A/n: I'm so sorry for how long it took for me to update, school took over my life and after school softball practice seriously cut down on my free time, anyways weekends should free up really soon, so hopefully it will go back to a chapter a weekend!

CH.8

Katrina's arms burned, aching pain shot through her muscles, up into her shoulders then down her back. Her feet throbbed and the urge to sit down was almost overwhelming.

Aris walked calmly in front of Katrina, her feet making no sound against the ground. She was carrying three long dried reeds. She paused before their tent and pulled the side up allowing Katrina to pass through before her.

"Watch." Aris said as she knelt in front of Katrina's stack of ferns. Her hands moved deftly tying a reed around the top section of the ferns, "Now you." She moved away from Katrina's bed.

Katrina nodded and moved forward practically falling to her knees in front of her bed. She attempted to copy Aris' work and a few minutes later she sloppily recreated the job along the middle of the bed.

"Now the bottom." Aris nodded as she turned to sit on her own bed. Aris lifted her foot to study the sole, then the other one, she pulled out a sticker. She cleaned it very thoroughly, the put a small amount of the leftover paste on it.

"Why worry about that little cut when you have so many other larger ones?" Katrina asked sitting on her now secured bed.

"If you can't use your feet you can do absolutely nothing."

"I suppose that's true." Katrina looked down at her feet, but they were merely bruised.

"Will you explain, you know, about why nobody can know your name?" Katrina asked, Aris looked up at her.

"If you'd like." She said carefully.

"Very much." Katrina nodded eagerly.

"Very well." Aris' eyes suddenly looked far away as if she was looking upon a hidden scene. "The beginning then." her monotonous voice low, "You know of Surda of course, but I'm assuming you know nothing of elves or dwarves."

"Folklore." Katrina said, Aris' eyes refocused and locked Katrina's gaze .

"No, my heritage." Katrina's eyes widened then her brow furrowed.

"That can't…" She looked at Aris carefully and stopped speaking. Katrina studied her face, she looked past the gaunt cheeks, circled eyes, dirt and cuts. Under it all, she really didn't look human, she had a slender face with high cheekbones and big almond shaped blue eyes, full lips and raven black hair. Katrina couldn't remember ever seeing someone with such pale skin either. She gasped, "You have that accent too…"

A ghost of a smile flickered on Aris' face, "Observant. My name is Aristianna and I am a princess of Surda and of the elves. My mother was queen of the elves, she ruled with her brother Evandar. When he died in battle, his mate Izlanzadi stepped up to help my mother rule. My mother, Forsythia, had an adventurous spirit. She despised ruling alone because it restricted her to Ellesmera all the time, Ellesmera is the elfin capital. Anyways, eighteen years ago my mother went to discuss diplomatic relations with the king of Surda, King Larkin. They fell in love, a very odd match, they married, though it is against elfin tradition. Then my mother birthed me. I am what you may call a rarity, a combination never before seen. You see, I'm half elf, but not quite half human. My father King Larkin is part dwarf, a very small amount, I am only one sixteenth dwarf, but that is enough to gain acceptance among them. My mixed ethnicity explains my appearance, the blue eyes are a human characteristic, the full lips are dwarven, the rest belongs to the elves, and my accent is elfin as well."

Katrina shut her mouth as soon as she realized it had been hanging open, "That…that is the most amazing thing I have ever heard. Uh…may I ask you something else?"

"You may."

"I still don't understand why it would be bad for people to know who you are."

Aris nodded, and closed her eyes, she inhaled then began to speak slowly, "Seven years ago my mother and I were traveling back to Ellesmera after visiting my father. We were ambushed by Empire soldiers. We fought them off but my mother was killed in the process. I ran into the mountains meaning to make my own way back to Ellesmera, that's when the slavers caught me. I've had lots of time to think about the reason for the ambush, I can safely guess that Galbatorix wanted my mother or me to get information on the whereabouts of the elves, he has meant for a long time to wipe our race out. If he learned I was still alive…he would attempt to get me and remove information from my mind…I'm afraid my strength is not enough to defy him." Aris' eyes opened to meet Katrina's.

Katrina looked back for a while deep in thought, she looked down trying to take it all in. As she looked up she noticed that it was Aris studying her this time, Katrina wondered what she was seeing, her cream colored skin or fiery red hair. "Well," Katrina broke the silence, "Does that mean the other myths are true?"

"Depends on which of those you mean."

"The amazing strength, speed…and the magic." Katrina whispered the last word.

"Yes," Aris almost laughed, but the emotion never made it to her face, "We are indeed stronger, and the speed and grace of our race is also greater than the others. It's true that most elves can do magic, some stronger than others however."

"Well…well why haven't you escaped then? I mean, I remember how you held that slaver's hand back when he was going to whip me, it looked easy for you, so why not run?" Katrina stared at her in incredulity.

