A few things to say before this chapter: Clearing up what anyone has wondered about this book, I wrote the first like 4-5 chapters just to see how it would be if Islanzadi was nice and somewhat open about things. I had a few different ideas of what to do, and as I was writing I decided to go back on one of my plot-paths which is why you will find a random appearance in this chapter that alters E/A's mission. It's not because of bad writing, it's because I just didn't feel like re-writing the chapter when I could solve the situation far easier.
Chapter 3: Campfire
Roran had instructed his men to build a large campfire for the night. It had just been finished, and Eragon took a slight pleasure in knowing that he and Arya could have made the fire with little to no effort in a fraction of the time, but since they were not asked they didn't offer.
The sun had already set upon the plains and the only source of light was the massive fire before them. Eragon sat close to Arya on a short log, only big enough for the two of them.
Roran sat a small distance away from Eragon, near Carn; Eragon had made a point of learning all of their names. Many of the men were laughing and making jokes back and forth, enjoying themselves and their temporary freedom from military life.
Garth, who had apparently drunk quite a bit of their supply of mead, gestured to Eragon and asked, "So, Shadeslayer," he paused as he thought for a moment. He smiled and corrected himself, "Sorry, Shadeslayers, as it is now, what brings you on this mission with us? We have been told that you were to command it, but since that is not the case we wonder why you are here."
"To observe," Eragon said simply, he had no desire to elaborate on his statement, and Arya apparently shared that sentiment for she remained quiet next to him.
Garth asked a moment later, "What is it with elves? You're always so quiet and calm, never showing a hint of emotion nor a slight bit of sadness at the death of one of your comrades."
Out of the corner of his eye Eragon noticed Arya tense slightly a hint of anger found its way on to her face. The other humans wouldn't notice, Eragon only did because of how often he studied her. Before she could say something to retort to Garth's words Eragon spoke. "I doubt you have ever gotten to know an elf properly. They display emotions, just not exactly the same way humans do. Right now I feel a whole slew of them; anger, fear, loss, sadness, amusement."
"Fear?" someone else asked.
"Aye." He was somewhat surprised that Roran hadn't decided to intervene and stop his men from asking potential rude questions, but he really didn't mind. They had a right to feel as they did and he respected that, he only hoped that Arya wouldn't be offended by anything the men said.
"And you," Straven asked, motioning to Arya. "Do you know what it's like to be loved? Do you know what it is like to love?"
Arya slowly met Straven's gaze, and he shrank back slightly as he saw the anger burning in her eyes. Eragon could tell she was straining to control herself. "I know what it is like, do you?"
"I have a wife back at the Varden, that's probably more than you can claim," he challenged, angered by her retort.
"That's enough," Eragon interjected before Arya did something rash. "Arya lost the one she loved in the war, don't push such topics. I will not stand for it." Eragon noticed that Roran appeared to be hiding a slight smile, and he knew why. On their mission to Helgrind Eragon had told Roran of his feelings for Arya and how he had tried to pursue her, so it was only natural for Roran to be amused by him defending her so strongly.
"My apologies, I didn't know," Straven said, slightly humbled by Eragon's words.
"No, you didn't. Did you?" Arya said icily, causing a chill to go down Eragon's spine. He wriggled slightly and adjusted his position, moving his feet slightly closer to the fire.
Eragon was glad when Carn changed the topic by asking, "I'm quite curious, for I have never met a shade, what are they like? And how did you both manage to kill one, from my knowledge there have only been two others who have survived the feat in the history of elves and humans. What's your secret?"
Eragon glanced down, slightly embarrassed by the words he spoke. He said, "Arya distracted Durza in Tronjheim so I was able to slay him. We won that battle together; it was just I that dealt the final blow."
"And the one you killed a few days ago?" Garth piped back up; apparently he had abandoned his previous topic and chosen to be a bit friendlier.
"Varaug…" Arya whispered. Her voice was colored with several emotions, but the strongest were anger, fear, and hate. "He was strong…so strong…"
"Then how did you kill him?" Carn asked, talking only to Arya. It wasn't common knowledge that Eragon played a huge role in the death of the shade.
