Chapter 2

Eragon found himself in an embrace by Arya. He heard her sob and felt his tunic become wet on his right shoulder.

'A- Are you ok?' he asked her.

'I… missed you… so much…' she said through her crying.

Eragon returned the embrace and they both stayed in that position until sunset.

'Eragon… you're exhausted. You should go to sleep if anything, whether it be day or night. You need your sleep after such a long journey. In fact, you probably flew all the way here, I was expecting you in another four days,' and she broke off from her embrace on him. He felt the warmth of her body leave his chest and was about to pull her back but thought better of it.

'Oh, and by the way… thank you for healing me,' and she lay back down.

'May I sleep next to you Arya Dröttning?' he asked nervously.

'Arya,' she corrected him, 'not Dröttning. Only those who are lower than me in status have reason to call me that. Not you iet Shur'tugal. You may call me whatever you like.' Then she said his true name, causing him to shiver. He also shivered at her use of the word iet. My. She had called him My Rider.

'… And… yes, you may sleep next to me.' She then gave him a smile which blinded him. Obscuring everything else from his field of vision. He could have spent his entire immortal life just looking at her smile.

'Thank you,' he replied sheepishly.

'For what?'

'I- I- Nothing… It's just that…' he began to stutter.

'Just what?' she pressed him, raising a questioning eyebrow.

'I… didn't expect that reply,' he put it simply.

She laughed in her melodious tone. He loved the way she laughed. More than anything. In fact, if anything, he had missed her laugh over the last two centuries the most.

'Shall we go to sleep?' he asked her, his face becoming filled with heat. He wanted to end the awkward situation as quickly as he could.

'Yes. Yes we should. Goodnight Eragon.'

'Goodnight Arya dr-'but he cut himself off from saying Dröttning, and he lay himself down next to her.

Arya fell into her elf sleep quickly. She had been unexpectedly surprised to find him there. Arya had noticed Eragon behave strangely. When she woke up she found Eragon still sleeping and so decided to contact Saphira and ask her about it. She reached her mind out across the forest and found her with Fírnen near Eragon's old masters hut. She touched Saphira's mind and was allowed entry.

Greetings Arya. To what do I owe the pleasure of you entering my mind? Saphira asked, initiating the conversation.

Greetings Bjartskular. I wanted to inquire about Eragon's unnatural behaviour, Arya said, not wasting time with pleasantries.

Oh no. He hasn't done anything stupid has he?

No! Nothing of the sort, it's just that he has been behaving awkwardly since I saw him. We talked many times through a scrying mirror but none of the conversations seemed that awkward to him. I wanted to know if something happened which is causing him to act like this.

Saphira remained quiet for a while. Then began again, promise me that you will not tell Eragon that I told you of this.

Arya grew worried. Why? Is it that bad?

Promise me!

You have my word Bjartskular, she said in the ancient language.

Oromis ebrithil told my dear Rider on his first day of training that he would have to condense years and decades of training into weeks and months. Then, a few days after the Agaetí Blödhren Oromis told him that the amount of knowledge that he held would have made him go insane at such a young age. He suggested that Eragon was broken. It is nigh impossible to break a broken person.

Arya's hands flew to her mouth in shock, although Saphira didn't know that.

She continued, Eragon didn't think much of it but I did. I spent a while pondering over what he had said and came to a conclusion that… she faltered but Arya pressed her to continue.

Saphira regained her composure and continued, I spent a while and came to the conclusion that you broke him with your rejection at the Agaetí Blödhren. Saphira's voice wasn't an accusatory one but Arya knew that Saphira unopenly blamed her for what she did to him.

She continued, during the war, every time he was near you, he would feel a tug at his restraints telling him to let go. However, do not think of him as weak in his self- control. Only I understand how much he wanted you. I then understood that he was an embodiment of self-restraint. Any other man or elf would've succumbed to the yearning and made a wrong move. He was destroyed beyond belief when as soon as you began to open up to him, he had to leave Alagaesia, although at that time he had many other things to do so once again, his self-control stopped him from making the decision of staying behind just for you. The only respite he would get from his craving for you would be when he communicated with you through the scrying mirror. Arya, never think that he will not be there for you. He loves you. He told me himself. He sent Blodhgarm instead of coming himself so as to control himself and not allow you to distract him during the battle against the rouge Riders, but when you called him he came straight away. Never underestimate his love for you. Now the reason why he acts strange around you, is because he is trying to contain himself and doesn't want to feel the pain of being rejected by you again. He's scared of you Arya… actually, that came out wrong. He's terrified of you and the impact you have on him. Whether or not you have feelings for him is your own issue but I have discussed the reason as to why you contacted me and now I sever the link. Farewell.

