Review, comment, show me that I still have some readers, basically.
Happiness and joy surged through Eragon during those delightful moments, when no danger, no reminisce of his ill fate or a single thought of a looming battle could possibly corrupt his mirth. His firm yet graceful steps barely ravaged the parched ground, yet his grace paled in comparison to Arya, who was agile as a deer and beautiful than any work nature would ever devise.
With the aid of his subtle link, Eragon easily located the lonely dragoness that seemed to resemble a small protuberance, a peculiar disturbance given the smooth plains that stretched far and wide. His speed died down progressively, the fast sprint turning into a sluggish trudge of feet.
However, even happy moments had to take their toll, and although Eragon's accelerated breath and bulged temple veins were a clear sign of a drain in his physical energy, the real problem was his throbbing head. The sudden and uncomfortable pain tormented him since recently, yet ignoring it was harder than he originally thought.
"You're still not quite as majestic as an elf," Arya said joyfully, using a single hand to sweep away her ruffled hair.
"I'm doing my best," Eragon responded, coughing a few times to erase the itching sensation that built up in his throat.
"And your endurance is not remarkable either," she teased, favoring him a warm smile.
"Then I will use the magical way the next time," he returned the favor.
"I wouldn't let you do that."
Eragon smiled at her persistence, "Why?"
"Because I wouldn't be impressed and it's still a waste of energy, not to mention irrational and stupid, considering the risks." Although she did her best to appear serious for emphasis, Eragon couldn't help but to chuckle.
"Not to mention that we'll have plenty of time to test our endurance, with Saphira forbidding us to take wings." Arya laughed quietly, a honey smeared and fluidic sound that could enthrall any being fortunate enough to hear it.
"I wouldn't mind," she said, putting an end to the pleasant sound that was soon replaced by the monotonous chorus of crickets. "At least I'll keep my feet on the ground."
"You will learn to love flying as much as I and Saphira." Arya smirked inwardly at his words, but Eragon quickly looked towards the sparkling dots on the sky, as to not let Arya realize that she was not quite as subtle as she used to.
They were both now close enough to Saphira to notice most of her prominent features. After the extended flight, it wasn't shocking that not even a disturbance, such as the pain he felt when Tenga's spell affected him, could break through her natural barriers. Although their bond was deep, a dragon's instinct was still stronger, as it had ancient roots embed deeply into her.
Vapors steamed from her snout with each exhale, quickly dispersing into nothingness before one could even say a word. Arya quickly made her way towards the makeshift shelter provided by Saphira, crawling under her wing with great care as to not wake her up.
Eragon looked at her, then at the other wing, and nodded to himself. Because Saphira was sleeping peacefully on her belly, he didn't have to sleep near her haunch like the last time, probably disturbing Arya too because the lack of space and intimacy.
May the stars watch over you, said Arya.
May dawn greet you warmly, Eragon responded, cuddling next to Saphira's ribs before he closed his heavy eyelids.
Because of what he has been through this day, Eragon had no particular dreams. It was more of a string of randomly placed scenes, which in most cases made no sense. A single one glued to him, of all the others. It was the image of Tenga and the sound of his powerful and strange words that rang in his mind clearer than before. Powerless and weak, he felt the urge to drop on the ground and wrap his arms around his body when an intense cold made him shiver.
Little one…
Little one, wake up. Eragon's eyes snapped open when he felt warm puffs of air on his torso, followed by a gentle contact. Almost instinctively, his hands darted forward, hugging the snout of the one responsible for his disturbance.
Saphira, you are… he paused, looking around with bewilderment. The warm surface of her wing, the smooth scales on which he leaned his body, it was all gone.
Awake… he said, a bit displeased when he connected his shivering to Saphira's standing position.
You are very perceptive, she said, pushing her snout forward into his chest while a hum of joy reverberated through the air, thanks to Eragon's special treatment. After he scratched her snout one last time in the area between her nostrils, Saphira withdrew her head and snorted unconscientiously. Being sensitive to the touch, it was one of the things she quite disliked. Still, this time she seemed not to pay any attention to it when her mighty legs carried her forward until she was at a safe distance from both Eragon and the sleeping form of Arya.
Good hunting, Eragon whispered in her mind.
It better be, she said, unfurling her wings. Else it's you two-legs who will cling to what nature has originally planned for you, walking. After flapping her wings several times, she took off, veering left towards the forest and possible prey.
Eragon watched her carefully until she blended in with the darkness, then switched his gaze towards the Arya, who seemed undisturbed by gripping cold. He continued to watch her for a good few moments, captivated by any detail related to her perfect body, until his stomach grumbled, a mere reminder of his lack of attention regarding food.