Arya patted Eragon's thigh slightly. "He had me by the throat; there was nothing I could have done. Eragon attacked him mentally, I'm sure only Carn will truly understand what that means, and managed to hold him at bay long enough for me to kill him. I really didn't do much anything."
"I wouldn't put it like that," Eragon said, trying to preserve her title in the eyes of the Varden. "I couldn't have killed him and fought him mentally at the same time, there were too many spirits."
This time Horst spoke up, he was sitting near Roran and Carn listening intently to what Eragon had been saying. "Something I've wondered, what's it like sharing a mind with someone for your entire life? I couldn't ever imagine it."
Even Arya looked at Eragon when Horst asked that, she seemed to have been wondering something similar. He sighed uncomfortably, fidgeting with the edge of his tunic. Eventually he managed to say, "It's not something that is easily described…Just think of having a very intelligent, blunt, and amusing second personality that is constantly giving you advice and saving you from problems. I can't think of any other way to describe it."
"So," Roran commented dryly. "Saphira saves you from problems does she?"
"If you only knew," Arya muttered with barely controlled amusement. Several men laughed at her joke, those who knew slightly more about him.
"Okay what's that supposed to mean?" Eragon asked with distaste. He had never been one to take a joke all that great, and when Saphira wasn't around he felt especially vulnerable.
Arya shook his shoulder playfully and said, "This…Rider gets himself into so much trouble it's hard to believe at first. At least when Saphira is with him most of his bodyguards can rest slightly peacefully without worrying about him running off in the middle of the night to go duel someone."
"He's done that?" Carn asked, amused.
"No," Eragon said gruffly. "Although I admit I do get into quite a few sticky situations when Saphira isn't around."
"Like…?" Carn urged him on, eager to find out more about the person who all of Alagaesia depended on.
"Well…there's me almost getting assassinated among the dwarves." Eragon wasn't which of the many events he should pick from.
The sound of slight snoring filled the clearing; apparently one of Roran's men, Garth, had fallen asleep. Eragon chuckled slightly and muttered a few spells that would quiet his irritating sounds. Ignoring the interruption Horst asked, "You almost got assassinated? Who would assassinate you?"
Arya continued to watch him with interest, he was sure that she had been informed of the events through either Saphira or Nasuada, but she probably wanted some more information. He said, "Well seven," he paused. "I think it was seven…anyway seven dwarves ambushed me in the tunnels of Farthen Dur. This was back when I had a weaker human made sword and it broke almost instantly, leaving me with only a dagger to fight off a bunch of dwarf magicians, which was no small task. In the end I broke one of the dwarfs' lanterns, causing a massive explosion and killing the last attacker, but not after he had managed to kill one of my friends, Kvistor. Anyway the event led to the election of Orik as king so looking back on it I'm sort of grateful it happened, I just wish that Kvistor hadn't died."
Eragon was slightly surprised as Arya stroked his back gently, easing his discomfort with her touch. He doubted any of the humans noticed her actions, but it was still strange for her to be so open with him. He sighed and said, "I think I'm going to go for a quick walk, I'll be back shortly." He got up and walked off into the distance, and to his surprise he found Arya walking right next to him, lending the support of her company. After they had walked a decent way away from the humans she seemed to relax a bit more. They both sat down quietly in the dark, waiting for the other to talk.
Eragon eventually broke the silence by asking her, "So, why did you choose to follow me?"
"I didn't want to be alone with those humans." Arya's words came with a slight hesitation. She quickly added, "Thank you for what you did tonight, making sure I didn't overreact to one of their statements. It saved me quite a great deal of embarrassment."
"Of course," he replied as if it was just an expected duty, nothing worthy of thanks. "I understand what you are going through and feeling, Arya. If you need something don't hesitate to ask."
"I wanted to kill that man, Straven," Arya admitted in a whisper. Eragon looked to his side to see a few, almost invisible, tears forming in her eyes, tears of guilt and anger. "He had no idea whereof he spoke; he had no idea what effect such simple words as his had on me." She met his gaze. "You know what I'm talking about, Eragon. That's why you stopped him, and probably saved him at the same time."
Eragon had no clue that Straven's words had meant that much to her, he had just thought she was angry for him questioning elves as a whole. He hadn't quite realized the personal depths that it extended to until that point. He half hesitantly rested on of his hands on her shoulder and said in as comforting a voice possible, "Don't worry, I won't let them say anything like that anymore."
