Empire: The final battle

Chapter three: Feeling other's pain

The next day, Eragon woke much earlier than the rest, as usual, and crept to where Arya was watching the plains. She was perched in the same nook she had been sitting in the previous day, but she still seemed awake. Eragon climbed nimbly up to join her, and noted in anguished silence she was even paler than the previous day, if that was possible, and she was slightly, ever so slightly shaking.

"Arya," Said Eragon sternly but quietly.

"What do you want, Eragon-finarel?" (What the hell does finarel mean anyway)?

"I wish to know what troubles you. You say it is nothing, but I know better. You know I know better. Now please, tell me, what is hurting you?" He waited quietly for her answer.

Arya closed her eyes, then after a minute, opened them and glared at him "Leave, Eragon! I do not wish to answer your question!" When he did not leave, she jumped off the edge of the cliff into the pool below. (for the record, the cliff is small, and the pool is deep.)

Alarmed, Eragon followed her the way he came, arriving at the bottom to see Arya re-surface. She climbed out and dried herself off using a spell.

Eragon followed her, out to the burnt up fire, which she re-lit and sat down, hugging her knees. He sat beside her and gripped her arm. "Arya! Tell me what is wrong!"

"Nothing! You leave me alone, Eragon!" She yelled, waking Roran and Orik from their sleep.

"You have neither slept nor eaten much for the entire mission! I wish to know now, what it is that causes you to do these things! No excuses!"

"Leave me alone!" She yelled, pushing Eragon away.

"I will not!" He thundered grabbing her by the wrists and pushing her to the ground.

At this point Orik had rushed over to stop him.

"Eragon! Leave her! What do you think you are doing!" He ranted.

"Stay back" said Eragon venomously, causing the dwarf to back off in fright.

"Arya! Tell me, now." He commanded, turning back to her.

"No! Let me be!" She screamed, pushing as hard as she could against him. She had almost managed remove him from herself, Eragon realized.

"You will not show me, I shall show myself! Konta forl tonkae!" (yea yea, we cant all make up fascinating elvish words you know! Anyway, this is supposed to say something like 'Show your memories')

Arya screamed in pain and writhed on the ground. Eragon suddenly got a stream of images from the elf's mind: A young elf with silver hair and green eyes sat holding hands with what seemed to be a 15 year old Arya (that's how they LOOK. She is about 70 years old.)…A tiny female elf with black hair and green eyes clutched a doll as she was dragged form a war zone, watching wide eyed as an elf was stabbed through the heart, she screamed out to the man… The same young female attending a funeral, tears poured down her face as she clutched the side of a weeping Islandazi, and the hand of a silver haired boy… Fire, all around, the shade, Durza leering down on Arya, looking identical to the ways he did now… Arya the same age, holding the body of the dead silver haired boy… Arya screaming in pain at Durza's torture…

"Letta!" Half gasped, half screamed Arya, breaking the stream of memories. Eragon, suddenly aware of his surroundings, stood shakily to see a wide eyed Roran and Orik, and Arya gasping on the forest floor. His head was spinning. He looked down and offered his hand to Arya. She slapped it away, standing shakily and running up to the ledge, and sinking back into her nook, where she evidently lost consciousness.

Eragon sank back to the ground. Orik and Roran where at his side instantly. "What happened?" Asked Orik, concerned. Eragon shook his head, unwilling to answer, and headed of into the trees.

A short while later, Eragon sat under a birch tree, thinking. He viewed the images extracted from Arya's mind over and over. With a jolt he realized he had entered into her life, seeing everything she made sure no one saw.

"What have I done?" He pondered silently, covering his face in his hands.

Little one? came Saphira's voice in his head. What have you done?

O' Saphira, he wailed. Arya seemed so upset, I wanted to help her: to know why. He felt her search through his mind for the memory. She withdrew when she found it, alarmed.

Eragon! You didn't - you haven't… she spluttered.

Aye, he wailed. I read her memories!

Her alarm crossed the mental link towards him The mind was the last place for Arya, Eragon, to hide her secrets. You know that. And now without that, with you knowing basically her life story, she will never trust you again.

Eragon started to cry. Oh why did you bring this to be, Eragon asked Saphira sadly. Arya is as fragile and beautiful as the Star Midrim (don't know how to spell it), and you broke her, Eragon, and not even my flame can put her back together She stated, withdrawing from the connection, leaving Eragon alone, sobbing at her wise words.

After drying his tears, Eragon headed back to camp, finding Roran and Orik packing somberly, almost ready to leave. He spotted Arya, still up on the ledge.

"Roran," said Eragon quietly. "I need you to check on Arya." Roran glanced towards the elf, then did as instructed: he knew better than to question the rider. Orik and Eragon watched in silence as Roran climbed up to where Arya lay. Finally arriving, he reached towards her cautiously, pulling the hair from in front of her face. He examined her for a moment, then headed back down to the others.

"She is unconscious," he told them. "And her breathing is shallow. At this rate we shall never reach Helgrind in time!" He wailed.

"We shall," said Eragon confidently. "We leave When Arya svit-kona wakes up."

A short while later, Arya awoke. She could not remember much, as her mind was clouded. Mind! That was it! She remembered now, Eragon had intruded into her mind, viewing her life as one would a play. Anger and sadness filled her. Was Eragon happy now? He knew what was wrong now: her life.

The sun was now high in the sky, she realized with a jolt. The group should have left an hour ago! She searched the ground below, finding Eragon, Orik and Roran. Nimbly, she climbed down, heading straight for Roran.

"You have awakened!" said Roran, relieved.

"Aye," answered Arya monotonously. We leave for Helgrind immediately." She walked off.

Eragon had just finished packing the horses when Roran came over and said, "She has awoken, we leave immediately." Eragon was relived. But knew better than to try and approach her.

They left soon after, with Arya and Eragon at the front, and Orik and Roran trailing behind. Arya soon got far ahead of Eragon, totally ignoring him. She did not speak at all, and Eragon had to find where Arya had chosen camp, as she refused to show him the location using her mind.

Soon after the arrival of Roran and Orik, dinner was made and eaten. By all except Arya, who had not moved down from the tall stone where Eragon had found her. He drew his eyes away from her, only to meet the ones of his fellow companions, all which showed concern.

"Eragon, she is greatly troubled." Said Orik plainly

"You think?" he muttered.

"You really shouldn't have done, what you did to her."

"I know!" Growled Eragon, standing and walking towards his pack, where he pulled out his bedroll and went to sleep.

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Author's note:

What did ya think? Was it good, bad, long, short, TELL ME!! PS: If anyone tells me I wrote some things wrong, then I'll tell them now, I DON'T HAVE THE ERAGON BOOK TO LOOK IT UP!!!

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