Sorry if it seems like I'm taking longer and longer to update. I had to go on a serious of vacations but I'm done with them now, and should return to my usual speed. Also, due to popular request I've reactivated the anonymous review setting, meaning that anyone that reads it can review. However it's my right as the author of this story to immediately delete a anonymous review. Anyways here's the next chapter!
Explanation
The three of them packed their belongings and left the inn, making their way back to the place where Eragon had re-met Megan. K'eray quickly
started to complain about her tiredness and Arya picked her up onto her back and carried her while they walked. Arya's heart was still pumping
in her chest from Kroger's touch. She could not comprehend why she had enjoyed it. He had raped her so many times, and yet now, 75 years
later, his touch was as pleasing to her as Faolin's. Perhaps it was a spell. She skimmed through her knowledge of magic and found no hint of
being able to make someone forget memories in such a fast amount. True someone could wipe a person's memory out, but not that immense
quantity. Such a task was beyond even Kroger. He did say that he had grown stronger 'since the last time he pleased my worthless hide'. But then
again that was just a nightmare of him. Arya was confused. She still feared Kroger, due to the things he had done to her, but at the same time
she almost felt the same for him as she did for Eragon. She realized that with self disgust. What is wrong with me? How could I possibly care for
him? Arya stored the thought away for a later time. They were nearing the restaurant now and she didn't want to give Megan the satisfaction of
laughing at her for having to gather her thoughts when she first talking to her. She cast a sidelong glance at Kroger and say him smiling with
warm affection at her. She snarled as two thoughts entered her mind, both conflicting with each other. One side of her wanted to smile back at
him, the other wanted to shout at him to stop. He laid a hand on her back, right in the center of her shoulder blades, and whispered in her ear,
"Again, and I can never say this enough, I am sorry for what I did." Arya wanted to shove him away but she thought, Queen. Act like a Queen if
you want to be one. She looked through her queen-like available options. Only one can to her, and she glared inwardly at herself for even
thinking that an option. She sighed, giving in to her diplomatic responsibilities. She leaned over and kissed him twice. Once on the lips and once
on the brow. The elven form of accepting an apology. Kroger seemed incredible surprised, and pleased, as her lips brushed over his. His head
jerked forward and he kissed her again. Arya pulled back and punched him. No matter what her insides did she loved Eragon, not Kroger and
she refused to let him get more and more comfortable around her. The more and more he did the more and more the chances went up that he
would feel okay with raping her. Kroger backed off and rubbed the spot where her fist, loaded with all the power of an elf, had landed on him.
He lowered his head, shamed-faced. "I'm sorry. I offer no excuse except that your lips are very seductive, and I temporarily lost control of
myself." Arya snarled. There were no conflicting thoughts in her mind this time. He had done the wrong thing and had openly admitted to it. "So
long as my 'seductive lips' do not tempt you farther then you are able, then I see no reason to punish you. However, let it happen again and I
will see to it that you are brought to the proper punishment for your actions." Kroger nodded. A small light of hope light up in his eyes. "Well if
that's the case could I at least kiss you once more?" Arya thought for a moment. Well there's no queen-like reason to let him. "No." With that they
went into the restaurant that Megan and Eragon were in. She saw Eragon sitting at a table, talking to Megan.
The girl was leaning back onto Eragon, laying a hand on his chest while she whispered in his ear. Eragon did not react positively or negatively,
simply acted as if she was not there. That seemed to amuse and further Megan's wants, what ever they were. Arya walked up and with inhuman
speed and strength pulled Megan of of Eragon, and took her rightful place by his side. Megan was surprised, but not upset at their sudden
arrival. On the contrary she stared up at Arya in awe and interest. She stood and said, "What are you?" Arya's mouth twisted in a smile. "I will
explain what I am, along with my companions, are when we reach your house." Eragon stared blankly at a mug of ale in his hand, obviously
trying to ignore Megan at all costs. Megan tried to hold back a grin, but it spread on her face none the less. "Well, actually, my uncle came by
earlier and said that we only have room for three." She pointed at herself. "One." She turned her hand and pointed it at a table where a man,
Ivor, sat. "Two." She turned again so she was facing Eragon and Arya. She pointed at Eragon. "Three. Oh dear. It seems as though Eragon is
the only one that can stay with us." The mug Eragon previously held rattled on the table as he dropped it. He looked up at Megan, through hair
that had grown to some lengths, and rapped and arm around Arya. "Where she goes, I go. If you want me to stay at your house, you'd better
make arrangements to let her stay as well." Megan seemed slightly upset, at first, but the shifted her weight to the other leg, and with that
shift, her barred emotions. "Alright Eragon. If it was anyone else I would say that it is my house. But for you-" She leaned over the table,
pushing her elbow into Arya's face, and whispered seductively in his ear-"my house is your house, and my bed is your bed if you want." Then
she withdrew and walked back a few paces so that she could lean on a near by wall. The way she leaned against it, with her whole body nearly
at obtuse angle, it left her dress slacking in one part, so that a portion of her breast stuck out of her to big of a shirt, and left it in Eragon's full
view. Eragon did not even cast a glance in her direction. Through her magical ability Arya heard Megan think, You're playing hard now, but just wait
until we're alone. Arya knew it was discourteous and offensive to intrude on anothers thoughts, but she had to know what the young women
was thinking. Arya stood up and sat, "We need to go." Megan nodded and stood up straight. With her the party of five left for Megan's house,
which took them an hour and a half to reach. Megan walked next to Eragon the whole time, pushing Arya out of the way when ever she
approached. Finally they reached her house. Arya, for some reason, thought she had seen the place before. Looking to her left, rage filled her.
