The two girls began talking furiously, never faltering their smiles. Murtagh, Eragon and Nasuada sat by, watching them in bewilderment, not knowing if they should break them up to begin the meeting or no, but after some minutes, the girls composed themselves and sat down beside each other and apologised for holding up the meeting.
"It is quite alright. None of us wanted to break up this... er... reunion?" Nasuada said, her expression still slightly bemused. Arya and Zyana exchanged smiles and bade them progress with the meeting and that they would explain later. Nasuada inclined her head and proceeded. "Well, it seems our riders have returned, and with an extra recruit as well." She smiled in the direction on Zyana. "But was the mission successful? Did you manage to retrieve the egg?" Nasuada asked simply, and Murtagh rose, shaking his head.
Nasuada watched him hardly and let him speak. "My lady, the mission was a complete success, we were able to retrieve the egg within two days of arriving." He said smiling as he pulled the green egg out of the bag he held. Nasuada stared at the egg with hard concentration and a wide smile appeared on her features. "This is excellent news! We are still in for a chance against the King. All we have to do is get it to hatch." She then formulated a plan that it would be shown to the Varden, then passed through it, trying to find its rider. Because Arya had the job of taking care of Saphira's egg, she was immediately given the task of taking it around the Varden. She nodded once in agreement and suggested that they begin right away. She stood and reached for the egg, but just before her fingertips touched its smooth surface, Eragon stood.
"Wait. We still have more to say." Nasuada and Arya exchanged glances and bade him to proceed, resuming their seats once more. "Not only was the mission a complete success in rescuing the green egg, we have also came across another, which we never would have even known about without the help of Zyana." he smiled at her which she returned with a shrug and a slight smirk on her face. Silence fell upon the room as they waited for Eragon to proceed. He reached into another bag and removed the amethyst egg and placed it on the table in front of them. The glow had intensified and filled the tent with a purple light. Nasuada looked at the egg, relishing its beauty before finding the will to speak. "It glows." Was all she managed to get out, and Murtagh smiled and nodded. "Indeed it does. This egg is like none other, Nasuada." She pulled her gaze away from the egg and looked at him, her eyes boring into his face. "What do you mean?"
Murtagh looked towards Zyana. "I think I should let Zyana explain this to you. It is because of her we have managed to get both eggs, and so quickly too." Nasuada looked towards Zyana and bade her proceed.
Sighing, she stood and began telling them of the egg. "This egg, as Murtagh has so put it, is not like any other. The dragon inside of it is what I'd like to call an elemental dragon. Instead of just breathing fire like regular dragons, it also has the other elements at its disposal as well; wind, water and earth. With a dragon like this on the side of the Varden, we would be virtually undefeatable." She looked at the stunned expressions of Arya and Nasuada who had just stared blankly at the egg before them. Arya was the first to find the power to speak.
"I've never even heard of an egg like this before. It must be truly powerful if no-one has ever mentioned it."
"Yes, but I think the only person who knew of it was the King and that girl he got to guard it. He was only waiting until he was absolutely desperate to bring it out of hiding, and that was when Murtagh and Thorn escaped. Who knows how long it has been kept in that hiding place." Zyana said ruefully.
"But the question still remains, what do we do with it?" She aimed this question at Nasuada who was still staring at the egg, deep in thought. All eyes turned to their leader as deliberated the possibilities. "We can't show it to the Varden, at least not yet. But I do agree we need to find its rider, and quickly. Arya, take the green egg around and do just as you did with Saphira's egg. If and when that egg hatches, we will figure out what to do with the other. Let us begin." Nasuada said rising with the rest of the room soon following in her stead. She nodded towards the eggs and Arya scooped up the green one, and Zyana the other. They placed the eggs in their respected bags and exited the tent.
"Come to my tent quickly Zyana. We will keep the egg there." Arya said and Zyana obediently followed with Murtagh and Eragon closely behind. The people of the Varden watched on with curiosity, watching Zyana, and wondering about this new arrival. Their attention soon changed to the bags that they held and excitedly began talking amongst themselves. Ignoring them, they soon arrived at Arya's tent and entered, closing the flap securely behind them. "Where do you want me to put it Arya?" Zyana asked as Arya rummaged through her belongings.
