A/N: Another chapter here! I tried to post this last night but I got kicked off the computer - garr!! :(
This chapter around.... I want to give a special mention to Clare-hpec, for leaving great reviews, along with leaving the most - you get an extra hug (or a pat... :S )... another mention goes to bluewaffles621 - your reviews leave great advice and I try to follow :)
50 reviews is great!! And of course this couldn't be done without... the reviewers!! They are.... (in no particular order, I think)....
The Sun Also Rises, Macsek92, ejm12, Daphne13, rainbowsix, Clare-hpec , Soccergeek4jc, koolkat1125, Elf-oh-yes, Hornwaggler, sarcasm-is-me-17, spazzysassyangel, Phoenix Queen Crystal, -Al -perqurie-, FirelordMee-Ya, METALLiCxTEARs, JazRox, automaticsnow, Jits, bluewaffles621, Charlotte Brew, Sabergirl1005, InheritanceFan1990, Catriel, Elya, Martiny the one and only still, Raven, jn-v13, dancinqween09, Julie Winchester, shurtugal88 and Elya95 - Give yourself a hug (or a pat on the back i guess.... you guys are awesome and you know it!) :D :D :D
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AND.... another sneak peek at the end! Enough of my talking....
Here is Chapter 6 (Plans - I know... bad name) of Elven Hope! (Wooot!!)
Disclaimer: I'm NOT Christopher Paolini... or a guy for that matter :D
-------Eragon's POV ----------
Where is my Rider? the baby dragon asked again.
Eragon could only stare in shock at the egg, which slightly trembled. It can talk! How?
Who knows what Galbatorix did? I want to talk to him.
Before Eragon could comment, Saphira asked the dragon, Who is your Rider, young one?
I do not know her name. She touched my egg and she is my Rider. Who are you?
My name is Saphira. I am also a dragon, and my Rider is Eragon Shadeslayer. What does your rider look like?
She has much turmoil within, but she is a good person. I do not know what she looks like. That is all I know of her. Do you know her?
Saphira and Eragon looked at each other in disappointment. Then Saphira told the dragon gently,
We do not know who she is, young one. When did she touch your egg?
Nigh on a week ago.
We shall find her, young one. May the stars watch over you, and we shall be back soon.
What are stars?
The lights of the sky. You shall see them soon, and be flying among them. Farewell, young one, for the time being.
Goodbye Saphira.
"The poor dragon… being torn from its Rider." Eragon said after a few minutes of shocked silence.
Who was the rider?
Who is a female that has lots of turmoil within, but a good person? That could be anyone in Alagaësia!
Excluding the males.
Obviously. Do you think it could be Arya?
There is that potential… but we can't know for sure.
Should I tell Nasuada?
I think so, but it is your decision in the end.
A slight knocking on his tent captured Eragon's attention. "Eragon? Are you there?" Nasuada's voice cried out. "Come in, Lady." He replied.
"You look better," she commented after a few minutes of silence.
"I feel better, I have some news both good and bad. And a request."
"Proceed," she gestured with a wave of her hand.
He told her about how Arya had discovered the egg, then about his own discovery of Jarnunvösk's Eldunari, his mental contact with Arya in Galbatorix's castle and finished with his and Saphira's talk with the young dragon. When he had finished, he looked up to see her reaction. Her face was indecipherable though, which puzzled Eragon. He was expecting at least a joyful exclamation, and was about to comment when she spoke.
"So, Arya found the last dragon egg, you found an Eldunari, and then contacted Arya in Urû'bean and talked with the young dragon in question, who has been touched by his Rider, but has no idea what she looks like."
"Pretty much, I guess. Do you have any comments about these events? I know you well enough to guess that you have lots of questions."
"I am elated that we found the last egg and an Eldunari on top of that, but I am still sad that Arya got captured as the price. It is also a bit disheartening to know that the dragon has chosen a rider, but we do not know who it is. But I have information at the moment, it is crucial to the Varden this does not leave this tent."
Eragon said the spell for warding off listeners, then spoke in a soft tone, "Nasuada, what has happened?"
"Tell me your request first, Eragon, then I shall elaborate."
"I wish to rescue Arya from Urû'bean."
"Actually, this is an interesting request, because my information is along these lines."
"What is your information, my Lady?" he whispered.
She replied in just a small whisper, "Nothing has happened among us, but we have received information that the Eldunari are going to be away from Galbatorix this coming month."
"How do you know this is reliable?"
"We believe it is. I have this information from an extremely reliable source. He would not lie."
"What if you're wrong, Nasuada?! You're sending the Varden to their deaths! Galbatorix will win!"
She glared at him with ice cold eyes. "That is the risk I have to take. Either I act, and my intelligence is right, leading us to victory. Or I don't act, and we have a slim chance of beating him anyway."
"Or you act, he has the Eldunari, and we die trying to fight him!"
"It's the risk we have to take! This war is destined to end soon, and I'd rather we gave one last good fight to remember, instead of hiding like cowards and letting him trample on us! The Varden are better than that! I'm better than that!"
