Chapter Seven

The younger boy tapped my shoulder and hesitantly reached out a hand for me to shake when I'd turned to give him my attention.

"Hello, I'm Eragon, Garrow's nephew. It's nice to have you here." I shook his hand and he gave me a small smile.

"I'm Ayla, and it's a pleasure to meet you young Eragon." I told him in my strange lilting voice.

"Young Eragon? You're not so very old as to call me young! You must be only twenty at best." he argued.

I gave him a strange look and asked quietly "Now what would make you think that?" He looked as though he were about to answer, and then thought better of it.

"Do you assume I'm so much older than you because of these?" I asked him quietly, stroking the scars and small burns on my face, making it seem distorted and strange. He bit his lip from saying anything but gave a slight nod. Garrow was glaring silent daggers at the boy, and Roran look angry but curious all the same.

I sighed and said "Eragon, I do not blame you for your curiosity or your keen sight, but you are somewhat mistaken. Bad things happen out there in the world, bad things that I've witnessed over and over again. Sometimes, people like me get hurt. And, if you are as curious as to my age, I'm actually only fifteen." I explained quietly, my eyes changing from their vibrant crystal blue to a dull cloudy gray within seconds. I felt the shift and sighed quietly, feeling older than my few years of fifteen.

Eragon gazed at me with such pity that I had to look away before the pain started to show in my eyes. I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and resigned myself to tracing the detailed cover of the large book in my lap, ignoring him.

After another quiet moment, which there seemed to be a lot of tonight, Garrow said "Well, I think it's time we left the young lady alone and retired to our rooms. Eragon, it's your turn to go feed the chickens and goats, and Roran needs to go take care of the horses." he said, sitting back and watching them leave. As the door closed behind them, I sighed with relief and glanced at Garrow, who was watching me with a carefully guarded expression.

Before he could say anything however, I stood and told him "I'd like to go look after my horse, if that's alright." I said, half-asking for permission. Garrow nodded and stood, following me out the door and closing it behind us. As we walked down the path to the barn where light was streaming out from, Garrow held a thoughtful expression.

"You know, I've never seen those two boys so tense before. They must be unused to seeing a woman in the house, especially one that's their own age. Don't let them worry you too much; they're just a bit strange at times." he offered as an explanation, picking up a conversation. I smiled a bit.

"They are a bit strange, but so am I. It doesn't really worry me if they approve of my presence or not; I've gotten along just fine in places that I wasn't really wanted." I said, spilling more beans than I had meant to. Garrow raised a questioning eyebrow at me, but I shook my head and he badgered me no more on the subject. We walked in the peaceful quite of night to the brightly lit barn, where voices could be heard inside. I slowed just outside the barn door and told Garrow to go on in, that I wanted to listen first. He nodded and walked inside just as Eragon began to speak.

"She's crazy! First she seems bossy and strict and then when she starts to open up it's as though she's a completely different person. I just don't understand her!" he said, sounding aggravated.

"That's because she doesn't want you to understand her." Garrow commented as he walked in the doors.

"Father! I'm sorry, we didn't hear you coming." Roran apologized.

"And so you didn't, thanks to all your arguing and yelling. You shouldn't be talking about the young lady as though she's a common goat. She's been through a lot more than you could ever dream of boy. And yes, for a while she will seem a little strange to you, but that's because she's scared. If you try to open up to her on your own, then you'll see she's just a shy child inside." Garrow reprimanded them.

"I'm sorry Uncle; I just can't figure her out. It's usually easy to figure out a person right when I meet them, but she's just so different." Eragon complained, sounding exasperated.

"And she will always seem different to you, and you know why? For one thing, she's a woman and all women are very different. And for another thing, she's been through a life that shadows her every step and you don't even take it into consideration. Have you ever considered where she got those scars and bruises all over her? Her family was killed in an Urgal raid down in Yazuac, and she was the sole survivor. She probably had to fight her way out of there with tooth and nail. How would you feel if that had happened to you?" Garrow asked, yelling in meaning even though he was only speaking in his voice level.

"I'm sorry Uncle, I hadn't realized." Eragon said, sounding ashamed.

Garrow put a comforting hand on Eragon's shoulder as I silently stepped into the barn, leaning against the open door. "It's not your fault Eragon, so quit feeling sorry for yourself. Things happen that we have no control over, and that's just the way it is." I said as I walked into the barn. Garrow looked unsurprised, but the two boys looked shocked and ashamed.

