Hello there!!! Im sorry it took so long to update but well, you know how it is! Now no more talking, here it is:

Chapter 8: More Questions

No news had been brought to Ella and Alex, who crouched low on the ground beside the hall. Alex held the egg, wrapped tightly in Oromis' blanket. Ella silently observed the hall. No one had come out, and no one had gone in.

Ella legs were numb, as well as her mind. Images of Eragon helpless on the ground kept flashing through her head. How could it have come to this? Ella kept thinking; how could their biggest hope for Alagaesia just suddenly show up practically dead? She had never thought it would be like this; why was it the first time she meant Eragon he was on his death bed? Why did Alex sit so calm beside her? She wanted to run back home, away from the problems that she now faced. She wanted Alex to say something.

Ella jumped as the hall door swung open, revealing the dwarf, Ayra and Oromis. They walked towards them. Ella stood up, her knees almost giving away. She turned to Alex who was staring at Ayra. Ella whipped back towards the small group coming towards them. Ayras' black hair obscured half of her face, but the other half wore a solemn expression. Oromis and the dwarf were also miserable, dragging their feet in the gravel. Terror surged through Ella, Was Eragon dead?

Ayra spoke first, "Queen Islanzadi would like you two to come into the hall. She would like to talk to you about…," she cleared her throat, "Eragon."

Oromis nodded, "And the egg."

Ella turned back to Alex; he was standing up and brushing the dirt from his trousers. "Of course." He said; his voice cheerless. Ella nodded and noticed the dwarf looking at her so she tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I don't know your name." she said to him as Alex grabbed her hand.

The dwarf cleared his throat, "The name is Orik."

"Oh," Ella replied. "Are you, I mean, did you come here before? You know, last time, with Eragon?"

Orik nodded his head and turned around to go inside. Ella followed, Ayra and Oromis following silently behind them.

Orik pushed open the rough oak doors, and stood aside while the rest of them piled in. Ella looked around, before were there was life, now there was gloom. The three tabled lined walls were empty of elves and Queen Islanzadias throne seemed to have lost its color. The lighting was very low, only a few small candles flickered in the bark covered wall alcoves.

Ayra then lead the way, through the same door Ella and Alex had gone through before. Ayra guided them past the door with the abnormal library and into a hallway that had walls made of birch trees. It reminded Ella of the forest she and her mother had lived in at Surda. Everything was the same up too the arching roof made with sturdy branches. The only thing Ella thought was missing, were the Ural Mountains and of course, her father.

Alex let go of her hand and shifted the egg in his arms while Ella wondered why Oromis had trusted them as the keepers of the egg. She longed to talk privately with Alex about it. He could always make sense of even the most confusing things.

They turned another corner and into a huge conference room. It was similar to the hallway they had come from, except the birch trees where luscious evergreens instead. Ella had never seen a room like it. There was a stream that trickled directly down the centre of the room, leaking out of the walls. To the left of Ella, Saphira and Glaedr sat on the stone ground, beside a massive door, big enough for five dragons to come in at once.

In front of her, there was a massive table, with all the councilors sitting silently around it. Queen Islanzadi was sitting at the top of the table. She waved her hand at the councilors and they automatically got up and left. When the last of them were gone from the room, Islanzadi gestured for everyone to sit, so they did.

Not a word was spoken while Ella sifted herself in the chair, trying to get comfortable. She was sitting beside Oromis and Orik, Alex was across from her. Ella half heartedly smiled at him, and he smiled back, making her heart jerk. He is lovely, she thought, admiring his brown curls and perfectly symmetrical tan face. A pang of sadness surged through her; she wasn't good enough for him. She wore tattered clothes and came from Surda, she was an outsider, hardly an elf. She knew only the faintest of Elvin traditions, and even less of their language. Sure the other elves had tried to teach her what they knew, but Ella's lack of knowledge was still massive. She was a human with pointed ears, nothing more.

A tear tried to force itself out of her eye, but she blinked it furiously back. She could not cry again, she refused to show how weak, how seriously scared she was. It was not her place here. She should be helping pick carrots with her mother, not guarding one of the most precious things in Alagaesia. This was not her place.

Ella felt a tug on her tunic. She looked at Orik but he was staring at Queen Islanzadi, Ella noticed that she had started talking. She told self silently to thank Orik later; she could have missed the Queens entire speech.

"…I would like to inform you of the good news first." the Queen was saying, "Eragon will get better, however the question is how long it will take him to feel well enough to move and if his attack will leave permanent damage."

Attack? Ella wondered, was Eragon attacked? She looked around the table, and noticed that Saphira and Glaedr had moved closer. Saphira looked worried, but that was to be expected, after all, they were rider and dragon.

Queen Islanzadi continued: "Of course this means that the issue of the egg cannot be dealt with until Eragon is feeling better, so Ella…" she gestured to Ella, "…and Alex will have to guard the egg until then."

Ella opened her mouth to object, when Oromis' voice sounded in her mind making her jump. Ella, do not say a thing. He said, there is no one else who we can give this task to. Everyone else is busy with Eragon, this is important, if we lose one rider, we need another.

Ella didn't know how she did it, but she spoke directly back to him with her mind, but, we… I… am not worthy, whatever happened to this afternoon; don't you see I cannot be trusted?

Ella, your heart is pure and true, I am not as frail as I look; I can spot a dutiful elf when I see one, he replied.

Ella was about to protest more, but she could not contact Oromis' mind, and she noticed once again that she was ignoring the Queen.

"My main priority is to get Eragon better, I understand the importance of a new egg and its need to be dealt with, but Eragon is here, now, and this egg may not hatch for many years yet." Queen Islanzadi said smoothly. "Which brings me too my next point," she looked at Ella and Alex in turn. "I must ask you to swear to me in the ancient language that you will not speak of the egg to a single soul outside this room. It is imperative that the whereabouts of a stray egg is not talked about in the public. I have not even told my own councilors. I trust my people but trust can only go so far, and for many," she winked at Ella, "Curiosity prevails."

Ella laughed nervously, did this mean she was not allowed to talk to her mother?

Queen Islanzadi seemed to read her mind, "You two will stay here, in a chamber close to this hall. You will take turns sleeping and guard the egg from there. You will be given weapons and food. One of us will come and check on you every so often, and you will be alerted when Eragon is up and about. Your families will be told you are doing something for the Queen, but other than that, you will not step out of your room until the arrival of the egg is announced to the Varden and the elves."

She looked at Alex and Ella, obviously wanting them to agree to there duties. Ella wanted to ask so much; she wanted to know more about Eragon, who was taking care of him? Why was he like this? Who attacked him? How long would it take for 'the arrival of the egg is announced to the Varden and the elves'? How would they defend the egg if someone did attack it? Why was she here? But the only question that came out of her mouth was: "Can we have clean clothes?"

Islanzadi nodded and smiled, finding humor in Ellas' childishness. "Yes… but now you must repeat this to me, Erta movae onik wa no uijk oy rejiop. (I swear to keep my word of secrecy)."

Ella struggled with the language but managed to complete the sentence correctly.

The Queen smiled approvingly, "Now off you go."

Now, i threw in alot of information about Ella and I hoped you liked it!! I know it wasn't that exciting but maybe after the next few chapters it will pick up pace!! Anyways: REVIEW, please! I can never have enough feedback!

arial-96