Chapter 5:
He had his arms crossed across his chest, switching between Arya and Nealin, a deep frown across his face as he struggled to understand the story they were both telling. From what he gathered, Nealin was a nice girl, but she had the habit of running away from her family. And even as he struggled to understand why she did this, a question bubbled up inside of Eragon.
'Wait, why did she send you?' he directed the question to Nealin, and her cheeks began to colour a deep red. He turned his head slightly in amusement.
'I might've lied. Just a little….' And as she trailed off, Arya's eyes filled with sadness, and she gently placed a hand on her sister's back.
'Mother did this to me, too.' Said Arya, she directed the words to Nealin, but she was talking to them both.
'When my father died she treated me like I was not part of her anymore, she ostracized me, and when she tried to patch things together, I had changed so much, and I did not put any effort. And when we finally sat down to talk, the first thing I asked her as why she didn't want me, she said it was because I looked just like him, my eyes, and my mouth.' A tear ran down her cheek, falling silently to the floor. Eragon ground his teeth in fury.
'No, she just told me to run to the varden. Never come back. And when I got my things and walked out the tent, I could hear her say that she loved me, I didn't even turn around to look.' Instead of Arya's sad look, she held one of anger. Silence pervaded his tent; he began to message his temples, as he breathed in rhythm, trying to calm himself.
'Did you bring a tent, Nealin?' Eragon distracted himself by casting his mind to what they should do. Nealin shook her head. It was then that Eragon noticed she had a petite form. He had to shake his head slightly to change his thoughts.
'Arya, how big is your tent?' she looked at him, suspicious.
'It will only fit one person' she said shortly.
'Then one of you can stay in my tent tonight while I'll sleep under Saphira's wing, if it's ok with her.' he replied. A puff of smoke drifted into the tent as she snorted.
Of course, little one, I love when you sleep next to me. Happiness flowed through their link, and he could not help but smile.
'It is only until we get a tent erected. So maybe one or two nights.' He nodded as he thought about it.
They both nodded. And as they said farewell, Arya bent light around Nealin, and stepped silently through the tent flap.