I stood in front of the three of them and looked both Eragon and Roran in the eyes. "However, Garrow is right. If you want to get to know who I really am, then just come talk to me. Don't waste time talking behind my back, because it won't give you the answers you need. Patience is best right now." My strange lilting voice commented quietly. I blinked softly and then turned, going past them to Karnus' stall to check him over for anything he may have caught on the way here.

I grabbed a brush from atop a nearby bucket and began to get them tangles and lumps out of his coat, brushing each spot until his coat was shiny. Eragon and Roran each grabbed a brush and came to help me. Eragon was on Karnus' left while Roran was on his right, and I was in front of him, getting the tangles out of his mane and bangs with a comb I had found lying around. Karnus had his eyes closed as the peaceful silence descended upon us all.

For a while we all just stood and calmly cleaned Karnus. When he was cleaned, the boys went to doing their chores quietly while I spent more time with my horse.

"We're going to be staying here a while, so you might as well get used to this stall. I'm going to ride into town tomorrow and see about picking up a few more sets of clothes for myself, along with a sword. I need to be able to defend myself from anything that may come along. I just hope it isn't Durza." I whispered that last part to myself. My warhorse nudged me and I hugged him around the neck, banishing the thought of Durza ever hurting me.

My warhorse nudged me again and gave me a strange look, and it took me a moment to realize why. I laughed for real for the first time in hours and patted my horse's side fondly.

"You great fool! I know you can defend me, but I want to be able to defend you too, and I can't do that with just my fists." I told him. My warhorse snorted but otherwise didn't argue. I smiled and stroked his mane, feeling at one with Karnus.

"I'll be in here tomorrow just after sunrise so that we can go to town for the things we need, alright?" I said, scratching his withers. Karnus eagerly bobbed his head up and down, whinnying happily. I laughed again and hugged my warhorse one last time before leaving his stall, deciding to go back to the house to sleep, for I was tired.

I began to walk out into the dark night towards the house when movement on the edge of the tree line to my left caught my attention. I stopped and focused on the spot, and I was just barely able to make out the shape of something or someone crouched down there. I hesitantly approached, not sure who or what it was. As I got closer, I was able to make out a hooked nose shadowed by blazing brown eyes.

"Excuse me, are you Brom? The story-teller?" I asked the dark shape quietly. A sigh was heaved from the darkness as Brom stepped out from the shadows, looking rather annoyed.

"I'm sorry, but is there any particular reason you're sneaking around through the woods here?" I asked him, trying to be polite in my accusation.

"Yes indeed there is Miss, and you're the very reason. You're the young girl that died in that fire in Therinsford aren't you?" he asked, getting right to the point.

I sighed and nodded quietly, asking him in a whisper "How did you know? I heard you and the cloaked man speaking about me, but I had decided to remain anonymous. I don't understand." I told him, feeling very suspicious.

"You'll find that I'm far more attentive than the folk around here give me credit for. Like that warhorse of yours, he's a special breed that the men of old used when surging into battle. They weren't used just because of their bulk and fighting ability, but also because of their sharp wit and the ability for them to listen to people. That was a very important trait back then." he commented to my surprise.

"I see what you mean. But what does all of this have to do with me?" I asked him quietly. He glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation before answering in a whisper.

"Certain forces are starting to gather and move around in this part of the world, and that's a disturbing fact. Tomorrow, come up to town to visit me. I'll be waiting by Morn's Tavern where I will escort you to my house so that our questions may be answered. Did you have anything planned for tomorrow?" he directed me quietly, saving the question for the end. I nodded quietly.

"Yes, I was going to go into town to get some clothes and a good sword for me to use. As I told my horse earlier, I need to be able to defend myself." I told him quietly. He nodded slowly.

"Tell the others that you're going into town to get a few things and spend time with the local women, then when you leave head straight for Morn's Tavern so that we can talk. You won't need to go buy a sword; I have one that should be fitting. I'll see you tomorrow." he said, disappearing back into the trees as slick as a snake, though I knew he wasn't gone yet.

"I'll be there. Good night Brom." I told him, before turning and starting back towards the house. I walked slowly up the path, enjoying the sounds and scents that floated through the night air. When I reached the front door I hesitated for a moment before walking inside. The fireplace was burning low and a lonely candle was on the counter to light the room. By the sounds of Garrow's snoring, I knew him to be asleep. I assumed the boys were sleeping as well.

Without giving it a second thought, I took the blanket off of the back of the couch and spread it out, using my bag as a pillow on the end. I blew out the candle's light and crawled under the blanket, staring at the burning embers of the fire before slowly drifting off to sleep.