Chapter Seven
Arya ran, she ran and ran until her lungs were screaming for air and her legs were begging for respite. She dashed until sweat ran freely off her body and dripped onto the grass. She raced until she came upon the Varden's encampment making a normally two day journey in the course of half a night. Pausing she leaned over, gasping for breath silently heaving air into her lungs. Finally straightening she approached the Varden camp, hearing a snap of a twig she silently drifted past the Varden scout and into the main encampment.
Guarding her mind she ignored the lust filled stares of the men and stalked into the army. Deciding she was not capable of talking to her brethren or Eragon and Saphira she made her way towards Nasuada's command pavilion inside the city. Members of the Varden were mingling with the people of Feinster and soldiers were talking over pitchers of beer. Placing an illusion over herself as she got closer to Nasuada's command building, she jumped over the walls and into the courtyard she had seen a few days ago, before Oromis and Glaedr's Will reading and before she had met Murtagh and Thorn.
Creeping up the stonewall she slowly opened the window on the top floor. Easing her way inside, once the coast was clear she placed a spell around her to ward from listeners and walked over to Nasuada's scrying mirror. Fixing an image of her mother in her mind she whispered "Draumr Kópa" and various other words flowed off her tongue as she spoke the words that would allow her to talk to and see her mother as though they were face to face.
Lord Däthedr came into focus in the centre of the mirror. "Arya Drottningu" he smiled and bowed speaking in his native tongue. "How might I assist you?" Arya inclined her head. "Would you please get Queen Islanzadí, I desperately need to speak to her." Lord Däthedr bowed and then left the mirror. As Arya waited for her mother, she looked around the room, immediately noting the window that led to a branch of an enormous tree. "Arya." Islanzadí stood at the mirror, her hair was tied back and she carried a bloodstained blade. "Your Majesty." Arya bowed, determined to keep this discussion formal. " I suggest you place wards to prevent any ears from hearing this conversation." Islanzadí's eyes narrowed and she glanced away from the mirror briefly and spoke an incantation. "What is it you wanted to discuss?" she asked coolly in the words of no lies. "Have you come to apologise?"
Arya stiffened and her emerald eyes narrowed. "Alanna or Duncan is your daughter or son!" she hissed into the mirror, her calm demeanour leaching away. Islanzadí jerked back in shock and quickly made sure Arya was alone, her eyes hurriedly searching the mirror. Turning to her daughter the queen grasped for the remainder of her composure as she asked. "What makes you think that?" Arya licked her lips. "A conversation I had with a... friend." Islanzadí said nothing, neither confirming nor denying her daughters statement. "The friend and I were talking about our pasts and they said how their mother once got sick but seemed to glow from within, she had a baby sometime later."
Arya choose her words carefully. "I remember near thirteen summers ago as I carried the egg to Ellesméra that you had this manner." She fell silent as her mother digested this revelation of her daughters' knowledge of her sibling.
Inhaling sharply the queen nodded acknowledging the daughters words. Sighing she leaned forward, peering into the scrying mirror, reflecting her first daughter back at her. "Yes, your words hold truth. Alanna is my daughter." Islanzadí said in a final tone, flinching at the betrayal etched on her daughter's face.
Arya's composure splintered as the words pierced her cold seclusion from the world. She felt her taut relationship with her mother snap and her cordial self control plummet. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes, exhaling with a hiss she refocused her enraged emerald eyes on her mother and opened her mouth. "How dare you not tell me I had a sister!" she roared, briefly thankful for the wards placed around the meeting room at all times. Screaming into the mirror she continued, the glass quivering with the power of her shrieks. "I don't care if you and I weren't talking! You could have sent someone to tell me!" A single tear fell from Arya's eyes and she furiously wiped it away before her mother could see.
Islanzadí suddenly became angry, drawing herself up she growled. "We did it for your support! We didn't want you to get hurt anymore than you already were. We did it to keep you safe!" She was screaming by the time she had finished. "Keep me safe!" Arya shrieked. "It didn't keep me safe did it? If anything I got hurt more! What's the other reason? You never cared for my well-being before, so there must be another reason!"
Islanzadí interrupted, clutching at her own shards of composure in an attempt to keep the conversation civil "There was no other reason!" she snapped, her voice sharp as a sliver of glass." It was not reasoned more than to keep you safe, which Oromis thought it would." Arya's jaw opened in disbelief. "Are you saying you only had her as collateral?" Her voice rose an octave higher as she yelled. Islanzadí winced and recoiled slightly at the disgust in her first born's voice. "No," she cut in, "we were never like that. We didn't mean for this to happen."
