Chapter 38 is here!
Thanks for all the reviews as always!
Manofsteel: I do wonder if that is possible in canon. I don't remember him ever saying it wasn't. As for your idea about bewitchment, you have part of it but not all as you will soon see.
IDK- It has been awhile! Glad to hear from you again!
Enjoy the chapter
Arya's POV
"I really need to stop doing this"
The thought sprang into her head as she started to regain consciousness. Her head felt heavy and her thoughts felt slow as though she had drunk too much Faelnirv.
She could hear voices speaking nearby and footsteps moving rapidly around her. Arya caught the scent of smoke and opened her eyes slowly.
Her vison was blurry, but she could make out the fire that burned around her. Three figures were crouched at her feet speaking intently. Arya had to blink several times before she recognized two of them.
Eragon and Folir were speaking to a female elf Arya only knew by appearance. Eragon broke off when he noticed she was conscious.
He moved forward with a concerned expression
"Are you alright Arya?"
Arya shook her head as she tried to shake the fogginess from her mind.
"I am bruised but not broken"
She held out her hand and he grasped it and began to pull her to her feet when the elf Arya didn't know pushed her back down gently
"Take your time my Queen, Eragon tells me this is not your first head injury this week"
Arya turned to her slightly annoyed
"I am perfectly capable of standing. Thank you"
Despite the elf's protests, Arya gingerly pulled herself to her feet.
A wave of nausea crashed over her and she leaned against the wall for support. Her head and back ached badly but Arya felt certain nothing was broken. Breathing deeply to steady herself she turned to Eragon.
Arya glanced around. Fires raged but they were growing small as the elves continued to combat them. Half of the entrance wall had been blown away and dust hung in the air as it mixed with the smoke. Arya looked for a specific elven face but didn't see it.
"Where is Niduen?" She asked concerned as she remembered the injuries she had sustained.
Eragon shifted uncomfortably
"You should rest Arya-
"No" Arya said coldly "She attacked me, and I want to know why. I find it hard to believe she would betray us"
Eragon hesitated and sighed before putting her arm around his neck and helping support her as they walked across the room.
"I don't think she did betray you, at least not willingly"
A line of six or so bodies lay off in a corner, they were covered in thin sheets as elves rush about while they worked to contain the fires that still licked parts of the house. Eragon moved her to the end of the line of the dead and Arya knew what was coming.
Eragon turned to her
"Are you sure?" He started to say but she moved past him and lifted the sheet.
If she hadn't known that the body was Niduen's then she would have never recognized her. Her entire body was covered in burns and her skin was burned to a black charred color.
Arya felt a punch to her gut at the sight of her body. She had never been particularly close to Niduen, but it still hurt to know that Arya was the only living remnant of her family line.
Arya lowered the sheet slowly and turned to Eragon as she tried to harness her emotions
"What happened to her?" Arya asked as she gestured to the burned body of Niduen
To her surprise it was Firnen that answered with a memory.
Arya could see through Firnen's eyes as he landed next to the house. She could feel his desperation as he hurled himself through the front wall of the house and Arya had the slightly dizzying experience of seeing herself unconscious against the wall. Arya could see Niduen approaching her prone body with her weapon in hand and felt Firnen's anger as he unleashed a torrent of fire that engulfed Niduen and lit the already damaged room ablaze.
How Arya was not injured by this was beyond her as her wards had not been active at the time.
Arya returned to her own mind and struggled to remain upright.
"My own dragon killed the last of my family" She thought in shock
She didn't really blame him for his actions considering the circumstances, but it was still a shock. She tried to reconcile her thoughts and asked
"You said that you don't believe that she betrayed us. Tell me everything you know."
Eragon nodded and spoke in a soft voice
"I have been speaking to some of the survivors. They say that the attackers were elves, but they were bewitched somehow"
Arya nodded as she remembered how the elf she had fought couldn't feel pain. Something about his appearance had felt wrong though and she mentioned it to Eragon.
