I Who Should Not Be
Chapter 6
Nasuada looked Onika up and down, her once winning smile turning quickly to a smirk as she took in the Rider's torn clothes and tangled hair. Her eyes were cruel as she held out a hand and gestured to the woman, whose yellow eyes never left the dark appendage.
"This? This is the third Rider we were so hoping for? A growling dog?!"
Onika's cheeks burned bright red as she continued to growl and lift her lip to reveal her sharp teeth. Eragon stood silently, glaring at the woman he had sworn his service to. The Rider looked to Murtagh and found that the dark haired man was not looking at Nasuada at all, but at Onika.
Onika watched as the hand got closer to her as she listened to the barrage of insults that obviously Nasuada thought that she could not understand. Apparently she had no fear of the Wolfborn or respect for the Desert Tribe. As she heard more of what the leader of the Varden thought of her intelligence, or lack thereof in Nasuada's opinion, Onika wondered if she would be forgiven by her pack if she acted on her basest of instincts and bit off one or two of the irritating fingers.
Who cares? If I am driven out of the pack, then I will pray to First Father and First Mother to guide me to another tribe of my own people. It will be better than living in silence and treated like I should be ashamed of what I am. I should have listened to you Father Male father. I should have just stayed with my own kind…
With one last warning snarl, she snapped at the hand.
"Onika!"
"Onika, no!"
There was a shriek from Nasuada and a bark from Murtagh. What reached Onika's ears though, was Eragon's grunt of pain as her teeth sank deep into his forearm. Bright blood welled up and ran down her chin and she pulled bach and stared in shock at the damage she had done.
:Oh! I am so sorry! Oh my poor brother, look at your arm! Your poor arm! Forgive me! Forgive me!:
She went on like this for almost two full minutes while Nasuada shouted for her to be taken away and locked up. Onika looked at the guards and went with them easily, lifting her head only once to let out a tiny howl. Another apology and a promise of repentance, as Murtagh could understand.
Nasuada watched as Eragon healed himself and looked out of the window in time to see Thorn and Saphira land, the smaller golden dragon nipping playfully at their chins. When Murtagh saw the littler creature's actions, he felt Thorn's amusement. Saphira put her thick snout under the little female and sent her spinning once before turning to face the open window. Suddenly, the little dragon cried out and started to shake and look around franticly.
It was Thorn who spoke first.
What have you done with her Rider?! She is terrified that they will have to leave us! What have you done?!
Murtagh looked to Eragon who was watching his dragon with a carefully guarded expression. The dark haired Rider felt guilt as Nasuada smoothed her skirt and looked at the two of them, her eyes going from shock and anger to their warm calm.
"What will happen to the Rider? To Onika."
Murtagh's voice was quiet as he spoke, careful not to meet the Varden's leader's eyes, for fear that he would go soft again.
"She is just going to sit in the cell for a while until she cools down. I'll fill you in while we wait."
"No."
Nasuada looked at Eragon as he walked to the door that would lead him out to the dragons. He looked back at his older brother and shook his head, sighing.
"I'll be trying to calm Onika. You can stay here if you want to, Murtagh, but you should do the same thing. She needs us now, and I think that Lady Nasuada may need some time to recover from her shock."
With this scathing remark, he left and shut the door behind him. Murtagh and Nasuada stood in silence for a moment, and the leader of the Varden thought that her favorite Rider was going to stay with her.
"I can't believe that barking maniac tried to bite me."
Murtagh glared at her for a moment, then shook his head and turned away and walked to the door.
"Wait. Stay here with me."
He stopped and turned again and shook his head.
"No Lady. I'll be going to Onika now. I will see you later."
And he left Nasuada alone, for the first time since he had joined their fight against the evil mad king.
…………………….
Onika sat in a corner of her cell, the cold walls comforting and rough. She twisted a lock of hair around one finger and closed her eyes. She could hear her dragon screaming like a child afraid of being away from it's parents in her head, and tears ran down her face. For the first time, she addressed her dragon by the name that she had chosen for her. It meant 'Flower Baby' in her language. Her mother had called her that before her death at the hands of the Shade.
Hush now, little Mishee. I'm still here. Calm down and stay with Saphira and Thorn. We may be leaving without them. Calm down, my pretty little Mishee. All will be well.
Even to her the last words sounded forced. She was trying to convince her dragon that she was confident, but she felt that she was also trying to convince herself…