Arya left Saphira's mind in an utter state of shock. She felt dizzier than when Fírnen had spoken to her the day before. She now knew the extent of what she was doing to the only living being other than Fírnen who loved her.

What should I do? She thought to herself, distressed. My feelings for him are those of a friend… Or are they something more than that? Regardless! I've done so much harm to him over the last two centuries!

Arya was at war with herself when she saw Eragon begin to stir awake. She pushed her thoughts aside again and crawled over to Eragon.

She stared at his face as he opened his eyes. She was the first sight he saw that day and was lost in her emerald eyes but when he realised who it was, he cringed.

She felt horrible as she saw his reaction and then decided to make him feel somewhat better. She laughed. She had noticed long ago that he enjoyed her laugh, right when they were heading to Ellesméra on the raft and she had laughed at Nari for saying it was dishonourable to allow a dragon to carry a burden. She had seen his face out of the corner of her eye and had initially seen surprise but also saw longing written all over his face.

She finally came to a reasonable conclusion. She loved him… and it felt so much more right than wrong when she confessed it to herself. Only thing to do now was to go for the kill…

Eragon woke up and found two emerald coloured cat-like eyes staring at him. He had fallen into a daze but then snapped out of it after he noticed the owner of the eyes. He cringed, but then relaxed when he heard her laugh. Suddenly, he realised something… Arya knew how she was torturing him! Was she so sadistic as to enjoy whenever he made a fool of himself or was hurt on the inside? She had torn out his heart once but now he understood that she found pleasure in watching him react to her motives in a wounded manner. Anger and frustration mixed with helplessness and disappointment raged within his mind. He decided to leave for Edoc'sil deloi as soon as possible. He would investigate, do his best to fix the problem, then leave. He had no more desire to stay in Du Weldenvarden, especially with her. But he needed her. She made him feel whole. She made him feel comfortable.

But she also makes me feel uncomfortable.

'Good morning Eragon,' she said in a strangely seductive voice.

'G- Good morning Arya.'

'Did you sleep well last night?' she asked him in the same voice.

Eragon was beginning to feel wary. 'Um… yes. Kind of. Had a few…' he cleared his throat, 'dreams.'

'Ah. And what would those dreams be about?'

Why is she asking so many personal damned questions? Was she in my mind?

'Nothing important.'

'I see.'

'Dröttning, I think I should make a start on the reason I'm here. I need to be going back to Edoc'sil deloi as quickly as possible.'

Arya jerked her head towards him at a speed only elves could manage. Eragon cringed again. Her face was one of frustration.

'Arya. Not Dröttning I already told you once, didn't I?'

'Right, please forgive me,' Eragon wasn't sure what was happening. She was acting strangely this morning.

'You are forgiven. Now, the rouge Riders headed east after Blodhgarm and his company arrived. Towards the spine I think. They probably came from Vroengard, but I wasn't so sure after your account of the situation there. Also, they weren't any of the Riders we trained. Of that I'm sure.'

Whenever a dragon egg hatched, the dragon would grow until it could carry its Rider on its back, then head towards Ellesméra for the first five years of training with Arya. Then they would head towards Edoc'sil deloi to finish the rest of their training with the Riders. Because of this system of training the Riders, Arya knew all of them.

'I will see to the damage done to Du Weldenvarden and examine the methods of magic used by the Riders and then check if they were any normal dragons,' he said and then left to complete the tasks he set.

For the rest of the day Eragon did as he said he would. He checked the burns the dragons left and asked around as to the types of spells the Riders used. Nothing was out of the ordinary. In the evening, he went to Arya in Tialdari hall and began the elven greeting but she waved at him in a manner that meant it wasn't necessary. They began to walk from the throne room towards Arya's personal chambers.

'Nothing of these Riders is out of the ordinary. The only thing that isn't ordinary is where they came from and how they managed to get here without being noticed… unless they killed any witnesses. I'll rest in Ellesméra for a while longer, perhaps a week or so, then leave for the spine with twenty two Riders…. You and Fírnen may join the thunder… if you so wish…' Eragon finished awkwardly. They were right outside Arya's room now.

'Eragon…'

'Yes Arya?'

'Please shut up.'

Eragon was taken aback by her sudden mood change. No more than three minutes ago, she was the emotionless queen she portrayed herself to be yet here, on her own, with him, she was totally different.

'Y- Ye- Yes Arya Dröttning. As you wish,' he replied, before asking, 'where am I to sleep? I don't mean to trouble you but I am tired.'

'Oh. Yes. You will be sleeping in here tonight and for the rest of your stay in Ellesméra. My room. My bed. With me.'

She then grabbed his tunic collar and pulled him into the room…

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