A.N: Hi! Um... I have no idea what to say besides sorry for the wait and a recap on the last chapter. So Arya and Firnen plan to visit Eragon and Saphira when Fru Cayo and Amet leave. The brown dragon egg has hatched for Elva who now looks nineteen years old. Yeah, that's about it. Let's get on with it.
3. The new rider.
"Elva?" Arya gasped. "Is that you?"
"Why yes it is." The girl said smugly. "How are you doing, Arya?"
"This is not the time." Arya said, dismissing the question. "A dragon has hatched for you, and you seem to be nineteen."
"Ah, yes. Did you forget that Eragon's curse makes me seem to age rapidly?" Arya shook her head. She had forgotten, with her mind being preoccupied with Eragon, but she didn't want to seem foolish in front of so many people who respected her.
"No, I am just... shocked." She breathed. "Have you mastered ignoring the need to help others in pain?" She remembered how Eragon had cast a counter-spell on the girl so she could choose to ignore the need Eragon's curse gave her to shield people from danger.
"Arya." Nasuada said before Elva had chance to respond. "Can Angela and I talk to you in private?"
"Of course." She said, leaving the room with them. Once outside, Nasuada turned to her.
"Elva is no further in her progress of mastering this ability." She said. "We suggested training her, but she refused."
"Training her?" Arya asked.
"Yes. The plan was to surround her with soldiers, to ensure her safety, and put convicted murderers to death behind a veil, so she cannot see any blood. Perfectly safe, but she said she did not need any training.
"She could be a real danger to herself and her dragon." Angela added. "Who knows what may happen if her dragon was under attack? She could be killed defending it and then her dragon could die from losing her! We see that the only option is to remove the curse, but we have yet to ask her."
"Speaking of her dragon, how is it? Is it male or female? Does it have a name?" Arya asked.
"Female." Nasuada said. "Elva has named her Rivira and she appears healthy. Anyways, as you know, the Name of Names is required to remove Elva's curse. We wish for you and Murtagh to persuade her. Feel free to take any necessary precautions to prevent us from learning the Name."
"Alright." Arya said. "I shall do it. But I must have all of you wait a good distance away from the parlour." The women nodded and they went back into the parlour.
Nasuada announced that everyone besides Rivira, Elva, Arya and Murtagh were to leave and stand well away from the parlour.
Firnen. Arya said to her dragon, who was the last to leave. Make sure nobody goes near the door. I trust Nasuada, but I am cautious of Orrin, and anyone who I do not know.
They won't get past me. Firnen replied.
Thank you. Firnen left and Arya whispered the Name of Names, using it to cast spells of silence on the walls and locking on the doors. Then she temporarily enchanted the Name with a spell of forgetfulness, so that Elva would forget it as soon as she heard it unless someone taught her it, like Galbatorix had done. She then turned to Elva.
"Elva." She began. "Nasuada and Angela tell me that you have not been working on ignoring the need to help people. We all agree that this is a danger now to Rivira. You must know that when a dragon's rider dies, there is a good chance that the dragon will die too from sorrow."
"Exactly." Murtagh took over. "Now, with your curse, if Rivira is under attack from a wolf or bandits or whatever it may be, you're urge to defend her in any way possible will be overwhelming. This could get you killed and then this could kill Rivira. Alternatively, if you needed to defend yourself, you may not be able to wound your opponents if you cannot ignore the urge to help them. If you refuse to train yourself, then the best option for your and Rivira's safety would be to use the Name of Names to remove the curse. It is your choice, but we would advise training or removing the curse." Elva sat still and silent, Rivira asleep on her lap.
"So, I could kill Rivira?" She said, all confidence knocked out of her.
"Indirectly, yes." Arya confirmed.
"Remove the curse." She whispered, quiet as a mouse. Tears leaked from her eyes. Arya felt sorry for the girl. Without her curse, Elva felt she would be an outcast, useless.
"What were the words used to curse you?" Arya asked.
"I am told they were 'Atra guila un ilian tauthr ono un atra onowaise skolir fra rauthr' in the ancient language, or 'May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune.'" Elva breathed. Arya considered this before kneeling down before her.
"I will remove the 'shield from misfortune' part of this blessing-turned-curse. However, you will still rapidly age but hopefully luck and happiness will follow you." Arya said gently to Elva before placing her hands on Elva's head. She said the Name of Names and began casting her spell to remove Eragon's curse. After a few minutes Arya finished and released Elva's head, stepping away.
"How do you feel?" Murtagh asked, approaching her. Elva stood up, now holding Rivira in her arms
"I-" She began. But before she could finish, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed. Murtagh caught her in his arms. Rivira woke and leapt from her rider's arms.
Panicked, Arya broke the spells on the walls and doors before running into the hallway.
"Angela! Firnen!" She cried. The two ran to the parlour. Others tried to follow but Nasuada yelled at them to stay put. Angela shrieked when she saw Elva on the floor.
"Arya, what have you done?" She asked, shaking Elva by the shoulders. She gasped as the mark on Elva's brow rippled and expanded. "Dear cabbages, she's turning silver!"
"I just removed the 'shield from misfortune' part of Eragon's spell! What's happening?"
"You fool!" She yelled. "You cannot remove part of a blessing or curse!"
"I didn't know!" She said defensively. "What's happening?"
"Eragon's blessing has been ripped in two, so Saphira's blessing wants to fix the tear. But as Saphira's blessing is physically shown and based upon Elva's skin, it will spread across her skin before seeping through to her heart, where Eragon's blessing resides. If the silver reaches her heart, it will shock her body so much she will die. Then the magic coursing through her body would explode and taint anything nearby. Dear me!" She explained. Her last sentence was in reaction to Elva's gedwey ignasia starting to expand, covering the palm of her left hand.
"How do you know all this?" Murtagh asked.
"Because I've seen it happen before." She said quietly.
"What do we do?" Arya asked.
"We have to find Eragon and Saphira." Angela explained. They can hopefully remove their blessings completely. If we get there in time, we can save her. When I witnessed it before, it took a week for the silver to reach the heart. We need to bring Thorn, Fru Cayo and Amet for the sake of transporting everyone. Murtagh, grab Rivira and call thorn. Arya, pick Elva up. Firnen, help Arya onto you back. I will get Fru Cayo and Amet. Hurry!"
Soon, they were on the way to the first island west of Vroengard. Arya and the unconscious Elva on Firnen; Murtagh and Rivira on Thorn and Fru Cayo, Angela and Solembum on Amet. Solembum had been outside the palace when Angela had ran out with Arya and the others, so now he was on Angela's lap napping. Three days later, they were passing Vroengard. Two days after that, an island came into view. Large white creatures flew around and Arya's heart skipped a beat. They were likely to be Pegasi! Three hours later, her suspicions were confirmed as they landed in the middle of a large group of winged horses. They had landed outside a large castle.
"Where is Eragon?" Arya asked urgently with both her mind and her voice. By now, Elva was completely silver. As she asked her question, the castle doors burst open. Running towards them was a man with brown hair, a blue dragon flying behind him.
"Arya?" Eragon said in disbelief. "What's happening?"
A.N: Again I am so sorry for the shortness. I'm not promising anything, but the next chapter is very likely to be at least 2000 words long. Please pick up on any mistakes book-wise, it's been ages since I read the Inheritance cycle and I had to rely on the wiki for this chapter.
Bye!