Elva stared down at her hands and closed her eyes, then sank to the floor, feeling the coldness of the marble floors soak through the thin, dark blue dress that hung off of her frame. She rolled onto her back to stare at the high ceilings of the Ilirean palace as she tried calming her breathing. She just wanted to be alone, but Angela wouldn't leave her alone, so she ran until her lungs hurt.
She closed her eyes and fought back tears. "It wasn't my fault? How could it not have been my fault?" She whispered into the empty hall she ended up running to. It was large and bright from the massive window arches that existed to her left on the northern side of the palace. It was littered with decorative pieces, candelabras, and paintings too.
"Come on, Elva, get up." Angela said with a sigh as she stood in this wide, empty hallway. Her sudden voice caused Elva to jump rather violently. It angered her that she could sense every single fish out in the pond that served as the centerpiece for the gardens right this very moment, and yet she can't sense Angela, who is now standing angrily above her.
"I'll probably end up killing someone or something again." Elva spat angrily, but her voice wavered and finally cracked before her eyes welled up with tears.
"You'll be fine, just focus on the stone I gave you, and if you start to feel out of control, focus that energy on the stone, alright? Speaking of that stone, here. You left it." the Herbalist said kindly and knelt, then she picked up one of Elva's hands and pressed a purple egg-shaped amethyst into her palm. One of the first things Angela did was give this rock to her new apprentice to help her with learning how to control her abilities. The girl's growth had spiked unexpectedly after Eragon and Saphira had left almost three months ago, and with it, her power spiked too. She looked to be about seven or eight years old now.
The Witch Child's hand reflexively closed around the large stone as she sat up abruptly, her eyes were red and bloodshot from a lack of sleep. "Mentor, I don't know if you can understand this, but I don't want to hurt anyone again. I couldn't control what happened two months ago and I don't think a stupid stone would stop it from happening again. I don't want to be the reasons for someone's death again." She glared directly into Angela's eyes, making her point heard, but again, she couldn't help the emotional hitch in her voice.
"I understand perfectly, Elva, do not question my intelligence or there will be hell to pay. You can trust those words more than you can the stability of your own life, so I suggest you cooperate before you do something you'll regret." Angela said darkly, her eyes filled with anger and Elva shrank back against the wall and clutched the egg tightly in her small hands.
"Yes ma'am." She said, knowing to look into Angela's eyes so she didn't have to repeat herself.
"Good. Now come on, we have to get ready." The Herbalist smiled kindly, her previously dark demeanor fading instantly as she stood and offered a hand to Elva, who took it and hoisted herself up.
When Angela attempted to let go, Elva just held on tightly, so she decided to retain the grip she had on the girl's hand.
"Look, Elva, I know you're worried, but it'll be fine. I'll be there the whole time." the Herbalist reassured her as she walked with Elva back to her quarters.
"Angela, I killed everyone in those cells and all I did was flinch. It was an accident, but it doesn't look like an accident. I don't want to go back." The Witch Child said seriously, but it was also a plea.
"We have to though. Nasuada can't necessarily blame you because your curse is so unique, but she just wants to see if something is down there. All of us are new to this place and Galbatorix was here for a long time. There has to be something else here that we didn't find in the first twenty sweeps we did and because you're so sensitive to magic, she's chosen you. Elva, you just reacted to it, and that reaction raises concerns of something else being here. She's not trying to harm you or get you to harm anyone else." Angela said pointedly.
"I don't feel good about this, I hope you know." Elva complained as they rounded another corner.
"I don't feel good about it either, but it'll be over soon. It'll probably only take half an hour and then we can go do something else, okay? Think on the bright side of life." The Herbalist responded gently, realizing that it was hard to get Elva to be direct in her admissions of true anxieties, which were always coded into an angry sounding tone.
"Fine, but I'm blaming Nasuada if something happens." Elva responded grumpily.
"Fair enough. Just don't give her a hard time. She's got enough going on as it is." Angela smirked and together, they eventually came to their quarters. Angela's room was beside Elva's and there was an interior door adjoining them in case something happened to the Witch Child that required aid.
Angela unlocked the door and Elva followed closely behind her when they entered. Inside, a variety of plants hung from the ceiling, and Solembum was curled up on the Herbalist's neatly made bed.