Lazily, he lifted onto his legs, shuffling towards one of Saphira's saddlebags that usually contained dried fruits or nuts. He quickly lifted the flap that covered the small bag and inserted his hand nonchalantly, browsing its contents. His eyebrows deepened into a frown as he quickly retracted his hand.
Barzhul! He cursed mentally, looking at the bag with enmity. It only contained several empty water skins, even though it was supposed to be filled with food provisions. The thought of not being able to sate his hunger until they would reach a forest made him feel grumpy and slightly angry at himself for being so careless.
Being unable to stay in one place for long, Eragon looked around until a particular shady figure entered his field of vision. A sigh escaped him when he realized who that was, and although he found the idea of talking with Angela quite revolting, she might at least tell him more about the journey that became more than he bargained for.
You owl! Angela screamed in his mind, dashing towards him at full speed. I thought that spell would knock you out for the whole night! Eragon frowned a little when she neared him, leaning his head on the opposite side when her cold hand touched his cheek.
"You were mistaken," he said hastily, distancing from her enough so that her touch would not bother him. His focus then rested on a bulged herbing pouch that hang from her belt, a single clue about why she wasn't around when he and Arya had found Saphira.
"Of course I was!" Eragon felt unusually tense during this short yet excruciating when Angela analyzed him with a piercing and solemn gaze, like he was a most unusual being.
"Fascinating," she concluded, smiling briefly.
"I suppose it is, especially when you cross the limit." Her smile died down a little, but otherwise, she seemed unaffected by his subtle hint that her audacity had not been well received.
"I did that in order to help you, silly boy," Angela said calmly, rubbing the herb pouch with slow moves. "Consider yourself privileged for being the vessel of such spell, else you would've been in a worse position."
At first, Eragon was just a little displeased by her nonchalant and eccentric behavior, but now, such a preposterous deed offended him. It wasn't just the spell that rendered him weak and powerless for an undetermined amount of time, but she also tattered his pride by doing something dangerous without his consent.
"So it was your spell that almost made me lose the grip on reality," he said with enmity, glaring at her coldly.
"Well, it could've been worse, but you…" Angela tried to say, but her weak voice was immediately overpowered by Eragon's high voice.
"Worse? Is that supposed to actually help me?"
"Yes, because you're resilient and I know you well." Angela tried to pat him on the shoulder reassuringly, but Eragon hit her hand before she even touched him.
"Don't take me as a fool who knows nothing!" Eragon snapped, his breath rate increasing as anger seeped through him. "I'm still a Rider, and I know things that are never going to be accessible to you!"
Angela rubbed her red tinted hand with displeasure, a look of disappointment on her face. Solembum, who had been purring softly until now, began hissing at him, his claws unsheathed.
"You are starting to scare me, Eragon," she said, lowering her body. A few strokes on the head of the werecat ended the brewing storm that seemed imminent, although Angela had yet to get over it.
"Solembum does not like you either."
Eragon paced around as a caged beast, scratching his head excessively due to nerves. This pitiful conflict was getting him nowhere, yet he couldn't muster enough courage to stand up against Angela and show her that he wasn't a toy caught between the ever moving paws of a cat. When he noticed Arya in the distance, her words whistled like a refreshing breeze through his mind, mending the ravine that punctured his flow of thoughts.
"You wouldn't want to fight a losing battle. I suggest you learn from the meek before you dare trespassing into foreign territory."
Angela kept staring at the grass below her feet when she suddenly jerked her head, "Quite a peculiar grasshopper that was. For a moment, I thought it would jump on me!"
Eragon's teeth gritted against each other, his fists clenched tight as if he wanted to prevent something irrational to come out of his mouth.
"I'm warning you, Angela. Stop taking me as a fool," he said gravely, frowning deeply at the skinny woman who did not even look intimidating at first glance, but her temper was enough to put a whole army in distress.
"Wrinkles."
"What?" Eragon asked, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Wrinkles make you ugly."
"Enough!" Eragon barked. This was more than mockery, it was defiance, and he could no longer accept it. After erecting impenetrable barriers around his mind, Eragon launched an attack against Angela's mind, straining his mind and body to its limits in order to penetrate her defense, which was unnaturally strong.
I thought hunger would weaken you, but this is most fascinating, Angela said in his mind while a chuckle escaped her. I apologize my dear, but just like a kitten, I need to pinch the tip of your ear.
Realizing that offense would do no good, Eragon further strengthened the indomitable walls around his mind to prepare for the upcoming retaliation. However, what he experienced was not a normal wizard duel, but something totally different.