"I've thought of that many times myself, but I'm weak. I may not look it, and I may not be as week as the weakest human, but I am weak enough to the point that I would collapse after a few days. Bryshaw hates me because I defy him, I fight when he wants my obedience, he would never stop searching for me. So, I would have to make it all the way to Du Weldenvarden to lose them, which would mean nonstop running, my body can't handle that, nor could I carry enough food to last me that long." Aris explained.

"Okay, but your magic…kill them, take them all out, then we would all be free." A hint of desperation tinted Katrina's voice.

Aris looked at Katrina sadly, "I wish I could," she whispered, "…Do you recall Bryshaw pouring that potion down my throat?" she waited for Katrina to nod, "That blocks all my magical abilities."

Katrina shook her head uncomprehendingly, "Then why don't you just wait for it to wear off?"

"Trust me I've tried," Aris gave a short hard chuckle, "Not long ago I realized that my weekly…dose…wasn't affecting me nearly as strongly as it had been for the last few years. The potion normally makes my mind foggy. Hmm…let me explain something…when you learn how to use magic, your mind extends…it's like you can reach your consciousness out to the world, I can touch the dirt with my mind, or someone else's mind, so when that potion enters my system it instantaneously clouds my mind, the fog lasts for a minute or so and when it clears its as if there are walls around my mind and I am blocked within myself. I realized that the effects were not as strong, it wore off quicker. A man tried to take advantage of me, and I tried to reach my mind out to alter the intentions in his mind in desperation. It shocked me when I touched his mind and made him incapable of abusing me. After that I began to try and touch more and more things, I was on the brink of performing a simple spell, when Bryshaw's magician noticed my consciousness, they upped my dosage."

Katrina stared at her again, "I don't understand how your consciousness gave you away."

" Every mind has it's own unique presence, if my mind wasn't blocked I would sense your mind, only minds that have learned how to extend or have magical abilities can sense others but everyone's has a presence. As soon as my mind broke free, the magician noticed that its presence grew or extended."

"I see…" Katrina was filled with pity but was trying her hardest not to show it.

"Tomorrow I will hear your story?"

"Yes of course." Katrina nodded at once, she was beginning to feel a friendship form between her and this odd girl.

"Then get your sleep." Aris said. They both curled up on their beds and fell into a sore sleep.

A-----------------------------E

They flew into the capital two days later. When they landed inside Orin's courtyard where Arya, Orin and Nasuada were waiting to greet them.

"Eragon Shadeslayer, we were not expecting you until our next battle!" Orin exclaimed with vigor.

"I'm afraid we have only stopped to replenish supplies." Eragon replied jumping from the saddle on Saphira's back.

"Your destination being?" Arya asked.

"We are looking for my fiancée, Katrina." Roran responded this time.

"But is she not in Dras-Leona?"

"So we thought, but she has been moved, wherever she is, it is somewhere none of us has been, we cannot see her surroundings when we scry her." Roran answered with a heavy tone..

"Had I ever seen her I would try myself." Arya looked at Roran in understanding. Her Faolin was killed four years ago when the shade ambushed her for Saphira, she understood his heavy heart.

"Is she still within the Empire?" Nasuada asked.

"We saw the Ra'zac flying back to the Empire from wherever they had gone in the Beors, there was a body on the back of one of there mounts, and we don't think the Ra'zac would have let her out of their sight." Murtagh spoke up, always eager to speak with Nasuada.

Arya nodded in agreement and walked forward to greet the dragons. Despite Eragon's intense efforts to act normal around her, his shoulders stiffened as she passed him.

"I know that you are anxious to reach her, but Saphira, Inarkien and Rahzin look exhausted and you three don't look that well yourself, I am requesting that you stay with us tonight." Nasuada said, looking at Orin for his consensus which he gave with a cheery shake of his head.

Eragon, Murtagh and all three dragons looked at Roran for his answer. Roran looked at Inarkien staring intensely, fighting between his intense desire to find Katrina and what was best for all of them.

"I have never met this woman you have given your love to, only through your memories do I know her. She seems like an amazing person, someone you deserve and deserves to be rescued. We are tired, but we will go on if you so wish." Inarkien communicated with Roran and Roran nodded in understanding.

"One night, one night only." Roran decided, "We leave at dawn." He added, the group nodded, "Thank you, but I love all of you as well, if you can't continue then neither can I. If any of you ever become too exhausted then I beg that you will tell me." Roran continued to only Inarkien.

"We will do our best to keep up with your pace, but I'm glad you've kept your head, Ra'zac are not creatures you can fight with emotion alone." Inarkien replied before flying off with Saphira and Rahzin to hunt.

