Elva held her purple Amethyst egg close to her chest as she sat on the highest point of the massive pile of debris that was created when she brought the wall down. Her fingers nervously brushed against the stone to help calm her nerves.
She was told to stay out of the way by Angela because Seithr Oil is extremely dangerous to even be around. She had stayed up with her teacher the night before while doing research on the deadly substance and she hadn't gotten much sleep in the process. She was already exhausted from her exertions the day before, despite having circulated Shruikan's energy through the stone and into herself. Stones provided a reserve of energy, but they didn't fulfill the need to sleep if someone is to draw from its power. It would merely keep them alive, and that was the way Elva felt while she watched Nasuada's castle guards take down the lowest level of chests using metal hooks so they would avoid touching the surface. It may or may not have the deadly oil on it and there's no reason to take a chance.
Outside of the excavation site, twelve of the sturdy caskets had been lined up in a row. They were the ones that had already been removed so that they would be out of the way.
Elva's job was to make sure nobody had the oil on them, and if they did, to notify Angela so she could use the neutralizer they had created the night before. Nobody was sure if the concoction they had came up with would work, including the Herbalist herself, but it was still worth it to try.
Queen Nasuada stood off to the side, dressed in red trousers and a tunic of red and black. A decorative sword and belt hung at her left hip. Beside her stood Vanir and two guards as they oversaw the operation. Naturally, it was highly advised that Nasuada not get anywhere near this task, but being the person she is, the Ilirean Queen insisted, though she agreed to stay away.
An unusual noise came from the stairwell leading down into this place from within the castle, and a few minutes later, Arya, Eila, Fírnen, and Eylörís padded down into the cellblock. The strange sound was from the two dragons' claws scraping against the stairs as they tried not to slip. Elva smiled to herself. Arya had cut her hair and Fírnen was bigger. She had to fight with herself on whether to abandon her post to go greet the Green Rider or to stay here and continue her task of looking out for Nasuada's men. She groaned and buried her face between her knees. She was already on thin ice for not letting anyone know she was going to destroy things. If she disobeyed her post to greet a beautiful Elf and her dragon, she'd probably be in a lot of trouble because people's lives were at stake and she needed to be paying attention to that instead of… Arya.
Elva's gaze flicked to the other Elf, or half-Elf. In her opinion, Eila looked like she could be a full-blooded Elf. Her features were softer than Arya's, though, which gave her a more gentle appearance, but her ears were long and pointed and her eyes, while more round, were slanted like an Elf's. It's a shame they didn't get along. The half-Elf held a grudge against Elva for helping with her capture.
Nonetheless, Eila had beauty in her own regard. She was shy and soft-spoken, but her intelligence ran deeply. Elva diverted her gaze to look back at the big men who moved the heavy chests of gold. That didn't last long and her gaze quickly returned to Eila.
The young woman stood up straight, though stiff and obviously nervous. Her eyes were stunning and her skin was a pale porcelain. The large black Eldunarí was cradled protectively in her grasp, arms covered by the dark tunic she wore.
"Elva." A familiar voice called, but the one in question didn't hear it the first time. She was too busy watching Arya join Nasuada in friendly conversation while Eila stood silently by, like a shadow.
"Elva!" The girl jumped, her attention snapping down to Angela.
"Get down here, I've called you four times already." The Herbalist said with a hidden smile. Elva took one last look at the two Riders and carefully made her way down. She wasn't sure how stable the pile was, but considering she doesn't weigh much, it should be fine. Famous last words.
When her feet touched the ground, she turned to find her mentor smirking down at her with her arms crossed over her chest. "I know they're beautiful and that it's also hard to not look at them, but you need to focus. I want to show you something." She reached down and touched Elva on the back, who then leapt about a foot in the air at the contact, her face going completely red with embarrassment.
"Y-you…" The Witch Child stammered, completely in shock and almost in a panic.
Angela smiled kindly. "My dear, I've been around for a long time. I know what fancying someone looks like. All I have to say is, don't lose your head."
Elva looked absolutely helpless for a few moments while she struggled. "I-I like boys too." She mumbled quietly, turning her eyes downwards. She winced. While it was true, she hadn't exactly meant to say it.
