Chapter 3

A rock. It was a large rock. Perhaps it was cliff? His head hurt so many voices. Where did the voices come from? The voices got louder. His head ached more. The closer he got to the cliff the louder the voices got. They sounded outraged, livid. Eragon clapped his hands over his ears, but it did not stop. The noises never ceased, never wavered. "Fricai onr eka eddyr" He said, I am your friend "Eka eddyr Eragon, Eka eddyr Schur'tugal, fricai onr eka eddyr!"

Finally the voices paused

"Eka elrun ono" Eragon told them-I thank you- and asked them what had angered them.

"we," said a single female voice in Eragon's mind "have been slaughtered"

Eragon stared at the stone "How can you speak with me?"

"Stupid boy!" screamed the voice. Eragon yelped. The other voices returned "Stupid boy, Stupid boy, stupid boy" Then came a voice much louder than the others.

Eragon! Eragon! Oops…

Eragon blinked and rolled out of the way just before the ball of flame slammed against the tarp where he had been sitting in front. The tent shot into flames immediately. How many tents Saphira? How many nightmares Eragon?

Eragon ordered the fire to stop. Irritated he ran his hand through his hair. "My hair!" he cried and felt the singed top.

You have nightly dreams that leave you crying, an enraged dragon rider after you, a war to fight and your complaining about fur? Saphira shouted at him. Eragon shrugged. Stupid boy. Stupid boy. Stupid boy.

~O~

Arya sat cross legged on the uncomfortable cot she had cushioned with moss. She had been so discreet, so careful until Nasuada had told her that she wanted to Eragon to steal the egg. Nasuada had realised it straight away, she had seen her taunting looks her sympathetic smiles for Eragon. Eragon…

He did not have a clue. Everytime she looked at him he looked hurt. In pain. Suffering. He had started building his own 'mask' to hide behind, but although the mask was built, he was unpractised at hiding beneath it.

She could not do anything about it though.

"It hurts him you know" She heard a voice say. Elva. She did not look up. "physical pain. It's unbearable. Even when I ignore it, it seeps through. It's worse than…"

Arya glared at her. "be off with you little girl" her patients was at its end. Elva chuckled.

"In body one, in Mind another" She remarked, her amethyst coloured eyes gleaming.

"I have noticed" Arya retorted coldly.

"I was not talking about myself, Arya" Elva told her and flitted away.

Arya put her hands over her face. Why did she have to fall in love at the worst moment possible?

~O~

Eragon was kneeling on the ground concentrating on all the beings around him. There was a bird dozing on a tree, a single ant lost and confused, a squirrel in the undergrowth hiding from the danger. What danger? Eragon jabbed through the squirrels mind, pink, small, tall, giant…us. Eragon frowned he disliked being seen as the enemy. What do you think Galbatorix views you as? His mind told his sole. He's the enemy not me! He's the murderer, the torturer, the leader! He has killed thousands! The squirrel jumped away frightened and Eragon realised he had been thinking this while searching its consciousness.

So have you.

Eragon opened his eyes in disgust as the images of the soldiers came into his mind. The sounds they made when his sword broke through their armor, the smell of the blood, the triumphant feeling Eragon had gotten, all returned at once. It was too much. Eragon retched on the floor and started running. Running, running. Saphira!

A picture of a dead doe smeared with red and ripped to shreds took its course through Eragon's mind. That was not helping. Eragon blocked her out and ran back to the camp. It was a while, Saphira had flown him there and the sun was starting to rise again when he finally reached it, but he did not stop, he sprinted passed his tent and through half the site until finally he stopped dead. Why was he here? Why had he come here? His hand shakily knocked against the wood.

Arya's face displayed an unexpected amount of surprise for a split second, but then it disappeared.

"Eragon," She stated

"Arya" he replied. Could she hear his heart beat? It was loud enough. Like a sword coming down on a mans head repeatedly and with inhuman speed. His stomach lurched. He swallowed the bile. What was he doing?

"Is something the matter?" She inquired with a balanced amount of worry in her voice.

The pain in his heart returned. Was something the matter? Yes something was wrong! She was not by his side holding his hand and…Eragon beat away his fantasies.

"Ah…I….uh, just wanted to talk about the…uhm…task," It was the first thing that sprang to mind. And I love you he wanted to add.

Arya reluctantly pushed the opening wider so Eragon could get in.

Stupid boy. Eragon heard. He turned around bewildered.

Arya gave him an odd look when he turned back, but he pretended he did not see and sat down.

Arya took her seat and examined him.

"You are worried about what is to come am I right?" She guessed.

Eragon kept his vision towards his feet. Anywhere else and he would feel the pain again. "I am as frightened of the present as I am of the future, but yes Dröttningu, you speak of the truth"