Later that day Eragon was perched on the castle's guard wall, his back leaned up against the base of one of the turrets, one leg dangling off the side of it. "I wish I could get away for awhile…just a year or so, away from all this terror and mayhem that Galbatorix is causing in this world." He thought to himself, Saphira and the other dragons were hunting so they wouldn't have to stop to let them hunt for a week or so. The thoughts that rolled through his head made him feel guilty, but he longed for the happiness he used to feel.

Before the constant battles had started he had felt content with the life of a Dragon Rider, laughing with ease, enjoying being with Saphira, and watching his skills grow under hard work. But when the fighting began he realized that his responsibility of a Rider meant killing many innocents, the power he loved was the cause for so much loss of life, it tore him up.

Saphira told him he could not help what was necessary, and he knew that if he stopped fighting Galbatorix would kill many more than he himself ever would. Regardless he couldn't erase the faces of the dying men from his memories, the echo of the soldiers' last thoughts of terror and despair in his mind. There were, of course, still moments of laughter of joy. He loved every moment with Saphira, Roran, Murtagh and the rest of his friends. It would be impossible for anybody to be completely lost in depression with people like that around, but when he was alone, there was nothing to occupy his mind, he was tormented with past memories.

"Don't fall off!" A rough voice called up to him.

Eragon snapped from his reverie and looked down to see his good friend Orik straining his neck to look up at him. "Orik! How are you?"

"I'm going blind having to look up in the sun like this!" the dwarf shouted back.

Eragon laughed, "Sorry, I'll come down." He grabbed a vine on the side of the wall and slid halfway down before jumping the rest of the way to the ground.

"You Riders and your love of heights." the dwarf grumbled.

A smile tugged at Eragon's lips, "I was thinking." The pair turned to walk along the border of the wall.

"Ah, It did look like you were about to make a break for it."

Eragon's smile turned sad, "You read me too well my friend."

"Think about it you may, but I daresay that you would never do it." Orik rumbled

"If there was any other way to free the Empire from tyranny besides war I would take it, however the option isn't available so fight I will do until my responsibility to the people is fulfilled."

Orik shook his head in resigned understanding, "You know, you need a girl to settle with." Eragon rolled his eyes, "don't laugh! All I have to do is think about Hvedra to keep me sane and happy, I automatically feel better." Orik smiled as he thought about his dwarven fiancée just to prove his point.

Eragon waited for Orik to look at him then he pointedly rolled his eyes again earning a fist in his side, "Perhaps your right, but Saphira makes that a little complicated, besides can you think of anyone to suit me? Someone who doesn't want to settle, for I doubt I ever will, and someone who doesn't mind the fact that I share my mind with a dragon, that…that would be hard to find and frankly it's not on my list of priorities."

Orik thought for a moment, "No…No I guess I can't think of anyone like that. It would take one hell of a person to deal with all your crap." Eragon couldn't help but smile at that. He fell silent then, thinking about what he used to want. He had wanted Arya to be the woman in his life, she rejected him time and time again, telling him that their relationship wasn't destined. He know knew that to be true, but he couldn't help the occasional pining for her.

"How goes your training?" Orik asked interrupting the silence.

"As well as ever I suppose, my strength is still growing, it will be many years before my training is complete…if I live that long of course." Eragon replied indifferently.

Orik gave a throaty chuckle, "What's that? If you live that long! Nobody can get close enough to touch you! Let alone strike you."

"Galbatorix can."

Orik's chuckle grew into a booming laugh, "He never came to challenge you when you were the only Rider. Now there are three, he's not coming out any time soon." The dwarf gave a wave of his hand as if brushing the idea from existence.

"Mm." Was Eragon's only response. The King's actions were often times a mystery to him, but they always proved unpredictable. Dusk was beginning to fall and Eragon knew that morning delay wouldn't be tolerated by Roran. He turned to give Orik a bow which the dwarf returned. "I'm glad to talk with you Orik, but I need my rest for the days to come."

"Of course Shadeslayer, but remember to come talk to your clan brother when you have the chance! It gets boring with all these humans and none of my own kin."

"I'm human as well Orik." Eragon reminded him with a chuckle.

"HA! Maybe you were, but you look like an elf, you're a Dragon Rider, and you were adopted into my dwarf clan. How many other humans are like that?" Orik replied in a challenging tone.

"All right, all right!" Eragon held up his hands in defeat, laughing as he answered, "Next time I come, perhaps we can duel." He fingered the white gold hilt of his blue bladed sword, embedded with a sapphire.

Orik snorted, "I'm not foolish enough to take that challenge, you'd beat me to a pulp. How about a finding a good ale?"

Eragon smiled, "A drink it shall be." The adopted brothers departed with a grasp of hands.

A-------------------------E

A/n: Please, please, please, please review!!! I love reviews regardless of whether they are good or bad, constructive criticism is great!! REVIEW!!! PLEASE!!!