Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to update this chapter, I have been super busy lately. :( Sucks, I know. I hope you enjoy it anyway.... On with chapter 17!!
The rain beat down from the sky with an intense force as Jaslyn spurred her white stallion faster through the early morning mist that had accumulated on the beaten up forest floor. Seemingly unaware of her drenched finery and the sudden iciness that chilled her to the bone, a small smile found its way onto her lips as she clutched a small round bag protectively to her chest.
The stallion below her whinnied loudly in fright as a clap of thunder echoed through the trees. He reared, the whites of his eyes flashing, as another came almost unseating Jaslyn. For the first time in her life she was thankful for the intensive training her father had forced her to undergo as a young girl as she steadied the stallion and continued her battle through the forest.
Concentrating on the soggy sound of hoof beats on the damp floor, her mind wandered once again to the two missing eggs and cursed herself for her foolishness. She was not careful enough, and now they could be in the hands of those traitors the Varden. For weeks she had searched the empire but had not found a single trace of either of them and once again prayed that they had not hatched. Especially the amethyst egg. She thought solemnly. If it has all that I know will be destroyed, and it will be no one's fault but my own.
Once again she began wondering how the egg thief managed to find the trapdoor that contained the amethyst egg in the first place. And what of the spells and wards placed around the room to protect it? Only Galbatorix and herself were strong enough to disable the spells that were placed around the egg. And the room itself was so protected by the dark holes with spears and the hidden trapdoors that set off the other various traps hidden throughout the room that she wondered how anyone, human, elf or dwarf could have manoeuvred past all of them.
And yet it was done.
She shook her head thinking that there was little hope left for the Empire if whoever was able to manage such a feat was a part of the Varden. A small ray of sunshine broke through the murky clouds giving way to a small golden glow that lit the forest elegantly.
The stallion slowed his pace slightly, tiring of the long gallop he had just endured and tossed his head excitedly as the trees became thinner and the vast desolate plains that marked the kingdom came into view. Jaslyn sighed as they leapt through the last of the trees, wishing she didn't have to face her father, but knowing that the confrontation was inevitable. She would feel the searing, fiery pain of her father's anger, and she would try to bear it without screaming; she was stronger than he thought, and he would finally realise that. She clutched her bag closer and prayed that its contents would ease his fury, if only a little. All too soon, the dark, tall walls of the castle came into view and Jaslyn spurred her horse forward without hesitating.
"Where are my eggs daughter?" Galbatorix leered at the girl at his feet. She cringed slightly at hearing the displeasure in his voice, and he smiled at her discomfort. "Do not tell me you have disappointed me again or the pain that you have only imagined in your nightmares will become your reality."
Jaslyn stood and held her head high, meeting her father's gaze with arrogant pride. "The eggs are nowhere to be found, I fear they have fallen into the clutches of the Varden and the next we see of them will be when we are on opposing sides of the battle field." She began, not letting her gaze fall from his. A flash of anger rose in his eyes, and as he inhaled a deep breath to begin one of his famous tantrums Jaslyn quickly continued, cutting him off.
"However startling this revelation is for the empire, we still have a small chance at succeeding." She pushed the bag gently into his hands which he eyed curiously. He glared at his daughter briefly before opening the bag and analysing the contents.
A loud maniacal laugh echoed throughout the throne room, startling the already on edge guards. Jaslyn snatched the bag back and cradled it protectively as the evil king recovered slowly.
"You are not entirely forgiven daughter, but see to it that you do not mess this opportunity up. Am I making myself clear?" he asked, his eyes dancing with malevolence. Jaslyn nodded, her eyes full of determination. "Yes, this opportunity will not be passed up, you have my word."
Du Weldenvarden came into view not long before nightfall, earning an excited gasp from Zyana. Her arms wrapped around Ohrana tightly, she pulled her close trying to contain her excitement. The trees, she noted, were slightly smaller then she remembered, but still towered over the trees of the empire which all seemed insignificant in comparison. Their branches were so wide and firm they could easily support both Saphira and Thorn without bending or breaking, and their leaves were lush and shone brightly in the setting sun, matching Arya's eyes and Ilian's scales perfectly.
"Du Weldenvarden," Zyana muttered quietly to herself in awe, her excitement and happiness flowing freely through the link she shared with Ohrana. "I'm here. Finally."
Ohrana hummed softly in contentment at her riders happiness and nudged her hand softly. `Yes you are. We are here. She said happily as her amethyst eyes darted over the landscape quickly, trying to take in every detail around her.
Zyana laughed. And I couldn't be happier even if I tried. I just can't believe that after all these years of waiting patiently I am finally staring at the land I grew up in. I will see my mother and be reunited with my old teachers and friends. I wonder if much has changed while I have been gone. This is one of the most secretive places in the entire land.
