you." She shot with venom in her tones. Her calm demeanor would frighten or intimidate most. Not Murtagh.
"Eila-"
"No." She shook her head. "You left Urû'baen without a word. You didn't try to find me, you didn't even tell me it was okay and that it was safe. You haven't tried to scry me either. I am angry at you, but Arya helped me see that you probably wouldn't do that unless there was a reason. It's either that or you just don't care."
His eyes grew sad. "I couldn't scry you or contact you. It was too dangerous at the time."
"Why?" She responded quickly.
He sighed again. "Are you in a safe place, free of listeners and eavesdroppers?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"Good. Two of the Eldunarí Galbatorix had wanted me to take them with us when we went, so Thorn and I had to leave before anyone noticed."
Eila frowned deeply. "Why didn't you tell anyone, I'm sure they would have let you-"
"Oderna and Traya." He clarified and Eila straightened. Those two had wrought the most damage and caused the most harm. They had been the first to lose their minds and eventually, to become the most twisted.
She had a very personal dislike for Traya specifically.
"They didn't want to be taken to wherever Eragon was going. Their minds are broken, but we're trying to help them and turn them around. They initially wanted us to take them North where they wanted us to break them so they could die, but we're hoping they'll change their mind and seek recovery instead."
Eila raised her eyebrows. "Eragon probably wouldn't have let you leave with them in tow."
"Exactly. Eila, I didn't want to leave you like I did, but I also knew that you were in good hands the moment you were found. Arya was right, I wouldn't have done what I did had I not trusted the person in charge."
Eila looked at the way his eyes softened at the mention of Nasuada. "Because you love the person in charge." She stated bluntly and he looked away, flustered and called-out. "Regardless, I was treated well once I stopped fighting everyone and everything that came into contact with me. It was odd not having to earn the meals I ate. It's still odd to me."
"Look, I'm sorry, Eila. I wish I could've handled it differently, but I can't do anything about that now. I want to see you again-"
"And yet it's been over a year and you haven't tried scrying me. I would've loved to talk to you; to know you and Thorn were okay. That hurts, Murtagh." She wiped her eyes with her fingertips and looked away.
"And I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I know I did wrong by you and not a day goes by when I don't think about you either. I just didn't know how much you hated me for leaving you. I didn't want to cut the wound any deeper and cause things to get worse between us."
"You did, though. I thought you didn't care at all and that any of the aid you brought me in Urû'baen was simply out of perhaps personal or moral duty. Regardless, I've found a family to hold and trust and protect. I like being the protector."
He frowned. "Who do you have with you in your family?"
She shrugged. "Are you in a safe place, free of listeners and eavesdroppers?" She asked him in the same way he asked her.
He looked around. "We're in the middle of the woods. I'm sitting on a rock and Thorn is bathing in the sun. We are alone aside from the Eldunarí."
Eila nodded. "It's not safe to tell you everything yet, but I will tell you some things without giving names or locations. If you have guesses, keep them to yourself."
He nodded at her conditions.
"Murtagh, I've found that my biological family lives. My mother is dead, I've known this, but she had siblings who did have kids eventually, therefore I have a cousin. I have a heartmate too now, and I care for her deeply. I'm sure you've heard news of a new Rider and Dragon. I want to confirm that it's true." She gestured to her chest with a small but proud smile, and with her other hand, she pressed a finger to her lips to keep him quiet. "I was found and pulled from the walls and my injuries were treated by the Queen's medical staff." She bit her lip. "We found the crystal stone in the walls. Inscriptions say it was of Ours Ally with eyes like mine."
To them, Shruikan's nickname was 'Ours Ally' because he had helped them in many ways. She needed to speak in code for this because she wasn't sure how safe it was for him and Thorn to be around Taya and Oderna, regardless of their mental walls.
Murtagh's eyes widened. "Dead?"