Angela knelt and rested her hand on her apprentice's shoulder. "And that's okay. Just don't be ashamed of who you like because it's a part of who you are and nothing is worse than losing yourself."
The violet-eyed girl looked up and frowned. "You're not angry?"
"Of course not. Why would I be?" Angela's frown turned into light laughter. "I could care less who you fancy just as long as you're happy. Just remember that you need to love yourself before you can love another, okay? Well that and you're a bit young, but I know you're a little different than most when it comes to age. I'm not one to judge, though." She shrugged.
Elva offered a small, nervous smile, then nodded. "Okay."
"Good, now come here." Angela held her arms out and Elva walked into her embrace. She wrapped one arm around her teacher while her other held the stone egg, then let her head rest against Angela's shoulder. They stayed like that for a time before letting go. "Alright, now I really do want to show you something."
Elva nodded and let her arms wrap around her egg again. Her face was still flushed but was slowly returning to its natural color.
Angela laid a hand on her back and guided her around the pile and to the row of chests. Only one was open, its contents carefully removed. "It seems the oil was only placed on top. Luckily, not everything was coated, so I've scooped out everything, both the contaminated and the untouched septims." She pointed to the pile. Beside it sat a metal box, at least a foot long on each side. "That being said, this box is clean."
"What's inside?" Elva looked up at her teacher.
"I'll show you." Angela smiled and drew her knife, a long Fairbairn Sykes dagger. Its steel was blackened, the cross-guard was made of golden polished brass and the hilt had a grip wrapped in black leather. The brass socket-shaped pommel was polished in the same way as the cross-guard and contained a large spherical Ruby set in its embrace.
"Where did you get that?" Elva said in surprise.
"Oh, what, this?" Angela held up the dagger. "I found it." She smiled proudly before using it to lift the metal lid that tipped back behind itself with a loud clang, but it didn't really catch anyone's interest considering the background noise already echoing throughout the cavernous prison.
Elva looked inside. A violet egg the color of her own eyes resided within the metal depths, surrounded by parchment to keep it protected. "Can you lift it?" Angela asked.
"You want me to touch it? Why?" Elva asked.
"You've been tied to the dragons ever since you were a baby, says that mark on your forehead. I think it's fitting and somewhat poetic that you get to touch the first egg we unearth. Your hands are smaller too."
Elva just rolled her eyes at the sentiment and handed the Amethyst to her teacher, who took it casually. She reached in and pulled the wads of parchment out, suddenly realizing that the box was enchanted to not let any of the oil get in. She let the cool egg fall against her hand as she pulled the rest of the parchment out of the container and once it was all removed, she carefully pulled the egg out.
The violet egg was probably as big as two large apples stacked on top of each other. The first thing Elva did was cradled it to her chest, suddenly understanding that all of the eggs in these chests have been sitting here for at least a century. They're living things that have been neglected, untouched, and uncared for. Her heart squeezed and she couldn't help the few tears that fell. She rocked back so she was sitting on the stone floor while she clutched the egg to her chest, unsure why she felt so emotional.
Angela laid a hand on the girl's shoulder and brought her close while she calmed herself down.
"Are you alright?" The Herbalist asked gently as Elva wiped her eyes on her shoulder.
"I'm fine… it's just… these eggs have been so lonely. I hope none of them have broken inside their boxes because they've grown too big. I… I can feel it… their pain of being left." Elva pressed her forehead to the egg and sighed. "It hurts so badly."
"They're in good hands now." Angela replied comfortingly. "We'll take care of them and make sure they're safe."
"Promise?"
"On my life." Angela smiled. "Come on, let's go show Arya."
Elva's eyes snapped to her mentor's. "You talk."
"Nope." Angela smirked. "You've got the egg?"
"Mhm." Elva nodded and picked herself up, clutching the violet ovoid tightly to her chest, but not too tightly.
Together, they walked over to the two Riders and Dragons. Angela twisted her right hand over her sternum in greeting.
Arya smiled. "It's good to see you both again. I know we didn't get to talk yesterday and Elva I didn't see you at all. You've grown." She pointed out.
"And you cut your hair." The Witch Child said bluntly.
"Yes, I did. It was in the way." She smiled. That was the time she first found out she was having a baby boy.
"It looks nice." Elva said honestly.