" Yes you did!" Arya cried. "All I ever did, I did to make you proud. Everything was to make you love me like you loved him."
Islanzadí glared at Arya. "You know you are right," She yelled, finally sick of hearing her daughter's accusations. "I did and do love him more than I love you, than I ever will. You are just the outcome of my love for you father. You could never match up to what he meant to me." Arya blinked in shock, her face turned pale and tears welled in her eyes. She opened and closed her mouth but she was mute. Finally she swallowed and as tears ran down her face she spoke softly into the mirror, to her mother. "I'm sorry I was never good enough for you, that you felt you had to replace me. I'm sorry I am not perfect enough, that you feel I could never face the truth . I'm sorry for being something that reminds you, everytime you see me, of what you lost." Arya paused and let her words sink in. "I'm sorry for ever believing you could love me."
Tears ran freely down her face as she stared at her mother, she cut the scrying spell. Putting her head in her hands Arya sobbed. Her head jerked up swiftly as she heard footsteps. Rapidly her emerald eyes scanned the room for a way out pulling her hood up she ran over to the window near the tree . Smashing the window with her elbow she jumped out onto the branch, pieces of broken glass falling to the stones like pieces of her heart. As she leapt from branch to branch she heard Nasuada screaming for her guards. Landing softly on the stones she ran, out of the courtyard and down into the streets of Feinster, tears rolling down her face. Vowing these tears would be the last she cried for her mother, the figure slipped into the night.
"My Lady, Please repeat the story one last time," Jörmundur said.
Nasuada sighed. "I came into this room and before I opened the door I heard glass shattering and I saw a black cloaked figure leaping out the window. I called for help and then you know the rest. I didn't see their face."
Eragon shifted in his seat. What do you think, Saphira? He asked rubbing his neck.
I don't know, Little One. If the person meant Nasuada harm they would have hurt her when she entered the room, they wouldn't have run. Eragon smiled at her use of his pet name.
"Do you have any idea who could have done it, Eragon?" Roran asked turning to look at him.
Eragon shook his head. "No, if they meant Nasuada harm they would have, as Saphira said, hurt her while she was alone. Why would they run?"
"My Lady, it is the Elf Ambassador, Arya," A man called through the door.
Nasuada's head snapped up. "Let her in," she said.
Eragon turned to look at the doors. Arya! He hadn't seen her since Oromis's will had been read out, nor had anyone seen or heard from her. Arya walked stonily in, pausing to smile sweetly at the blonde haired guard who quickly averted his eyes to the floor. "You wished to see me, Lady Nasuada?" she asked, her voice was rough and hoarse.
She was wearing her usual black attire but was missing a blade and her quiver and bow. Eragon's brow furrowed in puzzlement, she never went anywhere without her weapons. Saphira, who had one sparkling sapphire eye next to the window, growled when she saw her. Arya's usual sparkling emerald eyes were cold, lifeless and had deep rings around them.
Next to him Blödhgarm stiffened and snarled beneath his breath.
Nasuada seemed taken aback by Arya's appearance; it was blatantly obvious that she had been crying. "Yes, I'm sorry to bother you." She said recalling her last encounter with the angry elf princess. "But a stranger was in this room near half an hour ago. I was wondering if you knew ways to track someone who leaves no trace."
Arya met her eyes and when she spoke her voice was devoid of life. "No." she said flatly. "I don't."
Eragon blinked; this was the first time he had seen Arya be rude to anyone. Extending his mind he drifted towards Arya, his probe was met by mental barriers near impenetrable. He waited outside her mind for her to left him in, and when she didn't he retreated. Next to him Blödhgarm stirred. "Princess Arya!" he called in the ancient language. "You need to contact Queen…" Arya turned to him and he faded into silence.
"No!" she snapped, her eyes alighting angrily. Blödhgarm gasped and took a step back. "I don't feel like talking to her right now nor will I ever. " Blödhgarm nodded and bowed, acknowledging her rebuff.
Everyone watched the confrontation between the two elves, shocked by the displays of emotion that were usually absent. "I'm sorry." Blödhgarm finished softly.
"If that is all" Arya turned back to Nasuada raising a single coal eyebrow.
Saphira, do something! Eragon said.