She shook her head, then held her closed fist beside her right eye and opened it so the back of her hand was facing him. It was their silent language for 'alive'.
He nodded with a frown, processing the information, then looked up, deciding he would change the topic. "You have a heartmate? As in… a romantic partner?"
Eila smiled with a nod. "I do, yes. She's away at the moment on duty, otherwise I might reintroduce you two, assuming all went well with this conversation."
He froze. "… she?"
"Yes." She frowned. Was it hard to understand?
"You fancy women?" His voice softened.
She nodded. "I do, yes, but I also fancy men as well, I think. All that really matters to me is that I'm not abused and that I'm treated with utmost respect from my partner. That means open communication as well as honesty. That goes for both men and women. Just because I'm with a woman now doesn't mean I exclusively like women either. I've also never really had any good intimate experiences with men, but that doesn't mean all of them are bad people or incapable of being respectful and kind and loving. It's bad to generalize like that. I wouldn't want to be generalized like that. Anyway, yes. I'm with a woman and it happens to be a very healthy relationship so far and foreseeably. Then again, we're both inexperienced at this. We're learning together." She smiled. Oh, how she cared for Elva. It hadn't even been a day and part of her felt empty.
Murtagh nodded slowly. "I'm glad you're happy."
She eyed him. She knew that look and tone. "You're bothered by it."
His lips thinned. "I'm bothered that I can't be there. What if she hurts you?" He frowned even deeper when a displeasing thought popped into his head. "I need you to clarify something for me."
"Okay?" She looked concerned.
"Of the rumors I've heard in recent months, the most common one was that the new Rider needed nutritional supplements for pregnancy because she was an Elf. I just wanted to know if that was true or not."
Eila's eyes fell, unable to look at him. "I had no idea rumors spread so quickly…" she reached up to rub her shoulder. "It's… complicated. To my knowledge, she… uh… told the staff that she was pregnant to obtain supplements for someone else because she was an Elf and Elves need… those. The person who needed them was an Elf too, so… it worked out."
"Eila." He said pointedly, his voice softening.
She looked up at him, eyes wide and vulnerable. "Hm?"
"Was the new Rider pregnant when she asked for those supplements? As a fellow Rider, I'd like to know so I can keep the secret or continue the rumor or discredit it. For their honor."
Eila tossed the words around in her mouth as she fidgeted. "Discredit it."
"Thank you, but that wasn't my main question." He looked concerned in that soft way of his and it hurt.
"She didn't tell me. I don't know." She swallowed and looked at him, voice slightly desperate and defensive.
His whole expression saddened and his eyes watered. She avoided answering the truth because she didn't want to say it. "Is she okay?"
Eila just shook her head, not trusting her voice initially. She wiped her eyes as they flushed with tears of her own. "Uh… she's not… showing symptoms, so I guess so." She couldn't look at him. "Personally, I'd appreciate you discrediting that rumor. If she was... pregnant and she… lost it… it would just be a painful reminder." Her voice cracked and she clenched her jaw. "Given my history with this, I don't much want to talk about it. She's okay now, doing training, making friends, learning how to socialize… all those things. I went with her when she left. She would probably just want to forget about it."
Murtagh felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach as dread filled him. He cared so much for Eila… it hurt him to know that by leaving her, worse things than he'd imagined had happened. "I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… I can't-"
"It wasn't within your control."
"But if I hadn't left like that-"
"Things might have been different, I'm aware. I understand, though. You're a Rider, you were looking over the dragon race. You're a protector of them now, just like Eragon Shadeslayer, Arya Dröttning, and our new Rider. There's nothing you could have done." Her eyes were bright with tears.
"I can't forgive myself… you know that… right?"
"You need to. It's in the past." She straightened, then weakened. "I'm tired, Murtagh… I…" she sighed. "I need to go. I've already said far too much; more than I intended on telling you."
"Wait-" he jerked. "Tell me where you are… I need to see you."