"Go get dressed. Be quick about it. Hello Solembum, we're back." Angela said cheerily, but Elva didn't stay long enough to witness their conversation. She just nodded and wandered off into her room where she pulled her dress up over her head and threw it at the wall after closing the door. She tossed the amethyst onto her bed, then headed to her dresser, which was now filled with clothing, courtesy of Queen Nasuada. In truth, Elva just wanted to wear black pants and a black tunic, but both Nasuada and Angela were determined to get her to add a little more variety to her wardrobe. The only person to defend her desire to have multiples of the same thing, was the Elven Queen, Arya, who was ever so focused on the practicality of things.
From the top drawer, she pulled a dark purple shirt, and from the lower drawers, she chose a pair of black cotton pants. They were her favorite pair.
After shrugging into them, she slid the polished steel bracers over her forearms and buckled them into place. Next, she assembled her black leather top armor, which consisted of a short collar and rounded shoulders. It wasn't heavy and it was created for her, which means it accommodates for growth via a series of adjustable straps. It made her feel safe, and what she was about to do doesn't make her feel safe at all. It also helped her posture, which Angela was constantly on her about.
She fastened a black belt around her trousers after she tucked her shirt in. She let her hair hang loose, because she was sometimes made fun of when she wore it up. The children and several adults felt the need to call her a boy, and whenever they did, she made them feel pain without even touching them. Angela found out about her "abuse of power" rather quickly and the consequences were to be bound to her room for two weeks. The first time she was let out, Angela brought her down to the prison cells which held proactive sympathizers with Galbatorix' cause to hopefully learn more about what else he was trying to do when he was still alive. That ended very badly, but it's also why they're returning.
Elva gazed at her reflection and lightly touched her face. She reached up and brushed her bangs out of the way to reveal the star on her forehead. Angela says she shouldn't hide her mark and to be proud of it. Instead, it just brought on more insecurities than she'd like to admit. It made her different, and it made her strange, odd, out of place, weird, and a freak, according to several individuals she's come in contact with. The people who were living here didn't know she had been touched by a dragon. If she tried to tell them, they wouldn't believe her because dragons aren't common.
She can say words don't hurt her, but that is a lie, because they hurt worse than broken bones. Nobody had to know that, though.
"Elva? Are you ready?" Angela called and the Witch Child jumped back with a small gasp.
"Y-yes ma'am, one second." She called back quickly as she grabbed her stone and hurried to the door. She forgot to change her shoes, so she quickly removed the ones she was wearing, and slid on a pair of socks, then her pair of black boots. These were safer to walk in anyways. She hates sandals.
She stood and opened the door, then walked out, her thumbs worried at the smooth surface of the stone. "Ready." That was a lie too.
"Alright, let's go." Angela smiled. It seemed she, too, traded a dress for pants and a shirt. They were easier to move and fight in if the need arose.
Together, they left. Solembum decided he wanted to join in on this mission, and so now he padded quietly behind them while his tail never ceases to move like tall stalks of seaweed beneath the sea which were constantly tickled by the ocean's current.
"You look nice." Angela complemented, disrupting the silence and Elva's thinking process.
"Thank you." She responded as positively as possible. "Why do girls have to wear dresses?"
Angela smirked. "Girls don't have to wear dresses, but it is socially accepted that they do."
Elva frowned. "I've never seen Arya wear a dress."
At that, the Herbalist chuckled. "Arya is an Elf. Their rules are different from Human rules. In other words, Elves don't practice stereotyping their people. For example, Arya can fight in wars, if she wants. She could serve in court. Her gender doesn't mean anything, whereas here, in the Human world, males and females each have their own unique place, set by how Human society views each gender."
Elva's frown just deepend. "Is that why, for example, Elain stays home with her children, cooks, and cleans, while Horst is in the forge?"
"In a way, yes."
"But it would be unacceptable for their places to be flipped?"
"Yes. There are a few exceptions to that, however." Angela nodded.
"That seems backwards and unfair. It's not that way in Ellesméra, or any of the other Elvish cities? Arya is from one of those places and she could give a rat's ass about who wears what and why." She ducked, narrowly avoiding Angela's hand as it was about to slap the back of her head.
Behind them, Solembum made a strange wheezing sound that they both knew was laughter.