Eragon flinched as her words hit home, and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Nasuada's fierce expression softened. "Eragon, I know you've been distracted as of late, but this fight will end. At least during this fight, you can rescue Arya? Isn't that worth the bloodshed? Don't you feel as every day passes, time seems to be drawing ever closer to this final battle?"
"I do, but I do not revel in the idea of this battle. I am glad though that we can do something that does not involve slaughter."
"You shouldn't revel, otherwise you would be another Galbatorix. That is something we don't need."
"Aye. What are the Varden going to do now?"
"We are going to take Urû'bean, Eragon."
------------ Arya's POV --------------
I have been here three weeks and five days. No one has survived Galbatorix that long. Arya thought while lying on the floor of her stone cell. She had been tortured to the edge of death daily, and Eragon had seen her being tortured after a week of her being here. This hurt more than any physical ache she sustained, because he shouldn't be seeing that. It would increase his desire to rescue her, which in Arya's mind was a bad thing. At least she hadn't lost her mind in this cell.
"Hello again, Arya!" Murtagh called as he walked in the cell.
"Murtagh," she indicated with a brief tilt of her head and a cold tone.
"I have news for you, we've captured your Rider – he spat the word – and it didn't take long for Galbatorix – he spat this word too – to break his small mind. He serves us now. So… are you with us?"
Arya listened to all this in a dull shock. "Eragon is captured?" she murmured.
"Yep! He got defeated in…. about two minutes if my timer was accurate," Murtagh grinned at her.
He's lying, he has to be! "Do you think I believe you? You resort to such despicable lies to get my service? Bah! That shows how weak you are, to do that!" She laughed after she had finished, knowing that her defiance would soon be punished. Murtagh frowned and in a move so quick it evaded Arya's notice, he had smacked her and pushed her down on the ground.
"Oh I have a new torture method today, Arya. Care to tell me if it works?" he laughed at her.
"What, you're going to kick me in the leg instead of the head? I'm soooo scared!" she laughed back. Maybe she was mad, after being tortured so much... there was only so much the mind could take.
Murtagh laughed with her, then rammed his consciousness into hers. She was immersed in images from his past – Morzan hitting him, the scar on his back, racing with Eragon through the Beor Mountains to save her, Galbatorix using his true name to force him to swear loyalty…
------------
"Murtagh! I'm so glad to see you're alright!" Galbatorix exclaimed, like a concerned parent.
"Go to hell!" Murtagh spat at him.
"Tut tut, looks like I'm going to have to teach you manners in your stay here…"
"What makes you think I'm staying?"
"I know who you are Murtagh. You can't deny me."
"I'll just escape again."
"Oh yes, I have to punish you about that…" and with a word had Murtagh choking on air. "So… Deyja Shur'tugal will you serve me?"
Arya watched as Murtagh screamed in knowing who he was, and thrashed on the ground. "I wont!" he cried out.
"Deyja Shur'tugal, swear loyalty to me in the language of power."
"I….." Murtagh tried to stop the words from spilling out but was not successful, "will be loyal to you."
"For the rest of your days."
"For the rest of my days."
"You will not reveal any of my plans."
"I will not reveal any of your plans."
"You will swear to defeat the Varden, at any cost."
"I will….. defeat the Varden… no matter the cost."
"You will destroy their leader, Nasuada, and capture their Rider, Eragon, and whoever works for them."
"I…" Arya sensed Murtagh's anguish at this, at having to destroy his love and hurt his brother, but was forced to finish, "will destroy Nasuada and capture Eragon."
"And you will not disobey me." He added as an after thought.
"I… will not disobey you."
"See, Murtagh. Already we are getting along! You just wait until the Varden realise that I have a new Rider!" He strolled out, leaving Murtagh alone, for the tears to spill over.
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… Arya gasped when she came back slightly to herself, because Murtagh was going through all her bad memories now, and the good ones – the day she received the honour of carrying Saphira's egg, receiving the yawë, waking up and seeing the new Rider who had saved her, the Blood-Oath Celebration, where Eragon had tried to win her hand, her anguish at saying no...
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She ran through the forest, tears streaming down her beautiful face, her words echoing through her own ears.
* "Hear me well, Eragon. This cannot, nor ever shall be. And until you master yourself, our friendship must cease to exist, for you emotions do nothing but distract us from our duty. Goodbye, Eragon Shadeslayer," * she had said, leaving him in Du Weldenvarden.
As she ran, she heard him weeping, and the tears continued. This was the sacrifice she had to make for his future. She collapsed upon the ground when she could not run any futher, and wept as the Agaetí Blödhren came to an end.
------------
"So you rejected my brother, Arya? Surely he hates you now?" Murtagh laughed at her, and then his expression turned to pity.
"No…" Arya moaned, before Murtagh picked her up by the throat.
"Arya!" Galbatorix cried out. "Murtagh, put her down," he added as an afterthought. Arya glared at both of them, then backed to the far corner of her cell.