Arya tilted her head slightly, brushing his fingers against her cheek. "But what if you don't know? I haven't told you of many of my problems, what if they ask about something you don't know about?"
"I can tell what vexes you by your appearance, Arya. You forget I spent an entire summer in Ellesmera trying to woo you, I grew quite accustomed to determining your state of mood just by simple appearance."
That got a slight laugh out of Arya for she knew it was true. It seemed something good had indeed came from his unfortunate blunders in Ellesmera, for which he was grateful. She finally said, "Thank you for being here for me, especially when so many seem set against me."
Eragon slid his hand down from her shoulder and instead wrapped it around her, creating a more comfortable touch between them. In the ancient language he said to her, "Even if the whole world abandoned you I would still be here for you." Her mood seemed to lighten somewhat, and why wouldn't it? He had just sworn in the ancient language to always be there for her, she should be happy.
She laid her head on his shoulder contentedly and they stood together in the night, watching the stars peacefully.
--
"I think I'm going to take a quick walk, I'll be back shortly," Eragon said.
Roran was amused when Arya followed Eragon off into the night, leaving the humans alone around their campfire. Once he was sure they had walked far enough away so that they couldn't hear them he said, "They're not what you expected, are they?"
"No," Carn admitted. "They seem so…sad."
"For all the benefits of being an elf it is also one of their greatest curses. They do not have a mortal end, they will live on indefinitely. Every mistake they make will haunt them for eternity, and every loss they experience will act the same," Roran explained to several of the men, especially those who had been interrogating Arya and Eragon so thoroughly.
"What losses could they possibly experience?" Garth asked dryly, still unconvinced that elves were good. He had obviously woken up from his momentary nap.
"If you're trying to get an emotional reaction out of them, just wait. You have no idea how much Eragon has lost in this war…no idea."
"Then tell me," Garth challenged.
"It is not my place," Roran whispered, uncomfortable with withholding information from his men. It didn't feel right. He almost felt as if he was betraying their trust by not telling them what he knew, yet at the same time he knew that the information was not meant for them.
"Fine then, I'll ask him," Garth said simply, apparently unafraid of the consequences if he phrased his question improperly. "And what of the girl, Arya? What could she have lost?"
"Okay," Roran said, growing impatient. "You can have your opinions and such, but I would strongly advise that you revise your perception of Arya. She is no mere 'girl'; she could pick you up with two fingers and toss you a hundred feet into the night if she wanted." Roran hoped that Garth would get the message and change his condescending tone towards the elves, for if he didn't there were bound to be problems later in the trip.
He was pleased as Horst backed him up. "I agree with Roran, Garth. You need to shut up. You clearly didn't see what most of us did this morning, the duel between those two. They are so much more powerful than any of us can possibly understand. With great power comes great responsibility, maybe that's why they seem more dull, they have to worry about so many other people's problems."
"I never really though about it that way," Garth admitted. He still appeared unconvinced as a whole but Roran was satisfied that he wouldn't likely cause a huge problem by saying something foolish to Eragon, or more likely, Arya.
"Take it from me," Carn said. "I know many of you think I'm pretty powerful as a magician…but they're both hundreds of times more powerful than me. I can't even fathom what it would be like to be so powerful, to be able to hold people's lives in the palm of your hand."
Roran nodded, supporting what Carn had said. "You seem to forget that I grew up with Eragon. I spent fifteen years living with him and getting to know him, he is no monster or fiend. On the contrary, you have no idea the extents he goes to in order to ensure that he kills the fewest men possible in order to accomplish his goal. He willingly puts his life on the line to save even the most insignificant man lying in the street. One day you'll understand what we're saying, hell if you survive this war it is because he is there to save you. Do you honestly think any of us would be alive right now if Eragon didn't exist?"
"I suppose you're right-" Garth stopped talking as Eragon and Arya both returned together. Roran noticed that Arya seemed less tense and that Eragon looked a bit more peaceful than before They sat down on the log together and seemed to ignore the looks of confusion people were giving them.
"How do you move so silently?"
--
Eragon looked up at the man who had asked the question, Horst, one of his old childhood friends. He decided to give an honest answer, and why shouldn't he? "It comes from being an elf, I'm not exactly sure why."