He nodded and added cautiously
"We believe the spell used was a form of necromancy. Many of the elves reported their opponents were clearly dead while in combat"
"No wonder they didn't feel pain"
Arya suddenly felt cold at this. Niduen and the other elves were already long dead by the time she had entered the house. This somehow made her feel worse but she pushed her feelings aside for the moment. That was magic that very few dared to use, and she didn't need to think long about who it was that had cast the spell.
"Dathedr will pay for this" She thought to herself as she watched two elves carry another body to join the group. She caught a glimpse of the corpse they carried, and Arya suddenly felt a wave of guilt as she saw the elf she had killed when she had gone to aid Niduen.
"But your alive!" These had been his last words
He had said that with shock and surprise. Arya had thought he had recognized her and was surprised the queen had lived, but she now realized that he had been commenting on the fact she was literally alive"
"Yet another person dead because of my mistakes"
"How could Dathedr be so careless?"
Arya wondered this many times throughout the rest of the day as more information concerning the attack reached her ears. A total of eight elves were killed and nearly a dozen were injured in the attack. The attack itself was not very surprising in retrospect, Dathedr had warned her in her dream. What surprised Arya was Dathedr's lack of secrecy that had become his trademark. Nearly all the survivors reported seeing a shade-like figure moments before the attack started and several even said that the shade looked like the elven king.
Arya also learned from one of the survivors that the shade had killed Niduen and the other five elves personally only a few seconds before the fight had broken out. Arya guessed that he disappeared in the chaos and fighting that followed their resurrection.
Arya's musings were interrupted as Eragon entered the room. He looked tired and worn out as he sat and warmed by the fire. Arya moved over and sat next to him. He smiled and she leaned against him as they stared into the fire.
"What's the news?" she asked him quietly
Eragon gave her a thin smile
"Dathedr has locked down the palace and placed guards at every entrance. We can't yet tell if they are actual elves or if he has used that terrible spell again." He said darkly
"How many guards?"
Eragon shrugged
"Hard to say, I could see about a dozen moving around the small compound but there are sure to be more in the council room itself"
It was his turn to ask a question
"Do we have the support of the people?"
Arya nodded but frowned
She had spent her day speaking to both the elven people as a whole and council members (Dathedr obviously excluded)
"They are in a frenzy like I have never seen before. They are scared and angry and shaken to the core."
Eragon nodded to her in understanding
"I can imagine, learning the king of your people is a shade must be quite shocking"
Arya still sometimes had trouble believing it as well. It still seemed shocking that no one had figured it out.
"I suppose it is so unlikely that no one even considered it"
Eragon seemed to sense her slightly brooding mood as he leaned in and kissed her softly. They remained kissing softly for several blissful minutes and Arya felt her tension draining away. It had been awhile since they had simply enjoyed each other.
Much to Arya's dismay, Eragon pulled away slowly and gave her a small smile.
"When do the elves plan to strike?"
Part of Arya didn't want to talk about the upcoming battle, but she knew it was important for Eragon to know as much as possible.
With a sigh she responded
"We plan to attack tomorrow night. We already have over fifty warriors pledged to join us"
Eragon gave her a reassuring smile and stood and pulled her to her feet. Arya met his eyes and felt herself return the smile subconsciously.
"That is great, but we can talk more of it tomorrow"
Arya gave him a grateful smile and softly kissed his cheek. Eragon pulled her close and Arya could feel the heat from his breath on her face. A feeling of contentment and relaxation began to overtake her.
"I love you" she muttered to him
Arya couldn't help but marvel at how easily the words flowed from her lips. Just a few short years ago such openness would have been inconceivable to her and now it felt as natural as breathing
Eragon blushed slightly and smiled at her with an expression of such unbridled joy that Arya laughed out loud
"I love you as well"
"What?" He questioned her as she continued to laugh
Arya did her best to contain her laughter but couldn't contain the broad smile that stretched her face. She brushed her hand against his slightly red cheek.
"It has been a long time since you have blushed in front of me. I had forgotten what it looked like. I am glad to see you so joyous in such dark times.
Eragon chuckled at this
"So long as you are around, I could never be unhappy"
Eragon slowly led her to the bed and they each removed their outermost clothing as they laid down. A comfortable silence overtook the room as Arya traced his bare chest with her fingers. Arya could feel the shivers running through him as she traced him softly
It was quite awhile before either of them spoke. It was Eragon who broke the silence.