Not a hundred feet away was the exact same restaurant that they had left from. Before she could say anything, K'eray bumped into her. "I'm
sorry, Arya." Arya went inside the building and found herself in a large six room apartment. There was a kitchen, bathroom, and four bedrooms.
'Could only fit three.' Ha!
Megan took Eragon's bags and took them to one of the rooms. She did that with all the others, except Arya who put hers in the one Megan had
left Eragon's. Eragon was sitting by the fire, which roared at his word, so Megan openly glared at Arya. She tossed her long blond hair and said,
"I'm sorry, but you're going to have to take those bags out of there. That's my room and you're not sleeping in it. You're sleeping in Ivor's room."
Eragon closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. With a whirlwind of movement and wind, Arya's and Eragon's bags were in an empty room. He
stood up and said, "I'm sorry Megan, but I have been charged with this woman's well being and it is important to stay close to her if at all
possible. Megan nodded and simply said, "Fine. Now explain what you guys are, and how Eragon did what he just did." Arya sat down close to
Eragon and stared into the fire. It did not heat her forehead, because Eragon had laid upon her powerful wards from being to hot. She looked at
Kroger and K'eray, both of whom had just sat down. "Take off your bandannas." The two elves reached behind their heads and gripped the ties
that held the strip of cloth to their head, hiding their pointed ears. The straps feel and Megan gasped. "Elves?" Arya undid hers, as did Eragon.
Megan seemed especially surprised to see his, as she had grown up with them being curved. She walked over to him and sat so close to him
that a piece of paper could not slip between them. Jealousy filled Arya, but she suppressed it. Megan whispered, "What happened to you?"
Eragon cleared his throat and said, "I tell you this as a symbol of trust, don't break that trust, which means do not share this with anyone." Then
he told her of all the events that had happened since he left Carvahall. He ended with his learning of the power word. Megan seemed to think
that he would share it with her. "So what is the word?" Eragon looked at her as if she had asked something that made him doubt her
intelligence, which rightfully she had. "You should know better then that." Megan nodded, as if just starting to understand the stupidity of her
question. She waved a hand at Kroger, Arya and K'eray as if they were statues of the real people. "So who are they?" Eragon looked at Arya,
and for a slight sliver of a second, showed all his love for her. He pointed at her and said, "That is the daughter of the queen of the elves,
Izlanzadi." Megan did not even look at Arya, which meant that even with the knowledge she did not hold Arya in high esteem. He pointed at
K'eray. "That is her apprentice." Megan did not even seem to realize the elf mattered. Lastly Eragon's finger pointed at Kroger, at which point he
tightened his hand. Arya thought he was going to say something bad about him but he just simply said, "And that is the most powerful elf in
Alagaesia, excluding the queen." Megan looked at Kroger with some small amount of interest, a great deal more then she had shown Arya, and
said to him, "Well it is a pleasure to meet you." Kroger inclined his head. "Atra esterní ono thelduin."
Megan looked confusedly at Eragon. Eragon leaned forward so he could see past Arya at Kroger. For the first time he looked at Kroger with a
smile. "You know she can't speak the words of power." Kroger smiled back and said, "No, but that does not mean that I should abandon
courtesy." Eragon leaned back and said, "What Kroger said means, 'May good fortune rule over you.' It's apart of the elven language." Megan
nodded slowly, as if she still didn't understand but wanted to get past the subject. Eragon looked at her and said, "Oh, right, you haven't been
properly introduced to these three. He looked with love at Arya. "This is Arya." He looked at Kroger, "And that one, the one that spook in elven,
is Kroger." Megan dipped her head. Eragon turned to K'eray, who sat in the middle of Arya and Kroger. "And this is K'eray." Megan's eyes
brightened as they fell onto the young elf. She walked over, shoved Arya out of the way, and sat down beside her. "Oh my, you're a pretty
young thing. I bet you have a boyfriend by now." K'eray's eyes tightened in confusion. "Of course I have friends that are male. Don't you?"
