And I have finally updated! I am so sorry that I haven't done anything for a really long time, but please forgive me and understand that I had to do my country report (Argentina). I had an entire map to make last night! My map was due today, but my presentation is due tomorrow. So I'm going to try and update both of my fics today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, etc. Okay, on with the story again!

Gaizes and Memories:

Today was a special day. I could feel it in the air. But what was to happen? The day was cool and dreary, so what was so special?

Draumr, time to wake up! We have to go to lessons.

Grrrrrr…

DRAUMR! You get to see Aiedail…

Okay, okay, I'm up. Meanie.

For such a big dragon, you sure act babyish.

Draumr lifted me onto his back (he was so big now that it was hard for me to climb onto him) and we took off into the morning sky.

(&)

Today I will show them a memory or two. I wonder if Oromis ever taught Eragon how to do that? Well, if not, I shall teach him. That is, how to show others your memories or memories given to you as if they are actually there.

"Edoc'sil! You're up early."

Eragon landed in front of Aiedail and me. He had been off for a morning ride.

"You are up early, too. I am here early because I must show you and Eyris something so you may better understand…what has happened."

"Huh? What happened where?"

"To Arya."

"You can…show me? Or just give me a memory? Or something like that?"

"I think I will go with showing you. Have you ever heard of a gaize?"

"No."

"Then we must wait for Eyris." This was going to be difficult.

(&)

We waited. And we waited. And all the time that we waited, I thought about what Edoc'sil had told me. What was a gaize?

"I'm here!" Eyris shouted, flying low over the treetops.

"Finally!" I sighed, standing up and stretching. "So, Edoc'sil was just about to tell me about gaizes."

"Yes. A gaize is a memory that you can…how should I put this…you can walk with the person inside the memory. It is like you take a trip into someone else's (or your own) memory."

Eyris and I stared at her. Then Eyris said, "I already knew that, why did you wait for me?"

"Because I'm going to show you both one of Arya's." Eyris looked at Edoc'sil strangely, and then nodded her head in understanding. "Okay, let's go."

"Wait…I don't get this! What are you going to do? Get away from me!" I was freaked out. Really, I was. Edoc'sil had come up to me and grabbed my hand, along with Eyris's. She bowed her head and started chanting in the Ancient Language words I could not hear. Suddenly, the world swirled around me, and the last thing I saw was Saphira and Aiedail arguing about what Edoc'sil was doing. I felt sorry for Draumr, who also had to stay behind.

(&)

We were in the forest, and I could see five cloaked figures walking through the darkness. My hand was still in Edoc'sil's, and I was holding it tightly. I immediately let go, blushing. I hoped she couldn't see it in the darkness.

"Where are we? Who are they?" I whispered. I had so many questions, and I wanted so many answers. I wanted them now.

"You don't have to whisper; they can't see or hear us. This is a memory: one of Arya's, precisely. And that would be her over there, one among the cloaked peoples." Edoc'sil explained, pointing at one of the people.

Edoc'sil somehow paused the memory by saying a few words, and the figures came to a halt. So she explained everything. She taught me how to control the gaize, teaching me what to say in the Ancient Language. Eyris just listened, adding things in occasionally.

"And that is the end. Now play the memory." Edoc'sil finished, standing up and stretching.

"Gaize initia." I muttered, and the gaize came back to life. But this was boring. I wanted adventure. I wanted to try out more commands, look at other gaizes. I didn't pay attention to what the figures were saying. Instead, I focused on the magic to change the gaize to another one.

"Gaize revoshik." I commanded. The gaize swirled around us, and Edoc'sil and Eyris came running back towards me. Abruptly we were in a cell. It was dark and damp and dirty. It had taken more energy to get us here than I had expected, and I was now weakened and panting. It seemed as though there had been some kind of barrier to get to this gaize.

"Eragon! How dare you!" I had expected Edoc'sil, but it was Eyris. She had called me by my first name?

"How dare I what!" I shouted back. Eyris pointed to the ground beside her, where Edoc'sil was crouched, holding her head in her hands and rocking back and forth. Was she crying?

"I didn't do anything to her. Why blame me?" I asked.

"Yes, you did! You changed the gaize into another of her memories. She tried to protect it, but you broke her shield! You hurt her."

So that is what had happened. I moved forward. "Edoc'sil Svit-kona, I'm so…" I was interrupted by the clang of metal bars. I moved away from the door, and two guards came through, pulling a woman in behind them. She was beaten and bruised, cut in so many places. There was a gash in her stomach, and her breathing was ragged. I stared in horror as the guards dumped her on the dirty ground. She attempted to support herself, but failed miserably and fell to the floor.

I gasped in shock when I saw that the woman was none other than Arya.

And this definitely wasn't her torture in Uru'baen. This was worse.