"Just sit it on the bed for a second, while I decide where to hide it." She replied hurriedly. Zyana did as she asked, and sat on the bed beside it. Eragon and Murtagh made themselves comfortable on the floor and watched as Arya made room in her drawer.
"I know it is not the best place to hide it, but it will do until I figure out somewhere better." She picked up the amethyst egg and placed it gently in her drawer, cushioning it with her clothes. When she was satisfied, she went and sat next to Zyana, smiling at her.
"I can't believe it is actually you. All these years I have been wondering what has happened to you and now here you are, saving the Varden." Arya hugged her briefly. "I didn't do it by myself, believe me." Zyana said looking at Murtagh and Eragon. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without their help."
"So, are you going to tell us how you know each other?" Murtagh interrupted. Arya and Zyana exchanged glances.
"Zyana is my sister, well, half sister." Arya smiled.
Murtagh and Eragon looked at them both only realising then how similar they looked in appearance. They had the same coloured hair and the same slanted eyes, although the colours were completely different, and the way they carried themselves was identical. However, Zyana's features weren't as pointed as Arya's which, Murtagh assumed, meant that she was only half elf.
The girls smiled at the reactions of Eragon and Murtagh and waited for them to respond.
"You never told me you had a sister!" Eragon said to Arya who just shrugged. "The topic never came up, and we never really had the leisure to speak of our history." Eragon nodded, realising she was right, and looked towards Murtagh who was smiling.
"So this is the half sister?" He said to Zyana who nodded. Murtagh laughed. "I can't believe I didn't see it before. You do look so much alike." Both girls smiled and rose to their feet.
"Yes, but as much as I would love to stay and talk, I have to take this egg through the Varden. Hopefully it will hatch, then we can turn attention to the other egg." Arya said casually picking up the bag. "Do you wish to join me? After all, this would not be possible if it weren't for all of you." Eragon nodded and jumped to his feet quickly and joined Arya's side. Murtagh stood and followed the elves, well, one half elf, and his brother out of the tent and into the crowd that had formulated.
"I have a dragon egg!" Arya yelled so all could hear. "Everyone will touch it and within the next few weeks, we will see if one of you will become the next dragon rider." The crowd yelled out in excitement and quickly formed a messy line, each wanting to be the first to touch the egg. They passed the egg along the line, with Arya protectively watching, not removing the egg from her sight.
Once it had been passed down the line, Arya grasped it again affectionately and slid it gently into the bag, out of sight from the people of the Varden. "Thank you everyone. Your co-operation was much appreciated. Maybe within the next few weeks, one of you could be a rider and the next hope for Alagaesia." The crowd began talking excitedly amongst themselves and dispersed, getting back to the tasks they were doing before. Arya turned to her sister and the riders.
"Well, stage one complete. Zyana and I have some catching to do and I need to put the egg in a safe place. We'll meet with you later when you have rested. It has been a long journey." Arya said smiling. Eragon and Murtagh nodded, just realising the fatigue they felt, and glad they could finally rest. Zyana smiled at them and followed her sister, their laughter echoing behind them.
Both Eragon and Murtagh looked after them until Eragon broke the silence. "She's different." He said, to himself more than Murtagh. His brother looked at him confusedly. "What?"
"Arya. She's different. I've never seen her so... happy. It feels good just to see her smile." Eragon said absentmindedly before wandering into his tent, leaving Murtagh standing in the clearing alone.
"So... The King's castle... what's it like?" Arya asked her sister excitedly. Zyana smiled. "Absolutely horrible. The whole castle is black, just like Shruikan's scales, and the corridors echo like nothing else, so you can hear everything that goes on, even in the dungeons." She shuddered at the thought of the screams that had haunted her in her youth, but immediately thought of lighter subjects. "I was one of the lucky servants who was able to clean the throne room where he kept the green egg." She laughed. "I wonder if the King has found it is missing yet." Arya smiled. "Probably not. He was stupid enough to leave it unguarded between the meetings, I doubt he will even notice for another few days at the least." The girls laughed until they reached Arya's tent and entered, getting out of view from the Varden's constant glances. Arya hid the eggs and reached into her desk and pulled out a mirror before sitting on the ground and placing it in front of her. Zyana did the same on the other side and waited while Arya muttered some spells.