Eragon shook his head and stood up. "She means are you in love with someone yet?" K'eray lowered her gaze to the band that had covered her
forehead, as if wishing to put it back on. She was about to answer when Arya stepped in. "Is it not a girl's right to conceal that information if it is
her wish?" Megan looked at Arya as if she was an inconsequential speak. Kroger stood and said, "I agree with Arya. If our young K'eray wanted
to tell us, she would. As Lindra wrote, 'Do not beat on an black ant hill, merely for the sake of finding what is inside.' I think if she wasn't in love
then she would have no problem saying it." It looked like he was about to say more when someone shouted from the other side of the wall. It
was the sound of an old man yelling, "I swear if you don't shut the......up I my gona go over their and beat you so.....hard you're gona have
to......before you.....you mother.....son of a......If you don't shut up right now I'm gona beat the......living......out of your.....hide!" Megan looked
panicked and then looked at the others and shouted, "Lie on the ground, now!" They all went down on their backs and fourteen darts shout into
the room over them. The old man spook again. "Yeah and maybe that......teach you to.....shut the..... up when I'm trying to.......sleep! Shoot
man; come in here trying to sleep and she come in and...." His voice faded into the distance and Megan stood up. Whispering now she said,
"Alright, we had better go to sleep, now!" Eragon nodded at started to crawl to the room where he had left his bags. Megan grabbed his
shoulder. "Oh no you don't. That's the room he could get at you easiest. No ones sleeping in there."
Eragon glared up at her and whispered, "Where am I going to sleep?" Megan thought for a moment and then brightened. "Well that All Powerful
Elf, Kroger, can sleep with Arya, because he'll have the easiest time protecting her. As for you, I need some protection as well." She looked at
the small hole from which the darts had come. "Old man's insane. If you hear deep inhales get behind something solid that's in between you and
that hole." Before Eragon could say anything she dragged him off to her room. Panic gripped Arya. She cast a glance at Kroger who was looking
at her with his blue eyes. He went over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. K'eray lay down on the couch. "I'm sleeping her if it's alright."
Kroger nodded and gently pushed Arya's shoulder to their room. "Come on. We've got a long way to go tomorrow and we need to sleep." Slowly
she walked to the room, looking at it as if she were a pig and it a slaughter house. When they were in the room Kroger closed the door and
window and lay down on the bed. Arya stayed as close to the door as possible. Kroger's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "What's wrong?"
She looked at him and then at the two person bed. "I'm scared." Kroger looked at her as if she was talking nonsense. "What are you scared of?"
A choked sob came from Arya. "I'm scared of you. I don't want to get in that bed because I'm afraid I'll wake up with fewer cloths on then when I
went to sleep." Comprehension spread on Kroger's face. He stood up and walked over to her. He put a hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed
it. "Arya I won't do anything to you. The fire that burned for you inside me has burned itself to ashes. I no longer have the desire to force myself
onto you." Arya looked at him. He looked so much like Faolin that they were practically identical. "You look so much like Faolin." Kroger shrugged.
"We're twins." Arya nodded as if that were obvious, and it was. "You know what you did to me, and how it made my life a nightmare
thereafter?" Kroger nodded. "I understand now the error of my ways. Faolin always got what he wanted. He got what he wanted and my power
grew stronger every day. I'm not much older then you Arya. I'd say less then a decade. When we were growing up Faolin got everything his
heart desired. I couldn't stand to let him have you too." Arya was upset to hear him talk like that but did not broach the topic. "Why do you
peruse me so?" Kroger again shrugged. "It's love. Like pain it needs no description." Still rubbing her shoulder he slowly moved his hand from
her shoulder to her chest. There his hand hovered a quarter of an inch over her breast. He leaned over so his mouth was beside her ear. "You
know that I love you, right?" Arya shuddered as his hand closed on her breast and started to massage it. "Relax. All will be well." Arya forced her
limbs to relax. "Now, come on. We have a large distance to cover tomorrow." She walked, in a trance, to the bed. "You can't sleep in your cloths.
It would be uncomfortable. Take them off." She nodded dumbly and stripped herself. She got into the bed and Kroger got in beside her. The first
time he touched her naked breast a river of memories suddenly shot into her mind. Her eyes popped open as she again felt Eragon's touch, and
heard Eragon's voice. As she remembered those things she realized that Kroger had put her under a trance. She pulled away from him and
punched him square in the face. He jerked and said, "What the..."Arya jumped out of the bed, put on her cloths and went to Eragon's room.