Chapter 17

Ella woke but didn't try to move or open her eyes, remembering what she had gone through. Wearily she reached out to Crivony.

(You are awake this is very good, you have been asleep only a day.) Crivony seemed happy, (Murtagh has told me that soon as you are well enough we can fly around the palace.)

Ella smiled at her dragons excitement and cracked her eyes open. No pain lance through her head so she turned her head slightly to the side. Again no pain. The only feeling she got from her head was a new fullness as if she had knew information that she would have to process.

Ella sat up in bed and swung out of it. She held still standing next to her bed as a wave of dizziness swept over her. It passed and she made her way to the wash room to get ready for breakfast.

(Is it still before breakfast, Love?) Ella asked as she filled the bath using magic

(Yes you have a few hours, take your time and relax.) Crivony assured her, (We'll fly after your meal if the King doesn't have you doing other things.)

Ella nodded and stripped out of her clothes. The water was warm and soothed muscles stiff from remaining still for the past day as she slept and healed. She laid back and sighed.

Ella wondered if Murtagh had gone through these rigorous methods of training and if so why didn't he come to her and discuss it.

(It may be a sensitive subject for him.) Crivony answered

Ella nodded and began to wash herself.

(I am I right when I remember there being another egg in the King's possession?) Ella asked her dragon

(Yes but I have not seen it and Thorn doesn't know where it is either.) Crivony answered

Ella sighed and relaxed into the routine of bathing.

Once she had completed her morning routine and spent considerable time with Crivony going through the information that the King had planted in her mind. It was all magic and the theories to go with it. It took time to just acknowledge each spell and then the theories behind it. With as much as she knew that was transferred into her mind the task looked like it would go on forever.

When she arrived in the hall the two men looked up and greeted her. Murtagh merely inclined his head to her, and the King wished her well. Ella felt a flash of resentment and hate for the man before squashing down on it and plastering on a fake smile.

"I am glad you have recovered so soon after your last learning session. I hope you've already begun to go through the information?" Galbatorix asked

Ella nodded, "Crivony and I went through some of it, there's so much I think we'll still be going through it when the nobles arrive."

Galbatorix chuckled heartily, "If you sift through all the knowledge by the time the nobles arrive I will be very shocked."

Ella was relieved that the King wasn't entertaining any idea of her whizzing through it quickly. She ate silently and savored the tasted of greasy bacon and fresh buns.

"After breakfast Murtagh will be taking your dragon and yourself out for a flight, not a long one but enough of one to exercise Crivony and entertain you both." Galbatorix stood then and swept from the room.

Murtagh snorted as soon as the door shut behind the King, "What he forgot to mention is that he'll be leaving the castle for the next week and for that time I'm to train you in physical combat."

Ella looked up at him in surprise, "Where does he go?"

Murtagh shrugged, "I have no clue. He's forbidden me to follow him or ask questions. He just leaves once a month and spends a week away from the palace. He's been doing this for the past year. Ever since I was returned, and I think before then even."

Ella nodded, "How did you get Thorn?"

Murtagh looked at her and smiled when he saw her open curiosity, "I was brought back here from the Varden after a large battle, by a set of Twin magicitions (may they rot in hell), and tortured. When Galbatorix drug from me my true name he let me heal and relax. Then he took me into a room were there were two eggs, a red one and a green one. I touched the green one and was disappointed that it remained dorment, because no matter how evil the King is and despite the fact that I knew I'd be his pet rider I wanted a dragon. I saw how wonderful Eragon and Saphira's bond was and I wanted something like that. So when the red grew warm at my touch I was elated. I took Thorn to my room where he hatched and I hung over him just doing everything I could to insure he wouldn't be as cold hearted as Shruikan."

Ella nodded, "When Crivony tumbled out of the supplies I was shocked. I thought we were going to be attacked by a large lizard. When he flared his wings though I was in love and I just had to hold him. You probably know the rest from there."

Murtagh nodded then drew himself a far away look in his eyes telling her that he was talking to his dragon. His eyes focused on her and smiled, "Thorn says for us to hurry, he wants to fly."

(I wasn't going to interrupt when you'd finally gotten to communicating but I too want to stretch my wings.) Crivony interjected

Ella laughed and stood, "Crivony is just as impatient it seems."

Murtagh smirked, "More so I bet seeing as he hasn't flown in a month."

Ella grinned and looked at the other rider and playfully tagged his shoulder, "Race you up into the air over the palace."

Murtagh snorted, "You're going to lose."

