I own nothing of the Inheritance Cycle!
Thoughts over bond
Davids eyebrows rose up to his hairline. He was completely taken aback with the question and struggled to respond.
It seemed that Muratgh saved him from replying when he barked out a laugh that drew everyone's attention. "Yeah, we know him pretty well." There was an amused smirk upon his face.
The response drew everyone's attention, although they seemed to miss Murtagh's amusement. "You know Galbatorix's son? You've met him?" Nasuada inquired.
"Oh sure. Many times." Davids lips quirked slightly from Murtagh's responses. He could also feel Aquila's slight amusement.
"Would you be able to tell us about him?"
"Why don't you talk to him yourself?" David raised a brow and glanced over at Murtagh. He's going to tell them I'm his son? Galbatorix doesn't even have a son.
The question seemed to confuse everyone in the tent. Roran was the one to speak next, "What are you saying?"
Murtagh put Thorn onto his shoulders as he patted Davids shoulder. "The prince himself is in our midst."
Total, absolute silence followed Murtagh's words. They all looked at David in varying degrees of mistrust, betrayal, and disbelief. But before the situation could escalate into something bad David whacked Murtagh over the head, "Shut up Murtagh. You and I both know I'm not his son."
The betrayal and disbelief left the others eyes but they still looked at him with slight mistrust. David huffed and explained, "When we were in Urû'baen we posed as brothers and worked as the castles servants. Galbatorix took special interest in me because of my abilities. When he searched my mind I gave him false memories Murtagh and I had created. The woman we used to pose as our mother was someone Murtagh had seen once in Gil'ead. Apparently Galbatorix had an affair with her at some point, and because of that he believed me to be his son."
"How do we know you aren't really his son?" The question was asked by a very suspicious Nasuada.
"Because I am not originally from Alagaësia." That is true though "After my father died when I was fourteen my mother and I traveled across the seas and came here to Alagaësia. We stayed in our home ever since. Until it burned down and took my mothers life.
That woman couldn't be my mother anyway, she posed as our fake mother."
Everyone relaxed now that they knew David wasn't really the son of Galbatorix. But Nasuada continued the topic. "It was said that Galbatorix was teaching his son in the ways of magic. Is this true?" Davids following silence answered her question.
"What has he taught you?"
"That is something I will keep to myself."
Nasuada didn't seem to want to accept his answer, "Whatever Galbatorix has taught you could be potentially dangerous and you need to tell me–" David cut her off. His anger seemed to attract the shadows, for they altered his voice once again.
"I have no reason to tell you anything. You may use the excuse that the information he taught me was dangerous–and some of it was–but the real reason you wish for me to tell you is because you want to evaluate my strength. Do not deny it!" He shouted the last sentence at Nasuada when she went to do exactly that. "Your shadow tells me what you will not. And they tell me you are frightened of me, because I am a free rider nobody knows anything about. I am unpredictable." His anger slowly faded away, along with the shadows who both altered his voice and told him what Nasuada was feeling.
He was surprised at his new, and unexpected, ability with the shadows. He decided to investigate it further, at a later time.
"You are right," Nasuadas voice was calm, "I am scared because I know nothing about you, and I don't know who's side you are on. You could be secretly working with Galbatorix. But if you were to tell us what you learned as Galbatorix's student then I might be able to trust that you are with the Varden."
"I am afraid, my lady, that I have no wish to tell you. Any of you." He did not know why he felt like he shouldn't tell them anything of what he had learned. He believed that his lessons with Galbatorix should be kept quiet. It could also be because of the vow he had made as Neil.
Nasuada sighed in what seemed to be disappointment, "Then in that case I will be unable to trust you to be a part of the Varden. You will have to be confined in some way, or at least have someone be watching you at all times."
What she said brought anger not only to David, but to Aquila as well. They heard a short, angry roar from above the pavilion before it was ripped out from above them, revealing Aquila's angry form and the surrounding crowd, who was once gazing up at Aquila with awe now backing up with fright. Aquila placed her head defiantly in front of Nasuada and gave another loud and angry roar. Letting Nasuada know she was unaccepting of her decision.
Saphira was unable to stop her because Aquila had somehow pinned her down to the ground with her front legs.