"Thank you." Arya's smile remained. "What do you have there?"
"The first of the recovered eggs, see?" Elva held out the egg for Arya to inspect, making sure her grasp was secure.
The Elf knelt carefully, then reached out to touch the egg while Elva discreetly studied Arya's hand as if trying to memorize it. Her left hand was the one touching the egg.
"Have you felt the dragon move inside? They tend to do that despite being around the one they've chosen to hatch for."
Elva's eyes widened. "No…"
"The one you're holding is similar in size to Eylörís' egg and I felt her move around as we traveled." Vanir said with what looked like a sneer.
"Do you want to hold it?" Elva offered and Arya smiled.
"As long as Fírnen doesn't get jealous." She smiled and turned to look up at the large green dragon who huffed his response.
Arya reached out and the egg was carefully handed to her. "I wonder what color the dragon will be." She wondered aloud with a flicker in her eyes that was special. It was clear the Elf Queen loved dragons.
"Violet?" Elva frowned.
"Perhaps. Did you know Saphira ended up being a shade or two darker than her egg? Eragon swears they were the same color, but after carrying her for fifteen years, you'd think I'd know." Arya smiled.
"How old are you?" Eila asked suddenly, a deep frown on her face. When Arya looked up, the young woman's eyes widened and she shrank back. "Sorry." She said quietly.
"Don't be sorry for asking questions. I'm a hundred and four as of almost three months ago." She smirked at the dumbfounded look on her new apprentice's face.
Elva's eyes widened and her cheeks pinkened with a restrained smile only she, Arya, and Eragon would understand. Maybe not Eragon, considering he may not know when Arya's birthday is. It was the simple matter of how long their baby had been in existence. Thankfully, she managed to compose herself enough to pass as untouched by the humor she saw in the situation. Unfortunately though, Arya had been the only one who didn't see her reaction and when she turned back, her green eyes narrowed. The look the Elf gave caused all sense of humor to leave Elva's gaze instantly.
A horrible scream was heard from the room of chests and Eila's posture stiffened. Angela turned immediately and ran towards the man who was still standing but squirming relentlessly.
"Take your armor off and nobody touch it! Back away!" Angela yelled as her strides lengthened.
"Does she have an antidote?" Eila asked quickly.
"She and I found something akin to one last night, but we don't know if it works." Elva answered.
An even more worried expression haunted Eila's features as she watched Angela set the purple stone down on the ground. The Herbalist pulled a large flask from somewhere in her dress while she communicated with the man over where the oil may be.
"My arm! My arm!" He screamed and Angela poured the substance over the area. His moaning quieted for a moment before his sharp cry pierced the air.
"It didn't work." Eila said darkly. "Vanir, please hold Shruikan. If he breaks by your hand, I will personally see to your death." She growled lowly before sprinting off into another section of the prisons.
"Where is she going?" Nasuada asked.
"I have no clue. Eylörís, did she say anything?" Arya replied quickly.
"She knows where a neutralizing substance is." The white and blue dragon said calmly to her audience and Arya sat back on her heels with an exhale.
"Are you alright?" Nasuada asked, bright concern flickering in her eyes.
"Yes, thank you. She's just trying to find an antidote that works. I'm relieved that she knows of one." Arya looked up.
Nasuada offered her hand to help the Elf to her feet, understanding that she may not have an inconsequential time getting to her feet, considering what happened the day before.
Arya took her hand and stood while Vanir and the rest of them watched the man squirm, none of them able to do anything about it. The oil would still inflict wounds even if he was to be healed by one of them.
Meanwhile Eila's widened eyes scanned her surroundings, her breathing heavy from running at full speed. She knew this place by heart, and she knew exactly where to go.
She ran into a familiar windowless room with a bed, a desk, and a medicinal aids cabinet, stopping suddenly to assess her surroundings. This is the same room she was always taken to after…
Her hand brushed the raised scars on the back of her neck and she hurried to the cabinet, fighting painful memories. She threw open the cabinet doors and searched the extensive collection of remedies, her scarred fingertips touching each bottle as she marked them off of the list in her head.
Finally, she came to a large blue bottle with a cork shoved in the top. She grabbed it and ran, leaving the doors open.