"Language, Elva." Angela said pointedly, then looked over her shoulder to glare at the Werecat. "And yes, it's not that way in the Elvish cities. Their way of life is far more fair than Human life and occasionally Dwarven life as well."
"Can we go live there?" Elva asked hopefully.
"Let's find out if there's something wrong in the cells and if there's not, we can talk to Arya about it when she arrives. If there is, we might need her help."
Elva's demeanor darkened suddenly. "If there is a problem, I don't want her near it."
Angela frowned deeply. "Why? That seems a little…" she paused. "Why the sudden insistence?"
When the Witch Child looked up, Angela was met with an eerily stony expression. "I don't want anything to happen to her baby."
The Herbalist stopped walking, but Elva kept going, so she reached out and grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her back. "What did you say?"
"I don't want anything to happen to her baby." Elva repeated with an eyeroll before yanking her hand away.
"And you didn't think to tell me about that?"
"It's not your business and it's not mine either. I am obligated to protect people from danger and if the decision is made to put Arya and her baby in danger, I'll fight tooth and nail to get that repealed. I don't want another death to add to the collection in my conscience. This whole situation is my fault and I don't want anyone else getting hurt, let alone an unborn child." Elva said darkly.
Angela was speechless for a moment as she searched her apprentice's eyes for something more. When she found nothing, she stood, and they continued walking. "I'm proud of you."
Elva looked skeptical. "Why?"
"The first thing you did when finding out about Arya, is that you chose to keep that information to yourself. You only brought it up when a decision we make will potentially cause her harm."
"I'm cursed, Angela. I have to look out for myself as well as others. I have no reason to worry about Arya until she's in danger. Same goes for you and Nasuada and everyone else in this city." Elva deadpanned.
"That's not the point. Elva, you could have told me or Nasuada the instant you found out, but you didn't and that was good of you."
"Why would I talk about something that isn't my business to someone else? That's just sneaky, dangerous, and rude." Elva shrugged.
"And I'm trying to tell you that I'm proud of you for having that attitude." Angela said. She wonders about how Elva will be when she ages into a teenager. The girl is far more mature than a normal seven or eight-year-old, but she's also being affected by growing up. She acts like a kid sometimes when her mind is far beyond her true, ripe old age of almost three, but the growth hormones in her body tell her brain that she's practically eight. Angela knows it must be confusing for her.
"You won't say anything, will you?" Elva asked after a few moments.
"No, I won't say anything." Angela replied.
"And you Solembum?" The Witch Child turned around to look at him.
"I didn't hear a word you said." He replied smoothly.
"Just don't say anything." Elva sighed with annoyance. When she turned around, her posture straightened the instant she laid eyes on Queen Nasuada, who was flanked by two guards, one on each side. She wore a bright red dress and her hands were folded in front of her.
They refrained from speech until they grew closer, which Elva thought was awkward. She also thought making eye contact with someone while they passed each other was awkward because neither knew when the appropriate time to meet eyes would be. She still finds it fun to stare them down, though.
"Ah, good morning! I trust you both are well?" Nasuada said cheerily as they approached her.
"I am, thank you. Elva is a little bit grumpy, but I think she's generally okay." Angela smiled when Elva shot her a look.
"Thank you, Lady Nasuada, I am well. I hope you are?" Elva replied as politely as possible.
"Yes, thank you. It's a beautiful day and it's bound to get even nicer, so let's get this over with as quickly as possible." She sighed and knelt next to Elva. "I know this is difficult, but it's for the safety of me and my people as well as you and Angela. I'm not trying to hurt you, though I know it may seem that way." She said gently and Elva just nodded.
"This way, please." Nasuada said after standing, then led them down the empty hall. Nobody dared set foot in that area after all thirty-eight men were simultaneously killed, and the halls around Elva and Angela's rooms remained vacant as well. People were beginning to fear the Witch Child, but that didn't stop the name calling.
They approached the large iron dungeon doors that needed to be opened with a crank. It took both of her guards to work the well-oiled mechanism, and thankfully the doors opened smoothly.
Nasuada told the guards to stay outside, and despite the insistence of her advisors, the Queen was adamant on going down there as well.
Elva went first, then Angela, and finally Nasuada.