"Yes. That's all." Nasuada glanced at Eragon a questioning look on her face. Eragon shrugged and called to Saphira, showing her the confrontation through his eyes. Saphira growled and moved her eye closer. Eragon felt her extend her mind towards Arya's and politely wait for her to lower her barriers. A few seconds passed and Eragon could feel Saphira's annoyance at being ignored. Snorting out smoke she let loose a roar that had the people in the room scrambling to put their hands over their ears. Blödhgarm and Eragon, who the noise hurt more, clasped their hands over their ears in pain.
Eragon maintaining his vision of Arya was unsurprised to see her barely even flinch. Arya's emerald eyes engaged Saphira's in a staring match before she averted her eyes. Eragon looked back and forward between the two having been shut out from Saphira's mind. Suddenly Saphira's head snapped back as she whined.
Eragon, Roran, Blödhgarm, Jormundur and Nasuada all watched as Arya turned and walked away, pushing the oak doors open with a crash.
Saphira? Saphira, are you okay? What happened? Saphira. Eragon pleaded to be let into her mind; he could feel her pity and sorrow before she swiftly cut herself off from him and flew away. "Blödhgarm? What was that about?" He turned to the elf beside him, who had appeared to regain his composure.
He appeared hesitant to answer. "That was a very painful matter to Arya Dröttningu. I have taken oaths that prevent me from discussing that particular subject without permission from either Arya or her mother." Eragon nodded feeling frustrated, knowing he was being kept in the dark.
Roran scoffed. "She didn't need to be rude. And what could possibly be that painful that she is impolite to this council?"
Blödhgarm stiffened and the fur on his back rose. "You would do well to be gracious to the one who saved your life." He snapped baring his teeth. "And there are not many subjects capable of making Arya cry. So it must be something very important." He added, defending his princess.
Roran blinked in surprise and Eragon looked at Blödhgarm in bewilderment. "What do you mean? How can she have saved my life?"
"You are cloaked with silver magic, Arya once had a…. source… of magic such as that, more powerful than any single magic known to my kind." Blödhgarm hissed.
"Why didn't she say anything then?" Jörmundur asked just as Nasuada asked. "Had?"
Blödhgarm nodded choosing to answer Nasuada first.
"As I understood, the energy was lost over one hundred years ago. I can only wonder how she still has it; she must have kept some spare." Turning to Jörmundur he replied. "Arya does not answer to anybody, apart from Queen Islanzadí, even then perhaps not as much as the rest of us. Her actions are her own, she need not own up to it if she does not wish to."
Eragon nodded and then asked Nasuada if he was dismissed. "Go ahead Eragon, there is nothing you nor Saphira can do here. You also Roran, go spend some time with your wife, you may not have the time in the coming weeks." Nasuada looked to Jörmundur and he nodded, bowed and left the room. "Eragon, one moment." Nasuada suddenly called. Eragon halted and turned to her, Roran paused as well. "Elva?" she spoke softly to the curtains near the window. Elva stepped out and bowed mockingly to Eragon.
"Shadeslayer."
Nasuada held a tray off food out to the child, who snatched for it. Grinning wolfishly she crammed food into her mouth. "What can you tell us about Arya?" Nasuada asked. Blödhgarm growled and straightened. Elva smiled impishly. "That would depend on what you wanted to know, Lady Nasuada." Roran flinched as he heard her voice, the voice of an adult coming out of a child.
Nasuada frowned and then asked. "What did you feel?" Elva licked her lips and then spoke. "You ask this of me because you are afraid, and so you should be. If you only knew…" she trailed off and turned deathly pale. "Do you know what was done to her? Do you even know of the pain she conceals?" Elva chocked off and retched, hunched over she laughed. "If you only knew the secret she hides…you have reason to fear her." She leaned closer and whispered in Nasuada's ear softly that Eragon strained to hear. "Everyone has reason to fear the Broken."
Blödhgarm growled and took a step forward his voice shaking in fury. "Arya's pain is her own. You would do well to remember she could kill you with a single thought."
Elva looked up at him. "Yes I know. But she wont."
Eragon looked at her. "Why would that be?" Elva looked to the ground. "Her idea of revenge is pain, pain greater than any pain the person she is seeking revenge against has ever felt. She would have them screaming, than kill them swiftly and painlessly." She fell silent and then looked out the window. Everyone looked at each other as an awkward silence ensued before Eragon, Blödhgarm and Roran turned and left when it was clear she had finished and no one else had anything to say.
Eragon's guards fell into a loose circle around him and Roran as they walked down the streets of Feinster. "Eragon, are you well?" Roran asked glancing at his cousin.