Before Murtagh could protest further Ella took off out of the hall at a run. She wasn't sure if he took up the challenge but raced to Crivony's side all the same. Her dragon awaited her saddled and impatient. She briefly wondered who saddled him till she noticed a pair of men servants' one holding out a thick leather jacket for her to wear.

Ella donned the jacket thanking the men and swung up into the saddle as Crivony crouched for her to mount.

(To the sky, Love!) She laughed in her mind thrilled by being able to fly again.

Crivony crouched coiling his muscles and released sending himself high into the air. When the reached the top of their assent he snapped his wings open and caught the air with a rough jerk. They spiraled up to the clouds on a thermal over the palace. Ella looked around and spotted Thorn already in the sky high overhead. When Crivony saw what she was looking at he swept up to join them.

Murtagh waved to them then pointed to the ground and Thorn dove. Crivony was right behind him. The large gray dragon over took the blood red dragon in a matter of seconds and sped ahead at break neck speeds heading straight for the ground. Ella shrieked in delight and flattened herself closer to her dragon and watched through tearing eyes as the ground rushed closer.

Crivony pulled out of the dive and spiraled up into the sky back towards the clouds. Thorn lagged behind through out all there stunts barely able to keep up with the older and stronger dragon. Finally after they worked off their access energy they climbed high in the sky and soared comfortably on the thermals.

Ella relaxed and looked over to where Thorn spiraled. Murtagh looked equally relaxed and happy. They spent hours in the sky till the sun was well over head. Ella relaxed for a while before she started to sort through the knowledge she'd gained from the King.

Most of what she went through was basics and the general uses. She was baffled by the amount of small spells there were. When Crivony finally contacted her telling her that they were to land she collected her thoughts and stopped examining her new knowledge.

Crivony landed in the large cobble stone court yard and Thorn landed next to them. The court yard was so large that Ella figured it was made with the intention of a dragon landing zone.

Ella dismounted and went to meet Murtagh who slid off his dragon and leapt to the ground. He smiled a rare happy smile at her and she felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Now let's go get us some lunch and then we'll begin your combat training." Murtagh ordered and Ella heartily agreed

Lunch consisted of sandwiches and fruits. When they were done Murtagh led her to a large room on ground level. One wall running the full length of the room was a large mirror. Ella was startled looking at her reflection. As far as she knew she'd changed quite a bit from the small wiry girl whose parents died in Yazuac. Now she was tall and slim with long brow hair that fell to her waist in a pony tail, and large expressive hazel eyes. She was shocked at how much older she looked, she remembered seeing the older girls in town and wishing she were one of them, pretty and tall. Now she was and it only served to make her doubt herself.

"Now when it comes to combat we'll have to learn what is the best weapon for you. You're too thin and small to use a sword." Murtagh observed, "I bet you'd handle a bow very well, and a sling too. I bet if you tired to use a staff you'd do well."

Ella left Murtagh to muse over what weapon she'd do well with and approached the wall opposite the mirrors. On it were hung many weapons of all different makes. She ran her hand over the polished wooden handle of a war hammer, touched a sword, looked at an axe, and fingered a bow. She saw many swords like the one Murtagh carried of all different colors. She wondered what there significance was. She held a blue one and grimaced at its weight. She quickly put it back. Finally she came upon daggers. She was not surprised to find them made like the colored swords and found she wanted to try them out.

"Go ahead pick a set." Murtagh urged her. Ella nodded and tried them all.

She decided on a set of four daggers. Two were long as her forearm and the other two were small enough they could be hidden in boot or in a shirt sleeve. They were all black and eachs pummel an ebony stone was set. She tested there weights before turning to Murtagh.

"These are the ones I want." Ella announced

Murtagh nodded, "They were made by the elves, and they'll never break, and never dull. The stone in the pummel is for you to store magic in. Tonight search through your new knowledge and learn how to store magic. When you know how, I want you to store a bit of magic in each of them every night till you have filled them."

Ella inclined her head and smiled inwardly at this new side to Murtagh. She hadn't figured he'd be such a teacher.

"Now you won't be learning to use those for quite some time. First you learn the Rimgar, then hand to hand combat. Later I'll teach you how to use your daggers." Murtagh then lead her through a series of rigorous stretching exercises. She found she liked the burn of straining muscles and held each position a bit longer than necessairy. Murtagh noticed and compensated.

By the end of her lesson her muscles were quivering from exhaustion. She had just enough time to run up to her room's bath and dash down to diner. At diner she talked to Murtagh about magic. Talking with him helped her to understand better some of things she'd had put into her mind. That night she fell into an exhausted sleep.

AN: I have a few chapters done and ready for posting but I'm going to post them a little at a time so I have a buffer if I get a serious work load from my teachers.