Aquila stopped roaring when David laid his hand on her cheek. "It's alright Aquila. Her caution is understandable," he looked at Nasuada, "but unnecessary." His next words were in the ancient language, "My loyalties in this war are not with the Empire. And if I find the Varden to be a worthy cause then I shall help you."
Arya translated the words for Nasuada who nodded her head in reply, "Then there will be no need to confine you," Aquila relaxed slightly, "but I will still have someone watch you." Only to tense up again. She reared back her head and released a stream of flames onto Nasuada.
Everybody screamed in horror at her actions. But when the stream ended they were confused to see her still standing. Even she seemed confused. They looked at David when he spoke, "She says you are lucky she had enough self-control not to actually burn you where you stand."
Aquila retracted her head and allowed Saphira to stand back up. She looked off into the distance as if nothing just happened.
David smiled, "So, where shall I be staying?"
David looked at the tent he had been given.
It was placed at the edge of the camp so Aquila could easily lay next to the tent, though the door was not big enough for her to push her head through.
To the left of the tents opening was a small bed, and on the other side of the tent was a desk like table where a small candle lit up the tent. It wasn't much and it made him mourn the loss of his room in Urû'baen.
He sank onto the bed. He was not happy with Nasuada trying to find out more about him in such a way, but he understood that she was a leader and was just trying to do what was best for the Varden. He may have done the same thing, but he never was very fond of someone with leadership. He's afraid they will try to gain some kind of power over him and use him.
Davids thoughts were interrupted by a voice from the other side of his tents entrance. "David, may I come in?" The voice belonged to Arya.
He stood up from the bed and responded, "You may enter."
Pushing aside the tent flap Arya came into the tent and inspected her surroundings until her eyes finally landed on Davids form. She walked further into the tent until she was standing a foot in front of him. David didn't know why she was here and it didn't look like she was about to speak anytime soon.
David turned from her and knelt down and felt beneath his bed. He drew out a black bag from underneath and stood back up in front of Arya. "I was not entirely truthful when i said I was unable to get both eggs." The bag of shadows slowly melted away and revealed the emerald green egg sitting innocently in Davids hands.
Arya looked up at him with slight disbelief and amazement, but said nothing. David continued, "I said nothing because I wasn't sure if you wanted to risk the danger of becoming a rider during the war."
Arya was mesmerized as she looked at the egg. She brushed her hand against it, as if to take it, but she retracted her hand and looked up at David. "I have always wished to become a rider. But you are right when you say there are dangers. It may be wise to refrain from becoming a rider, or it may be better to become a rider. I will not know for certain."
David nodded and the shadows encased the egg once again as David returned it underneath his bed.
"I was afraid." David looked into Arya's eyes but she kept her emotions hidden.
"Why were you afraid?" David murmured.
"When the Urgals had dragged you into the tunnels I went after you. I had found you, I spoke to you, but the Urgals escaped me. I had no choice but to turn around, or I may have gotten lost in the maze of tunnels." She gripped Davids arm and stared deep into his eyes. "Why did you not come back to the Varden? Why would you risk yourself by going to Urû'baen? It wasn't safe!"
"Safe or not, Arya, I gave Murtagh my word that I would help him to get the dragon egg from Galbatorix. If I hadn't then he would have just gone and done it by himself. My mind would not have been at ease knowing he would have been in Urû'baen with no help." argued David.
"You had the ability to keep him from going to Urû'baen. You had no reason to–" David didn't allow her to continue.
"Arya it no longer matters. What's done is done and it would be best to forget it."
He knew Arya wished to argue more about it but he had no desire to speak about it any longer.
He had thought she would leave after that, but instead she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest, her head resting beneath his chin. The action surprised him, but he hesitantly returned the hug and awkwardly patted her back before pulling away. Once she released him Arya left without another word.
David blinked in slight shock as the tent flaps settled. It was as if she had never even been there. David sat on the bed and stared blankly at the ground. He couldn't wrap his mind around why Arya would have done that.
You know why David. Aquila's voice calmed Davids confused thoughts.
He focused his thoughts on every situation when he interacted with Arya. Admittedly there weren't very many. From what he could see, she acted differently around him then she did with anyone else. He was pretty sure she doesn't go around and hug people, or gently touch their face. There was only option that made sense to him, and he wasn't sure if he wanted it to be true.
Does Arya have…feelings for me?