"Hold still." Angela said as she suddenly turned around and pressed her hand to Nasuada's chest. She closed her eyes and muttered under her breath several lines in a language Nasuada was unfamiliar with. While she didn't know how to speak in the Ancient tongue, she knew what it sounded like, and Angela's words sounded nothing like it.
"There. You'll be safe." The Herbalist smiled and Elva groaned to herself.
"Now I can't sense you either. I don't like that." She huffed under her breath.
"Angela, what did you do?" Nasuada frowned when she heard Elva's comment. She pulled a lit torch off of the wall and handed it to the Herbalist, who took it with a firm grasp.
"There is more than one way to protect against the Ancient Language. One of those is to not use that form of language at all." She shrugged and continued about her business.
Elva stopped suddenly and gazed down the dark stairwell that led down into the depths of the dungeon and felt nausea roil in her stomach. "I don't want to go down there…" she said apprehensively.
Angela picked up and held her hand. "We go together, then. Come on." She said happily, contrasting both Elva's and Nasuada's incredibly cautious demeanors.
The Witch Child held tightly to Angela's hand and fought the urge to turn back and run. It was mainly a fear of having something happen to either adult because of something she couldn't control. She felt like an unpredictably timed explosive.
As they descended, Angela lit the extinguished torches that hung on the walls to brighten up the place. Nasuada remained silent and observational as she watched the body language of the two females ahead of her.
They descended the steep winding stairs and Angela lit the way with her torch until they came upon the large opening that revealed an even larger room that housed hundreds of cells, multiple stories high. Every single one of them were vacant.
The three walked through the darkness, slowly lighting the interior with fire as they made their way to the back wall. Elva stood in the center of the room while Angela and Nasuada finished lighting the torches along the first floor. In her hands, she clutched tightly to the amethyst stone and closed her eyes. Her awareness spread to the far reaches of the room, and as soon as she did, a loud humming began vibrating her skull.
Angela must've heard her breathing hitch because she was by her side rather quickly.
"Focus on your stone." She whispered quietly, but the humming made it impossible to hear anything, so when Angela gently touched Elva's shoulder, the girl leapt back, with her eyes wide.
"I can't hear you." She stammered a little bit frantically, but also remembered that she needed to stay as calm as possible. If this place was trying to consume her mind to the extent of harming her friends, she would fight against it with everything she had.
She winced when the humming grew louder to the extent of almost being unbearable. Angela touched the stone to remind her to focus on it and Elva knew what that meant. It was like transferring energy from something living into the core of the crystal. Eragon had shown the process to her with Brisingr on someone who was too injured and in too much pain to pass peacefully. Angela had done the same when teaching her how to connect her mind to her own crystal. Elva knew it was a safety precaution because of how unpredictable her own power was becoming. She seemed like a bottomless pit of power, which made living dangerous.
Her mind connected with the stone, which already had some of her own power in it, and she worked on channeling the feelings of uncomfortable revolt into its recesses and slowly let the uneasiness bleed out of her mind and into the stone. She let herself lean up against the cool bars of surprisingly well-kept steel and made sure to at least attempt to find where the humming was coming from. It was like… trying to run while leaping over rocks and also tossing a ball at the same time. Part of her mind was on catching the ball while the other was focused on not tripping over the stones. She let her power flood into the stone but also let her mind find the source of the humming that continued to bother her.
She jerked suddenly and the stone fell from her fingers as exhaustion and weakness consumed her body. Black spots dotted her vision and she slid to the floor. "Help..." she gasped before world spun dramatically and soon, her world was dark.
A/N: Surprise! It's Elva!
As always, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for reviewing and things of that nature! I really do enjoy reading your comments and they are appreciated to an immense degree, so again, thank you :)
Also, I forgot to mention that I did change the story name. I didn't like "Aftermath" and I think this new title is far better, so it's going to stay. I apologize for the unannounced change, that was mean of me.
Anyways, I wish you all the best and it might be a few days before I can update again. It usually takes about four-six hours to write the first draft and then another hour or so to do edits and to make sure the timeline works. I'm also taking online college classes and I need to keep up with my homework as well. It might get a little slow within the next few days, but I'm also addicted to writing (I mean this literally), so we'll see.
Stay safe and well!
-Lady Arlo