Hay everybody! So I was reading a bit of Eldest when I read that Murtagh mentioned to Eragon that the last Dragon egg is actually a male not a female...so my bad lol. I forgot that he said that but I guess, in my story the Dragon is female=D

Anyways here is chapter 3.

Enjoy

Disclaimer: I still own nothing!

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"Jade now!" Arya commanded as Jade jumped in the air without hesitation. Easily clearing the tops of the trees, Jade spread her wings and in a few swift strokes she came up between Galbatorix and Murtagh. Thorn came to an abrupt halt as Arya and Jade appeared before them while Galbatorix carried on chasing Eragon without realizing he'd been separated. Jade hovered in front of Thorn as Murtagh gaped at the sight of another dragon.

"T-the Varden have another Dragon rider!" He asked surprised.

Arya didn't answer him as Jade charged at Thorn with lightening quick speed. She latched onto the front of his belly and chest with her talons as her sharp teeth buried deep into his neck. Thorn let out a cry of pain as Jade dug deeper.

"Dive!" Arya screamed through their link. Jade obeyed without hesitation as she tilted so they were parallel to the ground. Her position made it hard for Murtagh to strike her with his sword.

Jade plunged towards the earth with frightening speed. Arya heard Thorns low grunts as he struggled to get out of Jades iron grip. She watched Murtagh with satisfaction as he desperately tried to stab at Jades head as the wind was pinning him to his saddle.

As the earth was approaching Jade spoke urgently to Arya. "You must jump Arya!"

"What!" Arya was taken aback by Jades request. "I am not leaving you Jade!"

"Arya! Do as I say! On my word you must jump!" Jade demanded.

Before Arya had a chance to argue again Glaedr's voice came into her mind in a calm but strong voice. "Arya, you must trust your Dragon."

Arya reluctantly agreed as Jades voice erupted in her head. "Jump!"

With the perfect grace of an elf, Arya pulled her legs under her so she was squatting with one hand still gripping the saddle. Using her legs, Arya jumped through the air as she watched the ground under her fast approach. With her arms out straight in front of her and her legs straight out behind her, the Elf glided two meters above the ground before gravity took control. Absorbing the shock of the fall through her arms, into her shoulders and feeling the shock course through her back right into her legs as Arya rolled to her feet.

The feat was short lived though as the sickening, bone jarring clash of two Dragons crashing into the ground at full force made her fall onto her back. She quickly regained her footing as she stood looking at the sight horrified. A tangled mess of huge limbs and tails was all Arya could see from the dent in the earth in which they made from the force of the impact.

"Jade!" Arya screamed.

"Arya," Jade said breathlessly. "Murtagh jumped before we crashed"

As if on cue Arya heard someone screaming from behind her. She spun around in time to find the sun glinting off the blood red blade of Zar'roc as it was raised above Murtaghs head. His eyes were clouded over by rage as he started to bring Zar'roc down intending to cleave Arya from shoulder to hip.

The lightening quick reflexes of an Elf found Arya pulling her sword free of her scabbard as she took a step to her right. She angled her blade up to parry the blow as she remembered Eragons retelling of when he fought Murtagh in the Burning Plains. She remembered how Eragon described his direct blows as bone crunching so Arya figured that maybe parrying his attacks will limit the powerful contact. As Zar'roc glanced off of Aryas sword she brought her left leg up and kicked him square in the chest. She heard Murtagh gasp at the sudden absence of air from his lungs as he fell on his back.

If it was any other enemy lying on his back winded and struggling to get up then Arya would have buried her steel in his heart without second thought. But Eragon's specific orders were the only thing restraining her. She was only to defend herself not attack.

Arya kept her distance as she walked to the side of him so she could keep an eye on Jade and Thorn. They had already taken to the air as flashes of talons, teeth and fire was all that there was to see and from what Arya could tell Jade was winning. A little further to the side Arya saw a blue and black blur charge at each other and meet in a furious collision. Movement coming from the dark lump on the ground brought Aryas attention back to her fight.

Arya watched as she made sure to show no emotion as Murtagh staggered to his feet. He leered at her as a twisted smile made its way onto his face.

"You will pay for that Dröttningu" He mocked

Murtagh ran at Arya with nearly the same speed of an Elf...nearly. Murtagh swung Zar'roc to decapitate Arya. She ducked under the blade and twisted her sword in her hand so the blade was going down the length of her arm, and punched him with the pommel of the hilt in the soft part under the rib cage.

The impact made him gasp for breath again as he fell on his back. Arya retreated a few steps as she again watched Jade tear a big chunk out of Thorns wing. She glanced over at Eragon and Galbatorix as Saphira had Shruikan in an iron grip.

A worried frown etched into her brow as she watched on. They were winning. Murtagh is no match for her; same goes for their Dragons and Eragon looked to have Galbatorix under control. But it doesn't sit right with Arya.