"Interesting," he murmured, seeming disappointed by the answer. For the first time Eragon stopped for a moment to consider how many of the men under Roran's command were from Carvahall. He came up with roughly one third of them, quite a large percent of his group.
Fisk, whom Eragon remembered to be the carpenter, asked, "So, Eragon, are you finally courting someone? I seem to remember that you never got close to anyone in Carvahall."
Eragon was slightly embarrassed by the question and nervous with Arya sitting next to him. In a calm and collected tone he said, "No, I'm not courting."
"Anyone you're interested in?" another asked.
This time more of the men looked at Eragon with curiosity, interested to see if he fancied any of the women in the Varden. Eragon himself wasn't sure if Arya would appreciate him revealing their past problems to the group so he said simply, "There is one person."
"Nasuada?" one asked.
Eragon chuckled slightly. "No, not her."
"Then who?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Eragon replied teasingly, he wasn't going to tell them anything more about his personal life than he was forced to by their questions.
For the next few minutes Eragon had to repeat 'no' over fifty times as the men started naming off various noblewomen of the Varden and such, none of whom he was interested in. He glanced at Roran and observed that he was staying quiet so as not to slip up and tell everyone. Eragon nodded slightly in thanks, which Roran mimicked.
"It's her," Garth said, motioning to Arya with his hand. "Isn't it?"
What do I say? He asked Arya quickly.
She took a moment to respond, I'm not sure. I would really prefer to not tell him, especially him, but I don't see a way around it.
He decided to lie and save Arya, and him, the embarrassment. "No," he told Garth simply. Everyone looked down with disappointed faces for they had thought that Garth had been right, after all Eragon had spent a much longer time considering his question than any other names.
Eragon felt a familiar presence approaching, which puzzled him. Who could be out here at this time of night that I would know?
He extended his mind southwards and to his surprise he found Saphira speeding towards them. As if in answer to his inevitable questions she said, Nasuada thinks that you should remain with the Varden rather than running around with Roran on some insignificant mission, I agree. You are coming with me back to the Varden, she wants you to take some time off and relax, your earlier words had quite an effect on her apparently.
Eragon felt Arya giving him a strange look, for she undoubtedly sensed the presence as well. He told Saphira to land near him and cut off the connection. To Arya he whispered, "We're leaving, Saphira is on the way."
"Why?" she asked, just as quietly.
"Apparently Nasuada thinks it is necessary for me to take a bit of time off and not go off on such a petty mission."
"Alright, when is Saphira going to arrive?"
"From her position I estimate only a few minutes, we should be ready to leave," he told her softly.
Garth had noticed their lips moving and he asked, "What are you whispering about over there?"
Eragon smiled at him for a moment before saying, "Nasuada wants me and Arya to return to the Varden. Good luck on your mission."
"What?" Roran asked, clearly confused.
Eragon simply shrugged as he felt Saphira grow closer and closer. The dragon roared and dove out of the sky, landing only a few feet behind Eragon and Arya. Dozens of curses and shouts echoed in the night as men reached for their weapons, and then returned them to their original positions as they realized that it was Saphira, not an enemy.
Both he and Arya stood up and jumped onto Saphira, eager to leave the men behind, especially Garth. Arya settled into position behind Eragon and wrapped one of her arms around his waist, holding him tightly as Saphira jumped into the sky.
How long until we reach the Varden? Arya asked Eragon and Saphira.
Two or three hours, your group actually covered quite a distance today.
Eragon heard Arya yawn behind him and she laid her head on his back, using him as a pillow. He took note of her actions and said, "If you want to sleep you can sit in front, I'll make sure you don't fall."
She moved her head from his back and loosened her arm that was wrapped around him. "That would be a good idea, but how would we switch positions?"
Eragon turned around and placed both of his hands on either side of Arya's waist, picking her up effortlessly. He was surprised by how light she was, but he paid no heed as he slowly maneuvered her around him to sit in front. As Eragon set Arya down in front he scooted back slightly, making enough room for her to sit between him and the neck spike.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Sleep Arya, I won't let you fall." She visibly relaxed from his words and leaned back against his chest, trusting him to keep her safe while she rested.