Eragon looked at the ground and they walked a few hundred metres in silence, passing people in the street that called. "Hail Shadeslayer." And "Hail Stronghammer." Eragon sighed and looked up. "Saphira and I lost two people very important to us, over Gil'ead. They were slain by Murtagh and Thorn." Around him the elves stirred and spoke as one in soft mournful voices.
"What did they say?"
"May their memories live on." Eragon answered sorrowfully. Roran processed this. "So, they were the reason you and Arya left for a few days?" Eragon nodded.
"Eragon." Roran asked hesitantly. "Elain is having trouble with the baby, Horst would never ask himself. Gertrude has been trying to help but…. would you?"
Eragon stopped and gripped Roran's arm. "Of course I will. Where is she?" Roran smiled. "Where the rest of the villagers are. Katrina is keeping an eye on her, but there isn't much she can do. You know Elain." Eragon nodded smiling; yes he knew the stubborn woman.
As they walked through he mass of Varden's tents towards where the Carvahall villagers where camping, they talked about life before Saphira. They talked about Garrow, Brom, and Katrina, their lives before that fateful day when Eragon touched Saphira's egg. "Hail Shadeslayer!" The people of the Varden called to him as they saw his elvin bodyguards and then recognised him with Brisingr strapped to his belt. Some of the women called out. "Marry me, Shadeslayer!" Much to Roran's amusement, though he quickly hid it when Eragon glared at him. Eragon acknowledged the men he knew with a wave and a nod to the women he politely declined, saying his heart belonged to another.
Upon reaching the villagers of Carvahall, the people who he had grown up with, Eragon was greeted by various villagers as they went about their daily lives. A sudden piercing scream interrupted Eragon's reply to a women he recognised. Roran looked at him and then broke into a run, Eragon close behind. Eragon quickly passed Roran and followed the screams, sliding Brisingr out of its sapphire sheath, his bodyguards running with him.
He came to a panting halt in front of a muddy brown tent, his elvin guards pushing people away from him. Extending his mind he felt Katrina's conscious and Gertrude's, then his mind brushed across a mind that was screaming in pain. "Elain!" he cried in surprise then he realised why she was screaming. Instructing his elvin guards to wait outside he quickly pushed open the flap and entered the tent. Katrina crouched at Elain's side dapping a wet cloth to her head; Gertrude hovered over her swollen belly urging her to push.
Elain cried and panted her eyes staring at the roof of the tent. Katrina suddenly looked up and saw him. "Eragon!" she exclaimed. "You shouldn't be here".
Suddenly Horst burst in through the door followed by his sons Albriech and Baldor. "I know, I just…" They wore leather aprons covered in dust and coal marks, their hair was stuck to their foreheads by sweat.
"Mother!" Baldor and Albriech cried starting to walk over to her. Katrina stood in front of them.
"Get out, you can't be in here. Please leave." Elain's sons looked at each other, then at their father and turned and walked out, pushing the flap aside as they went.
"Horst, you too." Katrina ordered. Seeing he was about to protest Gertrude snapped. "You can do nothing for her, you would be better off outside." Horst nodded his faced pained then took one last look at his wife before exiting, following his sons.
Gertrude sighed and added softly. "There is nothing I can do for her either." Suddenly she seemed to notice Eragon standing frozen on one spot.
"Eragon!" she exclaimed. "Maybe you can help. Come here." Eragon walked forward trying to avoid placing his eyes anywhere inappropriate.
"What can I do? I'm not the midwife, you are." He said mortified.
Gertrude glanced at Katrina and then looked back up at Eragon. "They baby is stuck. There is nothing I can do. I could save the baby but at the cost of Elain's life? No, I cant do that."
Eragon looked at Elain's pale sweat covered face. "I don't know anything about childbirth, it wasn't in my studies."
"Someone must know how!" Gertrude held a vial to Elain's lips, looking desperately at Eragon.
Making a decision he burst throught the tent flap, calling for Blödhgarm. The elf swiftly made his way to Eragon's side. "Shadeslayer?"
"Are any of you experienced in child birth?" he asked quickly in the ancient language, desperation leaking into his voice. Horst, Baldor, Albriech, Roran and all the other villagers turned to look at him in alarm.
"Eragon, what's happening?" Horst asked worriedly. Eragon ignored him and waited for Blödhgarm's reply.
"I'm sorry Shadeslayer, but we do not know the slightest about childbirth." Blödhgarm's fur ruffled as he shrugged. "There is nothing we can do."
Eragon threw his hands up in exasperation realising there was nothing neither he nor anyone else could do. He turned to Horst pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry but..."
