Chapter 10

I'm sorry I couldn't upload a chapter yesterday: I had guests round and I didn't find it reasonable to spend time typing when I should be entertaining them.

(Rya)

Rya hadn't, until then, fully comprehended how large Saphira really was. Moonstone had had a lot of trouble with getting onto the majestic blue dragon. Saphira had opened her mind to Rya and so, they both communicated during the flight. They both conversed over many subjects leisurely while both making an attempt to make the other laugh.

After about half an hour, Rya could see a small clearing, and a large palace like structure.

Saphira, is that Tialdari hall? She asked.

Yes. It looks magnificent doesn't it? When compared to anything the dwarves and humans can make, it is considered as the most beautiful

Saphira paused for a while. My Rider is just below us. Do you want me to take you to him?

Ok.

Saphira began descending and landed neatly in front of Eragon. He had a peculiar expression on his face.

'Hello uncle!' Rya greeted.

'Uncle? Oh. Right. Sorry, I forgot you needed to call me something. I guess uncle is fine.' He then sighed exasperatedly.

'What's wrong?' she asked worriedly.

'Ah nothing. I don't want to burden you with any of my problems,' he answered selflessly.

Rya groaned in an irritated method. 'Your problems are mine. Now tell me what is wrong.'

'Arya is acting strangely. Her behaviour is confusing me more and more every day. The way she has suddenly opened up to me. It's confusing me. I'm also afraid of her. The amount of control she has over me worries me. I'm not saying I don't enjoy her presence, it's just that…' He sighed again, as if to punctuate the end of his incomplete sentence.

'Umm… who's Arya?' Rya asked.

Eragon opened his mouth but a calm and cool, almost seductive voice, answered her.

'Me.'

(Eragon)

Stunned to the spot, Eragon tightly shut his eyes. He felt two arms make their way around his waist and clasp each other just above his secretive region.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing could come out.

How long has she been there? He asked Saphira.

A while. Her facial features clearly spelt that she was humoured by what you were saying at that moment. Eragon could feel the amusement radiating from her between their link.

Saphira! Are you happy that I feel weird around her? I feel the amusement you feel! You fiend! You enjoy watching her torture me like this!

Arya suddenly chuckled behind him. Eragon groaned in displeasure as he understood what was happening. Arya was open to the conversation with Saphira. She could feel everything he felt and she could hear everything he thought.

Arya chuckled again before Eragon closed his mind off from Saphira and Arya together.

Rya saved him from anything awkward that could've happened next. 'Are you Arya?' she asked.

Arya replied in the affirmative without loosening her grip on her king.

A smile spread across Rya's face before she continued to ask questions.

'Are you a queen? Judging by the crown on your head, I believe you are.'

'Yes I am. And he is my king.' Eragon stiffened as she called him king. Arya paused for a while before asking, 'who are you?'

'I am Rya Sedlinsdaughter. Descendant of Roran Stronghammer: cousin of Eragon Shadeslayer, and Rider of the dragon Moonstone,' Rya replied swiftly.

'I see. So what was Eragon talking to you about?' Arya asked in an amused voice.

'Nothing much. Just discussing shortly what I was to address him as,' she lied.

Arya giggled. Eragon stiffened again, his eyes still closed. He could only hear what was happening around him.

'You're a good liar. Did anybody ever tell you that? You are totally composed, and you aren't sweating like most humans do whenever they lie. I guess the effects of being a human dragon Rider is taking over your body just as fast as it did to Eragon.' Eragon's eyes shot open.

Rya had an astound look on her face. She didn't know how long she had been there because Saphira had only told him.

'And you're good at eavesdropping on personal conversations,' she retorted rudely.

Eragon stiffened more than he thought possible. For Rya to speak to Arya like that on their first conversation was more disastrous than her conversation with the king.

Saphira do something! There'll be blood soon if they don't stop.

Peace Eragon, his dragon replied kindly. Do you remember when I stopped you and Murtagh from fighting on the way to the Varden all those years ago? I will stop them likewise need be. Be calm. You're sweating from head to toe.

She then sent him an image of how he looked.

Arya was clinging onto him, and he truly was sweating more than Saphira probably would if she flew up to the sun and bathed on it.

Eragon choked in surprise when Arya laughed. Even Rya was taken aback with her response to her rudeness.

Eragon needed to end the conversation as quickly as he could. He cleared his throat.

'Arya, I want to spar with you,' he said loudly. 'We haven't sparred since I came back. I want to see where we both stand when stacked against each other.'

'Ok Eragon. Draw your sword,' she said, challengingly.

'What here? Don't you have a sparring ground?' he asked in confusion.

'We do, but an opponent wouldn't exactly ask us to go to the sparring grounds before we had a fight would they?'