"Ask Nasuada once you're finished with your current task. Maybe then it'll be okay. You need to talk to her too and I get the feeling you've been neglecting it."
He looked scolded.
"Murtagh. Talk to her."
He nodded with a small frown. "If you can promise me to let me see you…"
"I must talk with those around me who are in charge before I can make any promises." She steeled herself.
He nodded. "I'll talk to Nasuada." His eyes widened. "Eila, please take care of yourself… please…"
"I'm trying…" she whispered with a nod, then looked away. "Goodnight, Murtagh. I'm glad we got to talk this evening."
"So am I." He nodded, but she could already tell he was about to punish himself for leaving her and for the consequences at that point which were out of his control. "Can I talk with you tomorrow?"
Eila nodded. "You scry first."
"I promise." He wiped his eyes and ran a hand through his thick dark hair, pushing the locks aside. The firelight from his campfire danced across his features. It was getting dark.
"Get some rest. Oth du lotha, slytha unin mor'ranr." She said with her hand twisted over her chest, then bowed. With the sky, sleep in peace.
"Oth du lotha, slytha unin mor'ranr, Eila." He repeated.
Eila ended their contact and with a heavy sigh, Murtagh let the mirror fall into his lap as his body started shaking. She was like his little sister… his closest family. He loved her with every fiber of his being and he promised that once Galbatorix died, he'd never let her get hurt in the ways inflicted on her there under the Dark King.
Tears fell from his eyes because he understood how abandoned she felt… he was so selfish to have gone…
"You could do nothing about it, Murtagh." Thorn said as he bumped his snout against his Rider's back.
"I could have stayed!" He shouted. "I left her for insane dragons! She's the world to me and I abandoned her!" He shouted, his voice beginning to fray as his face turned red. He buried his face in his cloak and screamed as anger welled within him; hatred for what he'd done.
"Eila said herself that you could've done nothing. We only heard the rumors within the last two months. This was recent. We've been gone for over a year."
"Do you think it was one of the Varden?" He sneered. "I'll rip his intestines out and hang him with it."
"We thought she would show herself sooner. It seemed right based on her True Name."
Murtagh growled. "She was scared and alone, Thorn! She got hurt! We shouldn't have left without her…" his anger subsided and Thorn felt overpowering guilt and sadness from his Rider. He too felt that way, but he knew Murtagh needed him to be his ground; his rock. His mind was unstable, especially being around two unstable and highly volatile dragons.
"No, no, no, no, no… you know what we're going to do?" Murtagh growled. "We're going to Ellesméra with Taya and Oderna… the Elves will deal their punishment… they don't deserve to die, death is too good… they don't deserve that peace. They hurt our family, they drove Eila insane…"
"Murtagh." Thorn said loudly in his mind. "If we go to Ellesméra, we're both dead."
"If we go to Ellesméra-!" He stopped and his eyes widened. "Eila mentioned training…"
He scrambled to his bag and tore through it, looking for his map. When he found it, he rolled it out in his lap and pointed his finger over Urû'baen. He scrawled it over with 'Ilirea', symbolizing the success of the Varden. He did that a while ago.
He traced along the assumed path to Ellesméra and guessed about two months of travel if they had others in tow. That's when the rumors started popping up…
"We're going. Whether they want us to or not. If anything, they'll just turn us away with a stern speaking to. Elves aren't naturally violent." He spoke lowly. "Agree?"
Thorn was quiet for a long time before he sighed. "Agree."
"To Ellesméra, then." Murtagh said darkly, then stood and started pacing.
He wouldn't stop until late into the night.
A/N: Surprise! On multiple occasions...
Do you remember that bad idea I might have mentioned a few chapters back? I'm not sure exactly how far back unless I go check, but here it is. I'm sorry. But hey! Here's Murtagh! I hope I did okay with him. I might go back and edit this. I feel like it's all over the place.
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter though!
Much love,
-Lady Arlo