A/n: Hey…been a long time lol, well here's a new chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

The Raid

The solemn look that crossed Arabella's face was one Eragon has seen many times in her father's and brother's expression. It spoke of a plan gone wrong. She looked down and sniffled before whispering, "They came and got us, they're mad at our town."

"What do you mean?" Eragon frowned.

"They want Katrina, and Roran, and you…" It seemed she did not want to meet his expression. "They said they knew we'd seen you…they made us sit in line and asked all of us. Mom told me to run and hide so Norvafrell grabbed my hand and when they weren't watching we ran and ran and ran." She took a deep breath and started up again, "But, I got tired, so we stopped, but I heard screams and I got scared and Norvafrell wanted to save his mom so he wanted to go back but I didn't want to be left alone so I went with him. We got caught and some guys took Norvafrell and some took me and got taken back to the village but there was fighting so the men who had us ran away and brought us here." She finished her story in a rush and slumped down as if she'd been carrying it around with her for a long time.

"Where's Norvafrell?" Aris asked urgently.

"He got chosen a week ago. He takes care of the horses I think."

Aris stood immediately, intent on retrieving the boy who had been so kind to her.

"No, Aris wait," Eragon sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, "we can't go get him."

"We must Eragon." Aris spoke firmly.

"But we can't."

"We must!" She locked eyes with him; she could not allow the boy to be harmed.

"We can't Aris," Eragon insisted, "If we show that we know him that will only look suspicious."

"We'll just request him then." Her jaw locked rigidly.

"And give up Arabella?" He snapped back.

"No, we'll have both."

"We can't! Barzul Aris, we cannot! We are the newest lords, unheard of by anyone here, they're evaluating us and will be for a long time and you want to make suspicious demands?" He threw up his hands, "I understand that you 'know' what it is to be a slave but if you ever want to escape those slavers completely then stop letting it cloud your judgment!"

Aris' eyes flashed dangerously, "My judgment is well Shadeslayer. I see your point but I will not let him alone and I will do all that my position here and my abilities allow."

Eragon was taken aback by her sharp tone, but before he could ask or soothe she began to speak to Arabella again.

"Let's get you cleaned up and settled into your room, alright?" Without another glance up she led Arabella into the side room that was designated as slave quarters.

Aris was seething. How dare he accuse her of still being trapped! Had it not been him who had told her that she was strong for having broken free?

As she looked around the slave quarters Aris cringed, what used to be a large built in closet was now a very small room. She knew full well that while it could be worse, she could improve it considerably for Arabella. "Just let me clean this up," She murmured to Arabella, with a softly muttered set of words the room began to dimly glow as the dirt and grime dissipated with her spell. After a brief moment they now stood in a clean, small rectangle with a worn cot in one corner and a cracked wash bin on a rickety table in the other.

"Arabella, go to Eragon and fetch me a blanket off the bed please." The small girl scampered back into the other room as Aris focused some energy on repairing the damage of the crushed cot, when Arabella returned it was fluffed up to full potential and would support someone as small as Arabella easily.

She gathered the thick blanket from Arabella and folded it in half and placed it on the cot, warming the room's atmosphere slightly. Next she turned to the wash basin and soaked a rag, turning and gently wiping the dirt from Arabella's exposed skin.

Every slight nick or bruise she uncovered tugged on Aris' heart. Arabella was such a young, delicate thing, far younger than she had been, and she was a human, no match for anyone, aside from perhaps another young human girl. It hurt Aris to see such a happy young one scared and hurt.

Thankfully Arabella's body had little damage, Aris had no desire to be trumped by her broken magic once again, she would have Eragon look her over later anyway. External damage was not Aris' main concern though. Aris guided the girl to sit on the floor in front of her, Aris knelt behind her and wrapped the rag around her shoulders, "Would you like your hair washed?"

"Don't we need a tub for that Aris?"

"No, I can do it with magic if you'd like."

"Really?" Arabella turned and smiled, "I'd really like that a lot!"

Aris returned her smile slightly, "Alright, but I need you to do something for me too."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I'd like you to tell me what they've done to you."

The little girl's face dropped as she gazed up at Aris, "Aris…you'll protect me right?"