And with that she lunged forwards, Támerlein in hand, swinging towards the right side of his head. Eragon ducked but received a knee to the face. The force of the blow sent him flying away from her. He landed squarely on his back. He looked towards his antagonist and saw her making her way towards him. Arya held Támerlein above her head, preparing for a vertical downward strike. Eragon needed to think quickly, and so, kicked Arya on her left knee with his right foot. He used the time he bought to roll out of the way. He tasted blood in his mouth. He ignored it and drew Brisingr. The blue blade flashed in the sunlight, temporarily blinding him. Once his sight cleared, he saw Arya in front of him.

'You cheated!' he complained.

'Your opponent will use any weakness he can find in you to beat you, whether it be time… or a smile,' she said sarcastically, referring to the sparring sessions they had with each other during the war with Galbatorix.

Eragon growled before pouncing on her, making an attempt on her chest from her left. Arya jumped backwards. Eragon didn't try to stop the original blow, instead he continued to spin in a circle, using the momentum to attempt a strike on Arya. Brisingr was met by Támerlein in a parry. Sparks showered the ground and a few landed on his face. Eragon suddenly remembered that they hadn't dulled their blades.

'Arya! We haven't blocked Brisingr and Támerlein!' He shouted through the sound of resounding metal clanging against metal.

'I have. You don't need to,' she answered confidently.

Eragon grunted and continued to swing his sword at her. Arya hadn't tried to land another hit on him again, after her first two.

She's trying to make you tired, Saphira told him.

Eragon's lips twitched in amusement.

I don't think she knows how much energy I have stored in my sword, he replied.

They continued to duel in this manner for a while, attracting a large crowd of elves. Fírnen joined the spectators next to Saphira after a half hour.

Eragon relentlessly and tirelessly, using the energy in Brisingr, landed blows on Arya's sword. During the contest, they continued to circle around and around, like a clock.

Saphira. I'm getting bored of this.

End it then. Surely you can beat your mate. Or are you the female in the relationship between you?

Eragon growled again. He continued to land strike after strike on Arya, but couldn't find an opening. He eventually found a rock on the floor near his foot and kicked towards her. In one deft movement, she spun in a circle, knocking it out of the air. Eragon dove straight at her, intending to hack at her stomach. Arya sidestepped, causing him to swing at nothing and lose his footing. Arya then pulled him closer to her with her left hand and brought her sword up to his neck. She held him in that position for a moment before bringing her head close to his ear and whispering, 'Dead.'

The spectating elves erupted into a frenzy of applause and congratulations. Out of the crowd, he heard calls of "Konungr", and "Dröttning". Murtagh stepped towards him and embraced him.

'That was the best swordsmanship I have seen in a while. In fact, only Rya was anything close to what you two were like. No wonder Alagaesia is free of Galbatorix,' Murtagh congratulated.

The sun was about to set. Eragon put an arm around his half-brother before motioning to him to walk with him. After they were out of earshot of the elves and Arya. Eragon turned towards Murtagh. A smile graced his lips before he asked him a question which had tugged at his conscience for a while.

'Murtagh, what is happening with you and Rya?' he asked in the most tender way that he could.

Murtagh blushed. 'What are you talking about?'

Eragon didn't answer but instead prodded Murtagh's mind with his own probe. Murtagh allowed him in with a little hesitation. Eragon then showed him the way he had been staring at Rya earlier that day.

'Now what do you have to say?'

From the corner of his eye, Eragon could see Thorn walking towards them both.

If he loved her anymore, he would be licking her feet without even being given her consent in the mornings.

'Thorn!' Murtagh exclaimed, blushing even more.

Eragon simply laughed. 'Do you know that I felt about Arya the same way that you do, ever since we both saved her from Gil'ead? I tried my very hardest not to show her what I felt but eventually couldn't contain myself. I blurted out everything I felt for her during the Agaetí Blödhren. She rejected me and I felt destroyed beyond repair. Saphira even suggested that Arya had broken me but I thought it was ridiculous.'

'Why do you tell me this?' Murtagh asked.

Eragon sighed before explaining. 'Brother… I don't want you to go through two centuries of longing like I did just for the sake of love. I want you to be happy. Nothing else. You understand how it feels to be separated from someone you love because of something you did that was foolish, like what I did in the blood oath celebration, and you with Nasuada after we killed Galbatorix. Try to show her how you feel about her before telling her. If she rejects you then don't give up. Don't confront her with the matter again, but instead, continue to show her the good attributes that you have and try to mend the lack of friendship that will occur after your admittance of love. Love is like a fire. Play with it correctly, and you will be able to use it to your advantage: use it carelessly, it will leave a terrible burn the likes of which only dragon's blood matches. Think about what I have told you and use the advice wisely. And don't ever think age is an obstacle. Think about me and Arya. She's a century older than me but now, the elves call me Konungr.'

Eragon then turned around to leave for Tialdari hall. It was dark now and he wanted some sleep.

While he walked, he heard a rustling in the trees. He focused his elven eyes on the darkness. He saw movement and sprinted towards it. Upon reaching it, he grasped at whatever it was and pulled it closer to him. Eragon's hands closed around long hair and he tugged at it. He heard a yelp.

Rya!

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