Disclaimer: I am sorry for the exremely extended delay. I had a lot of diving to get done before I left the Hawaiian Islands in so little time. I also have about ten classes a day now, so delays will happen. Anyways, on with the story!
Tasha found herself in total darkness. She looked around for any signs of life, but found none. She could not even be sure that she was alive, for she could not even see her own skin. "Where am I?" she wondered aloud, though no one answered. She felt alone and cut off from the rest of the world. Her memories disapeared before her eyes. She no longer remembered who she was. Fear turned into panic. Her breaths came in quick, short gasps.
She felt a burning sensation on her right palm. Her eyes opened. She brought her hand up and looked at the burned brand of the gedwey ignasia. She gasped in pain. 'What's causing this?' she thought. 'And where the hell am I?'
A dozen arrows pointed down at her in a tight circle. "Name yourself, human!" growled one, a male voice. "And give your purpose for traveling so far into our forest!"
"My--my name?" Tasha questioned. She had forgot, and now her life would be taken for it. However, she found that she did not care. She felt as though she had done something that meant that she deserved death.
The elf, a blonde, rolled his eyes impatiently. "Yes, your name!" he snarled. "Humans are too slow," he hissed to the others in the ancient language. "And ignorant."
Most of the elves nodded in agreement. The two that did not frowned. "Lord Shadeslayer is not slow and ignorant," one replied sourly, a dark haired female.
"And neither am I," Tasha growled.
"A human that knows and understands the ancient language!" cried the first elf in the common tongue. He narrowed his eyes. "This one could be his!"
"She's a Shur'tugal!" cried a second female, this one with red-blonde hair. "Look at her right palm! It has the gedwey ignasia! There must be a skulblaka nearby!"
The first elf narrowed his eyes even more. His stare seemed to pierce right through Tasha. "She has no memories," he announced to his company. "Bind her in ropes! We will let Queen Arya question this girl when she is finished with King Roran."
Two elves pulled Tasha up. Something about the mention of Arya's name seemed familiar to the young rider. The two elves bound her wrists together. She glared at them. "Be careful, this Shur'tugal could already know how to use the gift that her skulblaka has given her," warned the first elf. He placed his arrow back into the quiver strung to his back. The others followed suit. The female elf with dark hair led Tasha through the forest. They placed a blindfold over her eyes.
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Arya spotted Roran's army on the horizon. Hurry, Galzra, she urged. Her hair whipped back as the wind played with it in an agressive dance. She angled her body as low as she could and realized that the first signs of pregnancy were showing. Galzra gained velocity and soon spotted Saphira flying low over the soldiers without Eragon on her back.
Eragon isn't riding Saphira, informed Galzra, stating the obvious.
He could be on horseback next to Roran, replied Arya hopefully.
Galzra glided past the rear flanks. Most of the soldiers jumped to their weapons, but as soon as they spotted Arya on Galzra's back, they relaxed and marched in formation. The green dragon landed next to Roran with a soft thud and scraping of his claws against the earth. The soldiers standing nearest to Roran backed away. I think that it would be best if you get on horse back while I take flight with Saphira, he told his rider.
Yes, I think that would be a good idea, replied Arya. Stay close. She dismounted with her usual grace and instead mounted a pure black horse and pulled up next to Roran. Galzra glided overhead. "King Roran!" she greeted formally. "Where is Lord Shadeslayer?"
Roran frowned. "He went ahead with my guard," he informed Arya.
Arya cursed under her breath in the ancient language. "When did he leave?" she questioned.
"Not too long ago, I imagine," answered Roran. "You might be able to catch up to him, but I would strongly advise that you go back to Du Weldenvarden with your people, Queen Arya."
Galzra, follow whatever order Roran gives you, ordered Arya quickly.
What do you think you are doing? demanded Galzra.
Arya ignored her dragon and spurred the horse foward. She galloped away in the distance. A couple of officers on horseback followed her, but she was the quicker rider and managed to speed ahead of them. Eragon . . ..
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Eragon walked his horse in the middle of his company. In the distance, he could see the Beor Mountains. 'My second home,' he thought. He gripped the hilt of his sword, testing his grip. He knew that if he dropped his sword during battle that he would surely be killed. "Keep close!" he ordered with obvious authority. "There could be ambushes set up all around these mountains!" He sent out his senses in hopes of finding any life forms.
The horses snorted and pranced, and Eragon instantly knew that something was wrong. His eyes darted around. "Raise your shields," he whispered and the men obeyed. Sheilds protected him from all sides. He tapped into his magic power and muttered the words that would protect the horses. "Stay calm," he whispered in the ancient language. "Keep moving foward."
About two hundred arrows flew out of a small valley toward the group. The arrows broke against the shields. A horde of soldiers ran from the main valley toward Eragon and his company.
Eragon . . ..
Eragon turned at hearing his name. He had to ignore it though and he hacked through the men on foot one by one. The men that Roran sent with him spread out to fight for their lives. 'I should never have agreed to bring them with me,' he thought bitterly. Saphira, tell Roran to make haste! he cried. We've been ambushed!
He brought his blade up and caught a war axe. He kicked the man holding the axe and hacked away at his skull. Brains and blood poored down on Eragon. He frowned and cursed as he stabbed another man.
They were soon over powered. Eragon's horse lay slain several feet away from him. He ran into the mountains, knowing that he could not kill all these men on his own. He found a small cave and hid in that. "Waise heile!" he whispered, healing his wounds with what magical strength he had left.
Saphira, where are you?
I can see the mountains from here, answered Saphira soothingly. Are you injured, little one?
Hardly, Eragon snorted. How far back is Roran and his soldiers?
About three leagues back, answered Saphira.
Eragon cursed under his breath. They will not be able to make it on time, he growled. Saphira . . .we cannot take these soldiers on our own . . ..
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Arya pulled back on the riens and stopped her horse. She could barely see the mountains on the horrizon and the smoke rising from them. Her fingers gripped Zar'roc's hilt and found herself wishing that she would not have to use that sword again in her lifetime. She spurred her horse foward and raced into the horrizon.
Her raven black hair flew behind her in a dance of fire. She saw the hoof prints of half a dozen other horses, possibly Eragon.
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Tasha felt the blind fold being removed several hours later. She found herself in a prison cell made out of tree roots and branches. The ropes that bound her hands remained.
"'here 'm I?" she asked loudly.
"Deep in the forest of Du Weldenvarden," answered the dark haired female that had ambushed Tasha earlier. "You will wait here until the Queen returns from her business with King Roran and Queen Katrina."
Disclaimer: See, I have not forgotten about my readers. I just simply had a writer's block and with school now starting, I have a pile of homework to do every night and I take ten classes total; seven at the school, and three of them are for the most part independant study. I will update when I have time. But I am also working on publishing an original story and that takes up only more time.