"Arya, you have been here a fortnight and a week. Have you reconsidered joining me? Together, we can rebuild our country, and let prosperity and peace reign over Alagaësia for generations. I am not the one keeping this war alive, Arya. It pains me that so many have to die, just to satisfy the Varden's bloodlust. So many, Arya. Even your own people.
"Reconsider, and let my dream come true!"
"You are a liar, a murderer and a traitor! I will never join you! I'd rather die!" she bellowed at them.
Galbatorix laughed at her, then turned to Murtagh.
"O Rider, leave this cell. I will be with you shortly."
Murtagh cast a desperate look at Arya before he left, and then fled up the stairs. Galbatorix studied her for a second, then started laughing. Arya stared at him in confusion.
After a short time he spoke. "You say death would be better than serving me? Well I'll do one better than that… you can touch the last dragon egg in all of Alagaësia! If it doesn't hatch, so be it, but if it does… you will be my tool to destroying the Varden!!"
------- Eragon's POV ------------
That night after Nasuada's announcement, he tossed and turned in his waking dreams.
------------
He saw a blue dragon and a black dragon fighting in the skies above a shrouded castle, a red dragon and his Rider laying slain in the fields below. He ran from the dragons fight, into the castle, to find Arya lying on the floor, a dagger in her chest.
"NO!!!!" he shouted, running towards her. As soon as he touched her, she vanished. An illusion, damnit, he thought. The castle shook, and stone fell from the ceiling. The blue dragon fell down and crashed into the floor. Eragon could feel the life force draining from her. "Saphira! Hold on! Please!!"
Peace, Little One. Do not mourn me, she had whispered in his mind, and faded away.
Alone! He was alone! He cried out, and ran to the dark king. Shruikan roared at him, but in a swift stroke, the dragon's head was on the floor. Blood coated the walls, so much that it might as well have been a red paint. Galbatorix laughed, and then shouted with rage as Eragon started fighting him rapidly. Eragon's rage and grief fuelled his attacks, and not even the king could resist. Galbatorix lunged but Eragon blocked him, and in one sudden stroke, lopped off the king's head, sending it spinning across the room. His purpose complete, Eragon stabbed himself in the chest with Brisingr, but not dying. His vision flicked , and the real Arya ran in the room. "Eragon!" she had cried.
"I…… love you…" he had whispered, then his vision went black, not quickly enough to hear her whisper, "I love you too."
-----------
Eragon woke up, jolting out of this dream, that seemed like he was living it. Arya! Saphira! he had shouted with his mind without meaning too.
Eragon! two voices had replied.
Peace, Eragon. It is not real. Merely a manifestation of your fears. Saphira whispered to him. He half expected Arya to reply, but then remembered about her capture, and tears streamed down his cheeks in a steady flow.
I wish these worries would cease!
They will one day, but do not let them trouble you. All worries do is provoke fear about the future and what is to come, and it is not worth concerning yourself about events that might happen, but are far more likely to be lost to fate's whims.
Where did that come from?
I may be young, Eragon, but I do have extraordinarily good memory, especially concerning my ancestors.
I'm sorry… do you think we are ready for this fight? We don't have Oromis to help.
We have Glaedr and Jarnunvösk. We have the Varden. We have the dwarves and the elves. And we have the last egg. I think we are as ready as we can be.
We only have Glaedr's power, not his physical help. We don't even know about Jarnunvösk yet! The last egg is no help, since he hasn't hatched! But we do have the Varden, the dwarves and the elves' help, only because we have common goals.
Shall we talk to Jarnunvösk yet?
I wanted to speak to him with Arya.
I think this is extremely important.
We need to gain his support. But what if he is angry?
We need to talk to him –
- if not to reassure him –
- to end his suffering –
- and to stop this war. So are we one on this?
We are one on everything, Eragon. Don't you know that? Saphira told him in a teasing tone.
Jarnunvösk? Are you there?
Who are you!!! Jarnunvösk roared, pushing aside Eragon's mental barriers as easily as a leaf blows from a tree.
My name is Eragon Shadeslayer. I am a Rider, and my dragon is Saphira.
Ah… I used to have a Rider. Used to, before he stole my Eldunari, and got another dragon!! I cannot even die, since I cannot summon magic.
What happened to you, Jarnunvösk, to get you like this?
Are you sure you want to hear my tale? It does not have a happy ending.
We are sure, Eragon whispered to the dragon.
One day, over a hundred years ago…
A/N: ... and thats the end of another chapter! Some quick notes...
- Deyja Shur'tugal means Death Rider
- *'s in my stories mean quotes = this one is a quote from Eldest.
This time around, we'll try for 65 - 75 reviews (although if its short by a bit I don't mind posting anyway :) but it's still good to get feedback all the same... )
Here is the sneak peek for Chapter 7:
The Urgal attack... where I supposedly lost my life.... that is not exactly the truth. Galbatorix twisted the tale to suit his purposes.
I was murdered that day.....
Read and Review... as always! Xoxoxo - ready for Chapter 7??