Yes, and we won't have to wait long to find out, but I feel my wings have been folded for too long, they are starting to feel numb. I think I might fly for a few minutes. Ohrana said as she freed herself from Zyana's grasp. She leapt from Thorns saddle and flew beside him, her scales shining brilliantly.
Zyana smiled at her and surveyed the land below. The trees were growing thicker, making her wonder where they would find a suitable place for the dragons to land so they could make camp. As if he sensed her thoughts, Murtagh pulled her out of her reverie and pointed to a small gap in the green blanket that surrounded them. He smiled at her over his shoulder and bade Thorn descend towards it.
He looked over to Saphira who had already begun her descent and followed her gracefully, Ohrana gliding happily at his side. Manoeuvring through the large trees, Thorn soon found the ground and landed on the moist earth with a dull thud. Within seconds, both Murtagh and Zyana had dismounted and were stretching out their cramped muscles as Eragon and Arya were.
"Another few hours of flying and we should be near Du Weldenvarden, we will be there by sundown tomorrow at the latest." Eragon said happily. He turned his gaze toward Arya and smiled at her warmly, but his efforts went unnoticed.
"It has been a long day of travelling, we should eat and rest for a few hours." She said as her emerald eyes searched the bright forest around her. "There are some berry bushes around that we could forage some food from, but it won't be much I'm afraid."
We are going to hunt for a while, Saphira said, turning her gaze to the skies. Ilian and Ohrana are growing quickly and need larger prey. The deer here are much bigger than the other creatures they have been hunting and this will also be a good lesson for them.
Thorn hummed in agreement and nudged his rider playfully before stretching his wings awkwardly, trying to remove the saddle. Murtagh smiled and assisted him, but the second the strap was undone and the burden gone, Thorn spread his wings and took to the skies, his head held proud and majestic. Ilian and Ohrana squeaked with hunger and excitement as they too, leapt into the air after the larger dragon. The three dragons circled the clearing, waiting impatiently for Saphira to join them.
Eragon was having some trouble removing her saddle, but she just rolled her eyes at him and intolerantly bade him hurry.
Now really, Eragon. One would think that you would know how to properly remove a saddle by now. She said slightly agitated. I am already weary from flying and the sooner we can hunt, the sooner we can rest our wings. Please stop fooling around.
Eragon muttered incoherently under his breath just as the saddle slid off her scales, earning a small growl from Saphira. She glared at him before leaping into the sky, and seconds later all four dragons disappeared over the trees, their wing beats slowly growing distant.
Eragon placed the saddle on a large branch and made himself comfortable on the grassy forest floor. "So, are we all as hungry as I am right now?" He asked smiling. "My stomach has felt like it has been eating itself for a few hours now."
"Aye," Murtagh said. "Mine has been the same. We don't have much daylight remaining and it would be a good idea to find some food before the sun is completely lost to us. But we will need a campfire first."
"Zyana and I will go and find some food while you do that." Arya offered. "We will have finished eating by the time the dragons return, and that will give us a chance to do some training later." She turned to her sister who nodded in agreement.
"Alright then, I've been waiting for another opportunity to fight Eragon. Even though my battle techniques are far superior, he is still somewhat a worthy opponent." Murtagh said, a large grin on his face. "I mean, he will be a slightly bigger challenge than the imbeciles the king calls his finest warriors, but not by much. They give the title a bad name."
Eragon stood and walked towards his brother, his own egotistic smile matching Murtagh's. "Are you sure about that? The only reason you didn't fall the last we battled was because Saphira and I let you off easy."
"Oh really? And all this time I thought it was because Thorn and I refused to fulfil our task of capturing you to give the Varden a slightly bigger chance of killing the old tyrant."
The pair bickered for a few more minutes before the elves became impatient. They exchanged quick glances of annoyance and bade them stop their squabbling and prepare the fire before the sun disappeared completely. Murtagh and Eragon reluctantly agreed as they watched Zyana and Arya disappear into the trees to forage for berries and exchanged a few quick, snide remarks before they went their own separate ways in search of wood.
Within the hour all four riders were sitting companionably in front of the fire, talking and eating the berries and fruits Arya and Zyana had found. Murtagh looked down on his plate in distaste, suddenly craving the soft and tender texture of meat. He pushed the contents of his plate around, seemingly digging deeper in search of a small piece of beef or chicken that may have been hiding under the vegetation, but to no avail.
Eragon looked across and smiled at Murtagh's failed attempts and took a seat next to him. "You won't find any meat in there, I suffered the same dilemma when I first came here. I am sorry to say that there will be no meat in Ellesmera either, the elves don't eat it." Murtagh turned to him, astonished.
"What? They don't eat meat? How can that be?"
"You will see when you start your training the elfish way." Eragon laughed. "Once you are through, you will never wish to eat meat again."
"I find that hard to believe. I will never stop eating meat, even if the elves forbid it." Murtagh said grudgingly. Eragon shook his head and turned his attention toward his own bowl and finished the remains quickly.