The pictures in the mirror soon changed from their reflections to an empty room Zyana thought she recognised but from where, she didn't know. She glanced at her sister questioningly who just smiled and continued staring into the empty room. They sat in silence, waiting patiently until they heard a door open and close gently before an exasperated sigh filled the empty room they were staring into.
Arya cleared her throat and the footsteps that they heard pacing stopped.
"Who is there?" A female voice sounded in alarm. "Over here." Arya called into the mirror.
More footsteps were heard then the woman appeared in the mirror slightly flushed. "Arya, you scared me." She sighed inwardly. "What can I do for you this fine day?"
Arya turned her gaze to Zyana whose mouth was wide open in astonishment. "Mother. I believe I have someone with me who you might like to meet." She said pushing Zyana into the view of the elven queen. When Islanzadi laid eyes on her second daughter she was, for the first time, at a complete loss for words.
"I...Is that you Zyana?" She asked, not believing the sight before her. Zyana nodded slowly before Arya poked her hardly in the side. She glared at her sister, then turned her gaze back to the queen. "Hello mother." She said smiling nervously. "It has been a while."
"Indeed it has been too long for my liking. I am so glad to see you are safe, and you have grown so much in the time we have been separated."She smiled warmly. "I can't believe the beautiful woman you have become."
Zyana blushed, a faint smile finding its way onto her lips. "And you mother, are still the most beautiful, melodramatic elf in the entire world."
Islanzadi let out her bell like laugh. "You have changed so little in the time we have been separated. You and Arya have to come back to Du Weldenvarden the first chance you get so we can talk properly and at length about all this time we have missed out on."
"Don't worry, we will hopefully be returning within the next few weeks if everything goes to plan." Arya said. "We have found the green dragon egg and are in the process of passing it through the Varden to see if it will hatch."
The expression on the queen's face quickly changed to amazement. "Can I see it?"
Arya nodded and retrieved the egg and held it in front of the mirror. Islanzadi gasped. "It is beautiful. Oh, how I am so proud of both of you. You are doing so much for the Varden."
"Don't get too excited." Arya said with a mischievous look then disappeared into her drawer. Zyana smiled and placed wards around the tent so no eavesdroppers could listen while Islanzadi was craning her neck to see where her eldest daughter had gone. Arya appeared seconds later with the amethyst egg in her hands and sat it beside the green one. The elf queen's eyes quickly widened as she took in the sight before her.
"Another egg?" she gasped in amazement. "And it's glowing. Why does it do that?"
"It's different then other eggs; this dragon controls the elements. Fire, earth, water and wind. Can you imagine it? This dragon will save the Varden. I just hope that we can find it's rider quickly." Zyana said quickly, all of her shyness vanishing. "Mother, this could be the greatest thing that has ever happened to us!" Islanzadi smiled widely at her daughters enthusiasm.
She opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped when she heard a knock at the door. She smiled at her daughters, waving a hand at them and disappeared. There were muffled voices then the queen reappeared with an apologetic look on her face.
"I am sorry daughters. Nothing would give me more pleasure then to stay here and talk the day away, but it seems I have been away for too long and duty calls." She lifted two fingers to her lips which her daughters mimicked. "Promise me you will both come home the first moment you get." She said looking hardly at them. "Of course." Zyana smiled. Arya nodded.
Seemingly pleased, the queen disappeared out of the room and Arya released the magic on the mirror, the room within it slowly fading until it only showed the two girls. "Thank you Arya! That was amazing! She is amazing! She is exactly how I remembered her." Zyana gushed, making a smile appear on her sisters face.
"I thought you might like to see her again. She was certainly pleased to see you." Zyana hugged her tightly before yawning. Arya shook her head. "But now, Zyana, I think its time you had some rest. It has been a long few days and I'm sure a warm bath and a soft bed will not go astray." Zyana nodded. "Yes. I think I will bathe and rest, thank you Arya." She said.
"Let me show you to your tent. Nasuada had one set up before. You can have your privacy there." Arya said, leading her sister out of her tent and into the one three doors down. Zyana flashed her a smile before disappearing into her tent and falling onto the bed that awaited her. She didn't have time to look around at the tent because before she knew it, she had fallen into her waking dreams.
What did you think? Please tell me in a review... They really do help me.