"Of course Nuanen," Aris held the girls hands gently between her own, "we'll have to play the part, we have to pretend you're a slave in front of other people, but neither Eragon or I will ever hurt you, or let anyone else do so, okay?"

"I'm glad it was you who found me Aris, I heard mommy say that you were a slave once too…and that now you're really strong and pretty…so I will be too right? You'll teach me?"

As Aris looked down upon her hopeful little face, she couldn't help but feel a growing attachment to the girl. "I was a slave, for a very long time. Eragon rescued me and we're going to save you too."

Arabella nodded and turned around, "Okay, I can tell you."

Gently Aris turned her back around and began to unknot the tangles in her hair with her fingers as Arabella began to talk.

"Well they made us walk for a long, long time, I got really tired so they let Norvafrell carry me but only for a little, then I had to walk some more. My feet bled a lot and hurt a lot but they wouldn't give me shoes." Aris began to softly sing, manipulating the water from the basin to soak into Arabella's hair and draw out the dirt. "Then we got here and they put us in that building and gave us a little bit of food. It got really cold at night but they didn't give us blankets. Norvafrell kept me warm until he got chosen. They didn't hurt me like they hurt others, some men tried to escape and they got whipped, but I was quiet and tried to behave so they left me alone."

Aris internally sighed with relief; it was good that they had arrived now. Although she doubted Arabella would have defiant as she had been, but the risk was not something she ever wished to come true. The song shifted and the water rid itself of the collected dirt before it warmed and once again soaked the strands of blond hair before her. Arabella fell silent as Aris repeated the process once again. Finally Aris was satisfied with the cleanliness she let the water sit in the girls hair and began to unknot any remaining tangles. "There, your hair is clean now."

Arabella reached up and touched her damp hair and turned to smile at Aris again, "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, are you hungry?"

"No, they gave us food just before you came and found me…but can I sleep? I'm really tired."

"Of course, sleep well young one." Aris kissed her forehead, before standing and making to leave the room.

"I'll see you in the morning…right Aris?"

"Yes, we'll be here." She shut the door with a silent sigh.

o0o0o0o

Eragon frowned after the two as they left the main room. "Saphira…I didn't do anything this time, what is going on."

"She is sensitive, despite her demeanor, you know this." Arabella came back out and gave him a small smile before shyly taking the blanket from the bed and scampering back to the small room, arms overflowing with the large blanket.

He was quiet for several minutes, replaying the previous conversation in his mind. "But what did I say? Maybe she needs to apologize this time for getting angry with no cause."

"I'm not saying you do not have a point little one, but talking to her calmly about what caused this change might be more effective than silence until one of you gives in."

"Yea, you're right as usual. How are you tonight?" He sighed.

"Frustrated with these limitations, I yearn to be by your side little one, should you get hurt, I would be little help." Eragon heard the rumble of her growl through their mental connection.

"I miss you as well Saphira. But we are making progress, and I can speak to you at the very least."

"Very true, however finding the young one will not make the tasks before you any easier."

"I know, but when is anything simple anymore, at least she is safe…it's the least I can do after the destruction we brought upon Carvahall."

"I do not believe they hold it against you, but if they do, they must deal with me."

"And they dare not face a dragon." Eragon laughed to himself and shook his head. He heard the door open and looked up as Aris entered the main room.

"Indeed little one, speak to her, I will be here always if you need me."

"Goodnight Saphira." He watched Aris' progress across the room.

"Goodnight little one."

He waited for several minutes before finally breaking the silence between them. "Aris?"

"Shadeslayer?" She replied coolly. The return of her formality aggravated Eragon; she seemed to have returned to her distance from him.

"Is there something upsetting you?" He asked, politely despite her indifference.

"Not in the slightest, I assure you." She did not so much as glance at him as she began to take down the complicated tresses of her hair.

"Then I must ask, what is the matter?" He fought the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I am merely tired from a long day's work." She said while undoing the last pinned curl so her long black hair was once again waving down her back.

Eragon stared at her for a long moment as she began to brush through her hair. He watched the candlelight flicker across her skin and hair, and while he was awed by her unique beauty, he recognized the coldness that the light did little to warm. She was cold on the inside still. While he has seen her warming up slightly, that had only been the surface, she had so much farther to go before she would ever be over what had happened to her, no matter how strong she acted. "Should you decide there is something you'd like to share, I am here. But I'm going to turn in."

