Chapter 11- The Past Plays Over in a Slightly More Interesting Way Due to the Fact that I was there to Narrate It…
That night when I was in my tent I heard Arya sighing; I went out to see what was wrong but someone beat me to it.
"What's wrong Arya," asked Eragon.
"I, I, I don't know," she said. "I'm scared about seeing my mother."
Eragon grunted; that he could understand. They had a temperamental relationship at the best of times. "But I'm also confused."
"About what?" I leaned closer to hear the answer.
"About you," she admitted. You could almost hear the click of his brain and the snap of his backbone as he sat up poker straight when he realised what she had said. I stifled a giggle.
"Oh, right," he said going pink. "Well, erm, I, erm, I don't, well, er, you see I don't," he stuttered not seeming to know what he was meant to say.
"Um, um, um? Is that all you can say?" she asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously, her tone ominous.
"Um," he said again stupidly.
"For Gunteras sake!" Arya screeched suddenly furious. She slapped him on the cheek so hard that his head snapped to the side and his cheek started to swell immediately and then ran off in the direction of the lagoon I had seen earlier. He stared after her dumbstruck once his cheek had calmed down and his head was the facing the right way, then gathered together his thoughts and ran after her stooping to pick a flower on the way. I too ran after them wondering what would happen.
"Arya, Arya. Arya?" he called. "Where are you? I'm sorry." We found her sobbing next to the deep blue gentle waters of the lagoon. "Arya?" he asked more gently than before.
"Go away," she said feebly.
"No," said Eragon quietly as he continued to just stand there and look at her.
Eventually she said, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," Eragon replied sitting next to her. I climbed up a tree to get a better view. "I'm sorry that I rejected you as you did to me at the Agaeti Blodhren but I'm not sure its safe for us to be together anymore."
"So I'm saying I do love you and you're rejecting me?" she asked her voice dangerously low. She arched her eyebrows and gave him a Look. I tried really hard to not laugh then.
"Yes, I'm sorry," he said as she started to cry again. He hesitantly put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "You know you asked about Faolin before," she asked and felt him stiffen beside her. She took it as a yes. "Well. I did love him but I've moved on now. We can make it work," she pleaded, her eyes wide. I watched trying to smother my laughter as his face changed from delighted, to confused, to guarded and lastly stony. He didn't move.
He knew that if he looked into her eyes he would have to give in instantly. He chose his next words carefully. "You confuse me. You won't be my friend then you get jealous when I dance with someone else and now you're like this." He threw his hands up in despair. "But…" another deep sigh. "I love you too Arya, I never did stop loving you but what if Galbatorix learned that we are together then he would use you to get to me and I can't let that happen so until after this war ends we cant be together. I'm sorry," he took a breath and added quickly again before gently untangling himself from Arya, who sat frozen in shock, and walked away briskly.
Though from my tree view I could see he had tears in his eyes. Hmm the phrase 'cruel to be kind' springs to mind.