She raced back to where the man lay. He was clutching his arm to his chest and everyone around him did nothing to restrain him for fear of getting the oil on themselves.
"The more areas you touch yourself with containing contaminated skin, the more areas I'm going to have to remedy!" Eila shouted to the man as she slid to her knees, landing next to him. "Angela, would you hold this? Follow my instructions." She said authoritatively as she held the bottle of neutralizer out to the Herbalist, who took it quickly.
Eila quickly pressed her hand against the man's chest as he continued to writhe in agony. He bucked his body upwards, his arm smearing Seithr Oil over her left arm as well as most of the same side of her torso. The substance started burning through the cloth of her shirt and she just sighed, not waiting for it to touch her skin.
"If I can sit still enough while getting branded, you can sit still enough to receive aid." She grumbled to herself as she straddled his midriff and grabbed his flailing wrists, forcing them to the floor. Part of his shirt had been eaten away from where the oil had transferred from his arm and it was starting to eat away at the skin on his chest. The same was starting to happen to her arm and hands.
"Pour the neutralizer on the contaminated skin and work it in. Don't be afraid, the neutralizer will keep you safe from the effects of the oil." Eila said, looking over at Angela who had already gotten herself into position, and the instant the remedy was applied to his arm, he relaxed slightly. "His chest also." Eila nodded and Angela followed orders.
The man relaxed when he felt the soothing medication work its wonders. His injuries had overwhelmed him, and he soon passed out from both overexertion and blood loss.
Together, Eila and Angela helped work the neutralizer into his wounded skin. Some parts were blistered, most of the areas were bleeding. The oil had eaten down to the muscle and in some areas, bone. Angela had torn a large section from the base of her dress with which she then tore in half. She handed one piece to Eila and kept one for herself so that they wouldn't have to touch his blood.
"Eila, it's all over you." Angela said the instant she looked up to see the same injuries on the young woman's bicep, shoulder, side and the front of her abdomen. Trails of blood ran down her side and pooled at the lip of her trousers. The blood that ran down her arm pooled at her wrist, following the creases in her skin from where her hand was bent at a right angle to the rest of her arm. Her hands were bleeding as well from where she had to hold the man down by the wrists.
"Oh…" Eila looked surprised for a moment before sighing again. "Hand me the bottle?"
Angela already had it extended to her and she took it, then set it down while she tore a piece from her own shirt to avoid any cross-contamination of bodily fluids. She soaked the dark cloth in the neutralizer and dabbed her arm with it until the stinging went away.
"You knew that you had Seithr Oil on you, right?" Angela asked in a worried tone.
"Yes." Eila answered almost absent-mindedly while she worked with the rest of her injuries. "I just forgot."
"How? The oil is eating your skin; you're bleeding. I can see your muscle." Angela said pointedly. "You need medical aid."
"I'm fine, and I'm used to it." Eila huffed, then returned to the wound on the man's chest. "It's the same concept as constantly eating spicy meals. After a while you just… don't feel it." Eila said without looking over at the Herbalist, who had a highly concerned look on her face.
She had said those things almost emotionlessly, though really, she was trying not to relive any of the pain from her past.
Angela looked away and waved at Nasuada, then stood. "Stay here." She told Eila with an almost angry demeanor and the young woman nodded. She was starting to not look well.
The Herbalist jogged over to both Queens. "We need to get to the medical ward quickly. Both of them are injured and losing blood. The situation is under control. I'm fine, but I don't think Eila is okay." Her eyes flicked between both Nasuada and Arya, the latter of the two looking almost angry. Her posture remained relaxed as she still held the violet dragon egg.
"Eylörís, please remove Eila from where she sits, we're going to get her help." Arya said darkly without looking over, and the white dragon was already in motion.
"I need two volunteers to help carry Edrik to the medical section. The situation has been handled. That being said, he's clean and no harm will come. The rest of you will return to your shifts until further notice!" Nasuada announced to her guards who were all pale and rather disturbed from what they just saw. "Angela, do you think you can create more of the antidote from what we have?" The Human Queen turned to speak.
"I'll do everything I can, plus more research." The Herbalist nodded as she watched Arya stride over to the young woman, who was currently being helped up by the young dragon. Arya grabbed her uninjured arm to help and Eila had allowed it. She was growing weak.