He saw her head turn slightly in his direction but took her silence as acknowledgement and stripped down to breeches and a shirt before laying down on one side of the bed and blowing out the candle beside him. "Goodnight Aris Drottningu."

"Sleep well Shadeslayer." He heard her murmur a few moments later.

Aris listened as Eragon settled down to sleep before putting down her brush and staring at herself in the mirror. She still looked quite sallow, but she didn't know that it was a characteristic that would ever fade. She'd never seen herself in her adult years before now, let alone seen herself healthy. She slowly began to pleat her hair into a long braid as she watched her own reflection.

Was it young of her to hold a comment against Eragon? She did not know, but that remark had stung. Perhaps he was correct; perhaps she had a lot more growing to do before she was ever truly free. With a quiet sigh she tied the end of her hair and gave herself one last long look in the mirror before turning away and removing the heavier parts of her dress.

She lay gently down on the vacant side of the bed and faced away from Eragon's sleeping form, lost in her own thoughtless confusion to really worry about anything. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe deeply to slow her mind and eventually found herself drifting into a dreamless sleep.

It was not the morning light that roused her next; it was the sound of voices at an unmonitored level directly outside their door that woke her. She sat up slowly and glanced sideways as Eragon did the same. He placed a finger over his lips and she nodded, easing herself slowly off the bed to slide silently to the door that led to Arabella. She placed her hand over the lock and whispered, "Malthinae." She heard the quiet click of the lock snapping into place before returning slowly to stand beside the bed and facing the door.

"Is this the room they're in?" A low male voice carried into the room.

"That is what we've heard" A soft female one followed.

"Well I've never heard of any lords from Kuasta." The male said tensely, "I don't like what's going on here, just letting any old nobodies in."

"Kuasta is secluded; perhaps they do not have to chance to become acquainted with other lords such as you."

"Did I ask for your opinion woman?" His voice rose with anger.

"No, I apologize my lord." Her voice became docile.

He ignored her and kept talking, "Who are they to not introduce themselves to us? I am one of the highest ranking Lords in the empire, straight from Uru'baen." Both Eragon and Aris tensed as they heard him take one heavy step toward their door. "Well?" It seemed the woman was supposed to answer this time.

"Perhaps they were tired; it was a long journey from Kuasta. I know they arrived but an hour before sundown." She answered slowly.

"That had better be it; I've got half a mind to open this door and demand to know what makes them think they're so good. All of the other lords took it upon themselves to introduce themselves to me."

Aris let a small smile lift the corner of her lips, the lord sounded like a whiny child. She glanced at Eragon as he grabbed the chain that held the spell for his appearance and slipped it over his head.

"In the morning my dear husband, I am sure they will." The woman answered again.

"Humph, this all seems fishy to me, but if they passed Talia's exam then I'll give them until morning." With not a word more his heavy boots trudged away from the door, followed by the soft shuffle of his wife in his wake.

Aris sat down on the bed and sighed, "It seems we are not practiced enough in the ways of the empire's nobles."

Eragon nodded, "We probably shouldn't have been so tensed and ready to fight either, the doors are thick…with normal hearing I doubt their voices would have woken anyone."

"Indeed, I would keep that chain around your neck as well."

"Yea, I won't take it off again." He ran his hand through his hair, "It is going to be a stressful time here."

Aris lay back on the bed and pulled a blanket over her, "A chance to use our intelligence is all."

She heard Eragon give a small chuckle as he lay down onto the bed. "I'm sorry Aris, for what I said...it was wrong of me."

"You were correct, I have much to do in order to be completely free, no apology is needed." Aris shrugged slightly.

"It was harsh though, and we can't afford to be fighting while we're here."

"Well then I thank you, and the matter can be laid to rest now." She turned to look over her shoulder slightly, "Goodnight, Eragon."

"Goodnight, Aris." He smiled at her briefly before she turned away once more, letting sleep take her again.

A/n: I know not much happens in this chapter but I had to shake some rust off, so next chapter you'll hear more about what happened to carvahall and get to meet the delightful lords who support the weapon, as well as Eragon and Aris' plan to take them down lol. I hope to hear from you all! Thanks!

~Zara