Blödhgarm interrupted him. "When you asked if we knew about childbirth I said we," he gestured too himself and his brethren before continuing, "didn't, but Arya does. If the human is dieing of childbirth the only person who has a chance of saving her is Arya." The villages gasped in shock and Horst and his sons made for the tent, but Eragon held out his arm to stop them.
Arya. "You're sure?" he asked daring to hope.
Blödhgarm nodded and inclined his head. "I am sure, Shadeslayer."
Eragon, unwilling to disturb Arya's privacy but frantic to save Elain, reached out with his mind. Arya? He called his mind stretching as he searched for her. He found Saphira hunting, many leagues beyond the Varden, but he couldn't find or contact Arya.
"Shur'tugal, if I may?" Eragon nodded and Blödhgarm's face went blank. A few seconds passed then his eyes refocused. "She is coming, you are lucky to catch her in time." He spoke in the ancient language and shifted his position. "She says to wait and do nothing to the woman." Eragon nodded to Horst who quickly walked inside the tent, letting his thoughts drift he ignored the stares and looks he was getting.
He was abruptly dragged from his thoughts when he heard a soft thump. Arya landed a few feet from him. She was wearing a black travellers cloak and her boots were laced for a long journey. Her hair was done in an elaborate yet simple braid and her face still held tear marks. As she walked towards him Eragon noticed all the men stiffen and all the women watch her like hawks, noting her movements and the way she looked. Her eyes were as cold as the sea on a forsaken day. Eragon's heart panged as he saw her, saw the pain in her bearing and hidden within her eyes. "Arya! Can you help her?" He swallowed waiting for an answer.
"I will have to see, it may be to late." She answered peeling off her cloak and tossing it on the ground. She walked into the tent after nodding to the assembled elves that bowed and then left.
As soon as she saw Elain she sighed and cocked her head to the side. Eragon stood next to her, able to smell the blood; unable to bear the silence any longer he turned to her his eyes pleading. She met his eyes for a moment and Eragon felt his heart begin to pound as he gazed into the depths of her eyes. Braking contact she walked over to Elain's side, asking everyone to move. Placing her hand on Elain's sweat covered forehead she closed her eyes. Eragon stiffened as Elain screamed and arched on the bed, Horst gave a cry and dove for Arya. Her emerald eyes snapped up to him and she thrust her palm out. "Letta!" she snapped her voice infused with magic.
She took her hand off Elain's forehead and then looked at Eragon. "She is very nearly gone." She informed him calmly in the Ancient Language. "It will take much to save her, even then I cannot be sure of her survival."
Eragon processed this and then hesitantly asked. "Will you?"
Arya appraised him for a moment before walking over to the jug of water on the small wooden table hidden in the corner. Muttering to herself she poured the water out of the jug, it formed into a steaming ball in mid air. Taking a deep breath Arya thrust her hands into the boiling water. Eragon's eyes widened, as she didn't make a sound and her body gave no indication of the pain she would be in. Katrina gasped and put her hand over her mouth, Gertrude's mouth fell open and Horst could only stare as she turned around and asked him what he was willing to do to save his wife's life. At Horst's reply of "anything" Arya nodded and released him. "I need everyone out, save Horst and Eragon, if you want to watch."
Katrina and Gertrude glanced at each other and left, with Gertrude squeezing Elain's hand as she left her side. Arya rolled her shoulders and moved to Elain's right side. Eragon stayed where he was, out of the way, but still able to see everything. He watched as Arya's face went blank and the hairs on the back of his arms rose. He saw Arya place her hand on Horsts arm and the other on Elain. Horst howled as green magic spread up his arm, out of Elain. About to move forward to stop what she was doing he decided better of it; he trusted Arya to know what she was doing.
The minutes passed and Eragon watched as Elain stopped screaming and a look of peace crossed her face, beside the cot Horst fainted. Eragon moved over to him and picked him up, grunting under the weight. Half carrying, half dragging him he got Horst to the entrance of the tent where he was helped out by dirty hands. "There is to much." Arya said softly behind him. He heard her coming closer and shifted to the side so she could get out. "I need much more energy, I just don't have it. Even if you gave me yours, I still wouldn't have enough." She sighed and looked out at the villagers, a slight frown on her face.
"So that's it?" Eragon said looking at the ground. When Arya suddenly shifted he looked up to find her staring at Roran a small smile creeping onto her face.
"Not all hope is lost." She said running over to where his cousin sat next to Katrina on an old wooden box.