Once the plate was empty, he stood and walked over to Arya who was cleaning her own bowl in the small creek that lay on the outskirts of the clearing. He smiled and sat down beside her, his thoughts running through his head confusedly like a tangled mess of yarn. He was trying to think of something to say to her, but once again, nothing intelligent came to mind. He sighed in slight annoyance at himself, and Arya took this as a sigh of contentment.
"It is indeed good to be under these trees again. It feels like I haven't been here in many years when it has only been a few months." She said blissfully. "But Zyana must be feeling even more strongly, she has been away for so long. This must be so exhilarating for her." Eragon nodded in agreement.
"Yes, and I'm sure all the elves have missed her greatly."
"They have. No doubt there will be much feasting and celebrating once she reaches the capital." Arya pushed her bowl aside and pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "It will be good to see them all again..." she trailed off into her thoughts, her emerald eyes staring off thoughtfully over the still cerulean waters. Eragon stared at her as the soft breeze brushed through her hair and smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came out. Once again slightly annoyed at himself, he followed the elf's gaze and sat in silence beside her, looking out over the lake.
Eragon was reminded of the time he shared with her at the lake back at the Varden when they had laughed and sung flowers together and sighed. Arya turned and looked at his face, searching. "Is there something wrong Eragon?" She asked not disguising the concern in her voice.
"I am fine. I was just thinking about what a beautiful night it is." He replied not shifting his eyes from the crystal waters.
Arya nodded. "That it is. In all my years in Ellesmera I don't think I have seen a night such as this." Eragon smiled and met the elf's gaze making her heart skip a beat, much to her confusion. She returned his smile and uncurled her legs, stretching the muscles that were still cramped from flying, wincing a little. Eragon noticed this and began to demonstrate a stretching exercise designed to loosen muscles after flying for a long period of time. Arya copied his movements perfectly and within a few minutes her cramped muscles loosened considerably, relieving her of the pain.
"That is brilliant Eragon." Arya said. "Where did you learn it?"
Eragon turned away from her and stared blankly over the lake again. For a moment Arya thought he wouldn't answer, but his strong voice, lowered to a whisper, sounded sadly so only she could hear. "Brom taught me when I was first learning to ride Saphira. It is what got me through all those excruciating hours of training."
Arya nodded her understanding and looked up towards the sky where the moon had just appeared, bringing with it thousands of tiny, shining stars. "He was a good man who did so much for the Varden. It was a grave day when I first heard of his demise, but he died how he lived, fighting for a good cause. He would not have wanted it any other way."
Eragon sighed. "I know, and he is happier where he is now, flying with Saphira again after all these years." Arya nodded in agreement.
"He would be proud of you you know Eragon. Always remember that."
Eragon turned towards her and looked straight into her emerald eyes. "Do you really think so?"
"I know so. He is probably looking down on you right now from the brightest star thinking of the boy with the dragon hatchling at his feet and comparing him to the man that you are today and smiling. He is with you in spirit even if his body is lying elsewhere. Brom would never leave you."
Eragon pulled Aren off his finger and rested it on his palm, allowing himself to feel the energy that it possessed, feeling Brom's presence. It pulsed through him and for the first time since Brom's death had he felt completely at ease.
"I know that now. Thank you Arya." He said quietly, a small smile finding its way onto his face. He looked back to Arya and his smile widened when she met his gaze with just as much emotion as he was feeling.
"Arya..." Eragon started, but was interrupted by the sound of loud wing beats above their heads.
Eragon, you will be pleased to know that both Ilian and Ohrana are progressing rapidly in their training. It is amazing how swiftly they are learning. I am sure the king stands no chance at all. Saphira said happily as she landed carefully in the clearing with Ilian close behind her. Eragon sighed.
That is fantastic news Saphira. He said softly, not taking his eyes off Arya who was now standing beside Ilian. "I am going to head back to camp now," She said with a trace of regret. "I will see you back there?" Eragon nodded in answer, but the elf had already started making her way towards the light that was the campfire some meters away, that she didn't see.
Did I interrupt something? Saphira asked as she watched Arya walk away.
It is alright Saphira. We were just talking. Eragon said, rising from the ground. We should probably be getting back anyway, it is getting late and I want to spar with Murtagh.
Alright little one, let us go. Don't think on Arya too much, she will come around.
Eragon turned to her with slight confusion. Do you think so?
No Eragon, I know so. Saphira replied with a large dragon smile that lit up her eyes. Let us return.
I hope you guys liked this chapter. Once again, sorry it took so long to update, but I hope you liked the Eragon/Arya moment. Quite a few of you wanted to read more of them. Please leave a review and I will try to update sooner next time. Thanks. Xx Oh, I couldn't remember the real name for the ring Brom gave Eragon, but was I close?? Please tell me if I have it wrong. :(