The half-Elf looked up at her mentor. "Take off your shirt. It still has the oil on it." Arya said unflinchingly, noticing the very slow deterioration of the fabric. She missed a few spots.
Eila's eyes widened and she shook her head with a guilty expression. Arya sighed. "I understand you have an audience, but you need you to. I'm telling you as your mentor and as someone who genuinely cares for you. Please Eila." She said pointedly.
"Here." One of the volunteers unclipped his royal blue cape and handed it over. Arya took it with a grateful smile. "Thank you." She said, then handed the egg to Eylörís, who gently held the egg between her teeth so Arya could hold the cape up for Eila.
The young woman tenderly removed her clothing, hissing as cloth was peeled from the open wounds. The blood-soaked shirt fell to the ground and she instantly covered her chest. Arya very carefully wrapped the cape around Eila's slender shoulders and nodded to Eylörís, who bent down as low as possible to make it easier for her Rider to climb on. Luckily, she was still small enough that Eila didn't have much of an issue mounting the white dragon, with Arya's help, of course. The egg was returned to the Elven Queen, covered in drool, but at least it was safe.
"Eylörís, follow the guards to the medical Ward. Make sure she gets help right away. I will be there shortly." Arya said and the small dragon carefully trotted after the two men who were carrying the man named Edrik. She watched them go and turned back to see Fírnen bend down to let Angela remove a confused looking Elva from his back while Vanir watched. He still held Shruikan who had remained silent and observational throughout the entire experience.
Arya walked back over to the green dragon and the instant she arrived before him, he nuzzled his forehead against her shoulder and she embraced him tightly.
"I'm okay. Eila's not, though." She said with a somber expression. "I worry for her."
Fírnen only nodded, understanding the way she felt. It would be a cruel twist of fate if Eila died today. "We will see her soon to make sure she's okay." He reassured and Arya nodded. She flinched when she felt the baby move. It's the first time she's felt him since after she finished speaking to Eragon. Maybe he was just reacting to his mother's concern about the situation and decided to remain still. Now that he was moving, Arya had a hard time not laying a hand on her stomach. If she did, she might reveal her secret, which would not be good.
"I already promised her we would be there shortly. We should go."
"Then I agree to make haste." He nodded and Arya looked over to Nasuada who watched them curiously.
"Lady Nasuada, Fírnen and I are going to go visit Eila and offer aid if possible. Are we needed for anything else today?"
The Human Queen shook her head. "Not for anything in particular. A lot has happened today, perhaps it would be a fine opportunity to rest and relax. Enjoy yourself." She smiled and Arya nodded.
"Thank you, but if I'm needed for anything, please let me know." The Elf responded. "We will be with Eila for the time being to observe her treatment and to be there for her."
"Very well. I'll be in my office to take care of some paperwork. I have a few meetings for some off-hand things as well. If we can't find an antidote for Seithr Oil, we'll need to go about non-contact mechanical methods. We're lucky Eila knew where some of the remedy was, otherwise the situation would have gotten very bad." Nasuada said with a nod.
"Agreed. Take care. Vanir, I believe you wanted a word with me. Come, let's talk. Bring Shruikan. Like Eila said, if he is broken by your hand, your punishment will not be kind or merciful." Arya said, her tone becoming dark again.
"Yes, my Queen." He bowed his head, his demeanor changing back to what seemed like a young boy.
"Very well. I'll see you both later." Nasuada nodded to them and together, the Elves and Fírnen began heading out.
A/N: Well I said temporary hiatus, but I suppose I just can't listen to myself. My mind started going again! Anyways, this was a fun chapter and it's so... all over the place. Sorry about that.
Anywhooooooo, thank you all for reading and reviewing and sticking with me for nineteen whole chapters (DANG)! I'm used to writing by myself and I often times lose traction, but I'm finding the encouragement and the simple presence of people who are reading this fic helps me keep going. I've never experienced anything like that before and it makes me want to write the best fic I possibly can. It's like rekindling motivation and inspiration, so I really do mean 'thank you' when I say 'thank you'.
Enough rambling! I love you guys :)
(And it was pointed out to me that I was spelling Seithr wrong this whole time, so I fixed it. Thank you JoBettany!)
-Lady Arlo