Arriving in front of Roran she held her palm out and called the silver magic. Slowly it climbed out of him, a sapling searching for the sun. Roran shivered and slumped forward as the magic slowly left him and flowed into Arya. Eragon watched dumbstruck as Arya turned and walked back to him, ignoring the angry glares of the villagers. She brushed past him and disappeared into the tent leaving the scent of crushed pine needles in her wake. Eragon leaned against the tent, reluctant to re enter the tent to see Elain die.
"Eragon." Arya called after several long minutes, accompanied by the cry of a baby. Horst, who had awoken mere minutes before and was gulping form a water bottle, jerked and tried to get to his feet. Albriech and Baldor, who had been standing near their father, steadied him and looked to the tent. Eragon walked in to see Elain panting and holding on to Arya's hand with a pale hand. In the other hand Arya held a bundle of cloths.
"Wipe her with these and wrap her in those." She said nodding her head to a pile of sheets. Eragon walked slowly up to her and took the cloths.
"Eragon?" Elain smiled when she saw him and released her hold on Arya. "Give. Give her to me." She breathed tiredly. Eragon held out the tiny bundle in his arms to Elain and watched as mother and daughter met each other for the first time. A tender look came across Elain's face and Eragon looked away, embarrassed to be witness to such emotion.
Arya reached out and stroked Elain's forehead. "May the stars watch over you both," She said quietly and made to leave.
"Thank you, Arya. Thank you. I will not forget." Elain called out to her. "Whatever we have its yours."
Arya looked at her and shook her head; walking over to the wooden table she poured some water out and washed her hands slowly beneath. "You don't owe me anything." She informed Elain slowly, before walking out.
Roran watched as Arya slowly walked out of the tent. Turning to Horst she said, "You have a beautiful healthy daughter and your wife is and will be fine, " tiredness creeping into her voice. "There is a bit of a mess though…. You might want to have that cleaned before you go inside. To save Elain embarrassment of course."
Gertrude got to her feet and quickly moved inside, ordering Eragon out. Sighing Eragon looked up at the sun and rolled his muscles, walking over to Roran. Groaning he sat beside his cousin and watched Arya as she picked up her travelling cloak, moved over to another box and sprawled herself on it, her face angled to the sun.
"Elain will be fine." He said. "Thanks to Arya." He added gazing at the Elf Princess who held his heart. Roran his arm wrapped around Katrina looked at Arya also.
"Should I say something?" Eragon turned to look at Roran and thought about this, and then he nodded slowly.
"I know she doesn't like to be thanked but she would also be offended if you didn't say anything the moment you found out."
Roran nodded and got to his feet, removing his arm from around Katrina's shoulders. "What should I say? And how should I say it?"
Eragon got to his feet also and entered Roran's mind. He gently showed Roran the elvin gesture of respect and then slowly schooled him in what to say. When he thought Roran was ready he exited his mind saying.
"No matter what, be respectful. I don't know how she will react."
Roran nodded and walked over to Arya who acknowledged his presence with a lazy flick of her hand. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life, Arya Drottningu." He spoke slowly in the native tongue of the elves, twisting his hand in the elvin gesture of respect.
Arya sat up and looked at him. "You do not need to thank me for saving your life, Roran." She said switching back into the language he could understand. "Though I admire your efforts, please, refrain from speaking in my peoples tongue when you do not actually know what you are saying." Arya raised an eyebrow to him. "I suspect your cousin was behind your misguided words?"
Roran went bright red. "Eragon! What did I say?" he bellowed to his cousin. Eragon fell to the ground laughing and clutching his stomach.
"The oldest trick in the book Roran! And you fell for it" he gasped between bursts of laughter.
Arya smiled and shook her head when Roran asked her what he had said. "There is no need to thank me." She said as she got to her feet and pulled on her travelling cloak. Looking at the position of the sun she muttered. "I have to go." Returning her emerald eyes to Roran she said. "Consider our family's even" she bowed, and pulling the hood over her face. "Until next time."
Arya looked to Eragon. "Blödhgarm will be the ambassador in my place while I am gone." She told him in the Ancient Language. "May the stars watch over you, Eragon Shadeslayer. "She turned and ran away with lithe graceful steps leaving Eragon, Roran and the villagers staring after her.
Authors Note:A great big THANK YOU to Sunda for Beta-ing!As always, review! I have had 317 visitors and only have 20 reviews! Come on people!
I have six chapters up=20 reviews + 7th chapter I expect at least two more!
Keep reading!Best Regards, Con Dar Lioness