She expected, more. A nagging voice at the back of her head told her that something wasn't right. This is far too easy. Arya felt that anxiety take a grip like Jades on Thorn as a nauseating feeling begun churning at the pit of her stomach.

Arya suddenly let out a cry of pain as Zar'roc burrowed into her thigh. She felt the blade glance of her bone. Arya looked up at Murtagh as his unnerving smile looked back at her.

Arya clenched her teeth as she forcefully pulled her leg back to get his sword out as he could do worse by digging into the bone or twisting the blade. She hoped that she didn't scream as she did that. She didn't want him to hear how painful it was. She was too intoxicated by the pain that she didn't know if she did but when she glanced into his satisfied eyes, she knew she did.

Arya could feel the sickening warm flow of blood soak her leggings. Her whole leg was numb save for the furious throbbing that emitted from her wound. She only just realised that Jade and Glaedr were screaming in her head out of concern. She silenced their questions by reassuring them that she's fine.

To try and reprimand herself for her undignified screams before, she put all her weight on her wounded leg and bounced on her toes. The pain was agonizing but she endured it.

Murtagh scrutinized her as his twisted smile stuck to his lips. "Trust me Dröttningu that is only the beginning. Once I am through with you, you are going to beg me to kill you!"

Icy chills went through the Elf. Why hadn't he just stabbed her through her heart or cleaved her in two, like he has been trying to accomplish the whole time? Arya was left wide open for him to finish her but he only immobilized and limited movement in her leg.

Not being able to resist, Arya broke her silence. "Why did you not kill me!"

Murtagh laughed at her. "Well, Dröttningu, you are not the only one given orders to keep you alive..." His tongue darted out and licked his lips as he smiled maliciously at her. "...For now anyway."

Dread filled her as she sent her mental probe out to Eragon. "Eragon! Something is wrong!"

His reply came instantly. "What do you mean?"

"I think that Galbatorix and Murtagh know of our plan."

"What! How in the good spirits would they know!" He asked as Arya heard the distress in his voice.

"I do not know but Murtagh knows that you told me to keep him alive!"

Just as she told him Arya heard the most unsettling scream of agony that she has ever heard. She looked towards Eragon and Saphira to find Eragon plummeting towards the Earth with Saphira not far behind.

Arya watched in horror as she tried to run to him but she couldn't. She was stuck to the ground. She felt invisible hands hold her in place. The Elf started to panic as she watched Eragon falling to his death.

"Going somewhere Dröttningu?" Murtagh mocked her.

Aryas breath quickened as she felt helpless watching Eragon fall towards the earth. "Eragon!" She screamed. She fought with all her might against this invisible force but apart from her head it was to no avail. Before Eragon hit the ground Jade smashed to the ground in a heap beside her making the whole ground quake under Aryas feet, yet the impact still didn't make her move a muscle.

"No, Jade!" She screamed to her unmoving Dragon. There was blood coating her green scales and Arya couldn't tell if it was Jades or Thorns, she hoped for the latter.

She drove straight into Jades mind. "Jade! Are you okay!"

Jade looked up at Arya with a half open eye and spoke. "I am okay my Elf. But I cannot move, I think Murtagh has spelled us."

Arya, felt a little relief with knowing that Jade is still alive. She nodded her head slightly toward Jade to confirm her agreement to Jades thoughts. But she couldn't help but to feel the full force of anxiety take over her body, she sent her mental probe out to Blödhgarm but found it hard to get in this time. Why would he put his walls up like that?

After a while of persistence she was able to get inside his mind. "Blödhgarm! Why did you not let me in straight away?"

"Arya Dröttningu! Forgive me but we are under attack! They have spell casters that are also trying to get into my mind!"

"Dear Spirits! How many!"

"Many. They have spell casters and foot soldiers with swords and arrows. We are well out numbered Dröttningu, I do not know if we can survive."

"But you are supposed to help Eragon!" Arya said though she knew he knew. "Eragon needs you and your spellcasters magic to help him invade Galbatorix's mind!"

"I know Dröttningu." Blödhgarm said, with regret coating his voice. "But I cannot help. Their spellcasters could easily enter my mind once I try to help and then I will be helpless. Please forgive me Dröttningu!"

Arya couldn't reply. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing. Their perfect plan is turning into a disaster. Everything that they trained for, had countless discussions - which sometimes led to arguments – over the so called perfect battle plan, everything they prepared for was for nothing. Their world, their Alagaësia was crumbling around them and they could only watch helplessly.

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Well I decided to cut the battle in half as I found it to be very long. So I've left it at a cliff hanger...but it won't be much of a cliff hanger for long because I've pretty much finished writing part 2 and will be up within the next hour or so lol.

But I hope you enjoy this chapter=D

Melissa

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