"I have been thinking for a while, about our future."
He rolled over to face her and Arya saw his hope on his face.
"Once this is over and we return home I want to build a home for us. Somewhere quiet away from the center of town that we can always look forward to returning to. Only if you agree of course."
He spoke in a slightly nervous tone and Arya leaned in and gave him a quick kiss.
"I love the idea." She said with a smile when she pulled back.
"But nothing too large or extravagant, I have had enough of that as Queen."
Eragon smiled at her and she saw his nerves fade at her response.
"Of course," He responded with a chuckle, He reached out and placed a hand on her stomach and in a suddenly serious voice muttered
"But not too small"
Arya didn't know if she could love him more than she did at that moment.
She wasn't pregnant of course but the fact that he was thinking and actively planning their future together made her overjoyed.
Arya leaned in and pulled him even closer and she could feel his heartbeat against her body. His breath burned against her skin as she rested against him
"No not too small" She whispered in agreement
"What did I ever do to deserve you" She wondered to herself as she studied her mate
"I often wonder the same thing" Eragon responded with a laugh
Arya was mildly surprised at his response. Arya hadn't even noticed their minds had joined to one once he had entered the room; she had become so used to his presence in her mind over the last few weeks that it felt like a natural part of her mind just as Firnen was.
Eragon sensed her surprise and Arya felt a small amount of guilt seep through their link before Eragon began to withdraw from her mind. It was clear he felt he had invaded her private thoughts. Arya quickly deepened the connection and spoke
"I have nothing to hide Eragon, not to you. I allow you into my deepest thoughts because I trust you more than anyone….. even myself. Do not think that because I sometimes forget this,that I regret it"
The connection deepened until their thoughts merged once again and Eragon spoke out loud in a joyous but surprised tone
"Do you really think yourself unworthy of me" He said incredulously although his tone had a sliver of humor as he smiled at her "A farm boy compared to an elven queen? It is I who is unworthy of you"
Arya shook her head with a smile
"You are no longer a farm boy Eragon. You are the lead rider and the greatest person I know. Of course, I feel I am unworthy of you."
Eragon shook his head and leaned in to kissed her passionately
"Admit you aren't unworthy to me" He said mentally as they kissed
"Only… if you… do the same" She struggled to respond as her thoughts became harder to form as he moved down to her neck and kissed her softly
Arya felt him nibble on her neck and groaned softly as he responded
"Never"
He moved lower and kissed her breasts and abdomen and continued downwards to her core which elicited more sounds from her lips.
"Then…..it seems….hmm….that we….are at an impasse"
Eragon made his way back up after a time and for several blissful minutes nothing was said, and Arya enjoyed the many feelings flying through her. Arya knew that this moment was one she would never get used to as long as she lived. The feeling of connection between them on every level possibly made her feel equally powerful and powerless.
When, at last, Arya's thoughts calmed and her breathing slowed, she stared at the ceiling with Eragon's arm around her. Eragon turned to her with a soft smile on his face
"I doubt either of us will concede to the other."
Arya laughed and shook her head.
"I wouldn't have it any other way" He whispered with a wry smile
The room grew quiet and Arya sensed Eragon slowly drift into a slumber against her.
Arya stayed awake a bit longer as Eragon slept. Her thoughts kept drifting to the upcoming battle. Arya found herself grateful that her potentially last night on this earth was spent with Eragon. Arya did not plan to die any time soon, of course, but Arya had learned long ago that battle was random, and survival was often merely chance even for the best warriors. Arya looked down at Eragon who slept peacefully with a small smile on his face.
"No matter what happens tomorrow, I will never leave you"She whispered to him
Eragon stirred at her words but he remained asleep
"I love you" Arya thought to Eragon as she followed her mate into their dreams.
I really hope you enjoyed everyone!
Sorry this was out so late, but I actually rewrote this like three times because I wasn't happy with the result. Hopefully you guys enjoyed because the next few chapters are going to be crazy!
As always let me know what you think and thank you for your continued support
Stay safe everyone, until next time
Lawld01