Chapter 22:
Beginning of the End
Arya was on Eragon's cot sobbing quietly. It had been two hours since Eragon had left, and she couldn't sense him at all. She was alone, with no friends, no one to console her, no one to help her. She knew that what she had done was wrong, and it had taken the loss of her best and only friend to realize exactly how wrong it was. She had lost him. She wondered if this was how he had felt when she herself had rejected him and left him. Had he really felt this bad?
The sound of loud thumping crashed upon her ears, and she jumped up, awaiting Eragon and Saphira's arrival. Arya ran outside the tent, and looked around for them. She couldn't discern a large, glittering blue dragon anywhere, nor could she sense Eragon or Saphira. The thumping grew louder, and as it did, it seemed to be stronger than that of Saphira's graceful wing strokes. Then she found the source of the commotion.
Thorn flew over the Varden, burning everything in his path, and on his back sat Murtagh, Zar'roc raised high.
Arya immediately ran towards them. She signaled the twelve other elves that made up Eragon's guards, and tried to reach what remained of Du Vrangr Gata. She found a large mass of men swarming around under the Rider and dragon, and found that there were many thousands more than there were in the Varden. They're invading, she realized quickly. As she found weapons, she hoped that Eragon was close, because if he didn't arrive soon, then they were doomed.