Chapter 11

(Eragon)

Rya squealed in his grip and writhed back and forth in a futile attempt to escape. Eragon was angry. This was one of the few times he became angry with young Riders or elves. Rya tried to punch Eragon in the stomach but it was harder than a wall. Eragon may be a half elf, but he still grew as muscular as normal humans, just at a slower rate.

Rya looked up into his face. He saw the fear she had and rightly so. She had insulted Arya about eavesdropping on personal conversations and here she was, hiding and listening to a personal conversation. The hypocrisy infuriated him. At the least, Arya came out and admitted listening by complimenting Rya on how good a liar she was, but Rya had stayed hidden, and had had no intention to make herself found.

'What were you doing?' he asked through clenched teeth.

'Nothing,' she replied, sounding more innocent than Eragon when he had entered the Varden for the first time.

He tightened his grip. Rya squealed in pain and began to writhe again.

'I don't like liars,' he whispered angrily, 'I tolerate them when I am in a good mood but not when I'm in the contradictory state. Now, I'll ask you again, what were you doing?'

Rya stayed silent. Eragon shook her, still clinging onto her hair.

'ANSWER ME!' he roared. He could hear birds taking off at the sound, but nothing escaped her mouth except for a whimper.

'I believe this is the first time you have been at the mercy of someone in a long while,' he snarled.

Eragon could hear movement in the trees on both sides. Every elf in the forest must have heard his shout. The first to appear on the scene was Murtagh and Thorn, who came from the right, and then Moonstone, Arya, Saphira and Fírnen who came from the left: from outside Tialdari hall.

Eragon didn't even turn to look at the newcomers.

Saphira's powerful voice boomed through his head. Eragon! What are you thinking!?

This! And Eragon showed everything that had happened.

Saphira roared in anger and walked towards the two of them. The entire forest was illuminated by the moon reflecting off the scales of his magnificent dragon. She stood up on her two hind legs and used her front paws to pull Eragon away.

Regardless of what happened, you should know how to treat a hatchling! You're relentlessly making her cry! Apart from me, Arya and Murtagh, she is the only family you have left! How could you do this? She asked disgustedly.

SHE INSULTED ARYA AND HAD THE AUDASITY TO GO AGAINST HER OWN WORDS! DOES THIS HYPOCRISY NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU! He asked, fuming from head to toe.

He was in Saphira's claws and could do nothing about it. She was still on her hind legs. He saw Arya walk over to Rya and try her best to comfort her. She gave him a sharp and begrudging glare before taking the weeping child away, towards Tialdari hall.

Saphira released her Rider before turning away.

You disgust me… she stated before flying off into the sky. Fírnen howled and flew off after her.

Eragon was left with a confused Moonstone and a depressed Murtagh. Thorn flew off to give them some time alone.

Eragon tried to soften his gaze before turning to Moonstone to take him back to the palace. He looked at Murtagh and motioned to him to take a walk with him.

'What happened?' Murtagh asked in a voice a little more than a whisper.

Eragon then spent the next few minutes explaining what had happened.

Murtagh sighed in relief at the end of his detailed account. Eragon could sense that there was something wrong.

'What were you thinking?' he asked his half-brother.

'From the way she was crying it-' he broke off quickly before continuing, 'don't take me wrong here, but from the way she was crying, it seemed like you were forcing her to fall in love with me,' he said while Eragon gave him a dejected look.

'What? I told you not to take it in the wrong way!' he protested.

'It's ok. You are allowed an opinion of your own. I won't try to behead you because of what you think about an incident,' he reassured him.

'Thank you. Although, now she knows what I feel about her. That won't exactly help the situation,' he said sadly.

'Hmm… who knows? A strike of luck may help you win her.'

Murtagh stayed silent. They reached Tialdari hall and they both went to their respected rooms. Moonstone was still in Eragon's arms when he took him to an elf and told him to take the dragon to Rya.

He went to Arya's room and entered. Arya didn't seem to be there. He sighed in relief. He quickly took off his clothes and bathed before wearing felt green leggings and went into bed bare chested. Without Arya in the room, he could focus more on the room itself. There were many wardrobes and cabinets.

As a queen should have…

There was also the fairth he had made of her when Fírnen and Saphira had left them alone at the most eastern end of the Ramr River. He had been unsure as to whether she would take kindly to it or the contrary, thankfully, it had been the latter and their friendship had stayed intact unlike the first time he had made one of her.

There were also two balconies which he hadn't noticed before, one on the north side and one on the south. He could see the moon from the one on the south, right near the frame of the doorway that bordered the entrance to the balcony. Both of them were large. It also hadn't occurred to Eragon until then that this room had been Islanzadí Dröttning's room before she had died.

Eragon closed his eyes to enter the resting state of an elf when Arya came into the room.

She strode over to him and pulled his arm causing him to go into a sitting position.

'We need to talk,' she said in a shady voice.

Leave a review. I felt a bit bad when I got Rya abused, since I like her as one of my own characters, but it had to happen.

Also, thanks to Sebastiaan Asselbergs and Shadow Wolf Dreamer for reviewing the last two chapters. I value them very highly.

And also thanks to the twelve nice people who followed this story and the eight who selected this as a favourite. Thank you so much.