After Angela said something, his mind went completely blank. Try as he might to at least focus on a word, it would simply prove to be a useless chase. During this eerie moment, Eragon felt more powerless than ever. His hands began shaking slightly as panic engulfed him, and although he was still aware of his surroundings, he felt deprived of his ability to even think. However, this feeling was not totally unknown to him. He felt it before. He witnessed it through the eyes of an animal during his training as a Rider, a primitive and simple mind that could not possibly hope to piece up words.
"I suggest you restrain your curiosity. Else, it may trigger unforeseen consequences that will forever haunt you, and then, you will seek for the thing you lost until the very end of your days, clinging to whatever means accessible in order to reclaim what sheer stupidity has lost for you." By the end, her tone darkened and her features became deadly serious. Compared to a few moments ago, this was a totally different Angela.
Eragon stared at her with wide eyes, dumbstruck by what was happening to him. Suddenly, the fetters exerted on his mind vanished, and he could think properly again, although not as fast as before due to the unexpected shock.
"Wha…what…" he stuttered weakly, dropping onto the ground to alleviate some of the effort sustained by his trembling legs.
"Hmpf, that's what happens when you are as curious as a cat," Angela said, removing her pouch. "But I forgive you."
After inspecting the ground for a moment, she sat besides him, ruffling his hair slightly as her hand ran through the mangy strings. Solembum, who previously circled her, jumped into her lap, rubbing his head against her chest.
"You look bored. Fortunately, this night has been so productive that only certain mushrooms could please me more. Look!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm, showing him the contents of the herbing pouch. To him, it was just a mixture of colors that simply did not interest him.
"The yellow blades are sungrass, that's mageroyal, and I think at the bottom I have some peacebloom, although…" she then proceeded to list a mind numbing list of plants, even if most of them were not even actually in the pouch. Her words almost resembled a pestering buzz, and Angela seemed to had noticed his lack of focus, for she said.
"If you ever want to become my apprentice, I would be glad to instruct you well." She quickly buckled the pouch to make sure that the precious contents wouldn't leave its confines and got up, groaning slightly.
"Reflect on what happened dear, but don't let negative emotions overrun you. That makes you look ugly, and I like to see you laughing, even though that never happens," she said, moving further and further away from him. Eragon continued to look at her perplexedly for several minutes, a feeling of relief relaxing his tense muscles the moment she was far enough.
Many times had his mind been assaulted by an endless array of vicious thoughts, each more demoralizing and harder to decipher than the others. Such moments of introspection allowed him to filter the tumultuous feelings, the troubling thoughts and the prospect of a dark future in order to understand them better, and possibly come up with a solution. It usually worked, and although answers were hard to find, the simple achievement of understanding his own problems offered a great relief.
This time, however, the process changed. He was the one to change it the moment he allowed the inner volcano to explode with dazzling force, a power that only fueled his irrational determination to stand up against Angela and uncover her secrets. Although Arya's advice now made him feel vulnerable and incapable of discerning the good advices from the unfounded ones, he did not blame her.
It was his fault, after all, for bringing this impending predicament upon him. Even if Angela was stubborn as a mule, what she did was merely defend herself, because it was he who sought to invade her mind. During that most peculiar moment he experienced, he felt a presence probing at his mind, but even if Angela could easily learn the secrets he carelessly boasted about, she didn't.
Eragon slammed his fist into the dirt, using his arm to fulfill what his weak legs could not. A weak groan escaped his parched throat as he got up, his ravenous eyes fixed on the horizon. Saphira was somewhere, far away, satiating her craving for meat while his stomach growled in displeasure. If there was any edible prey around, he wouldn't hesitate in ending its life to put at end to his hunger. All the self control, every principle he embed in his mind about the wrongs of harming an animal had all but evaporated. This wasn't the Eragon that walked out of Tenga's tower, but a devolved and primitive one that sought to accept his primordial needs and ignore a teaching that was ignored by his kin.
With so many thoughts and concerns crawling in his mind, the least Eragon wanted was to see Arya wake up and then tell her just how bad he misinterpreted her words. Although she was his closest friend, the sole being whose warm voice and soothing touch could calm him as much as Saphira, his pride refused to take a blow that could bend it thoroughly.
Yet, as much as he wanted to run away from his troubles, he couldn't. Saphira could return at any time, and the cold breeze of the night would eventually wake up Arya, who curled up her body to preserve her heat.
Sighing, Eragon lay down and tried his best to rearrange his thoughts and contain his negative emotions. Even if he did something wrong, at least Angela had forgiven him easier than he would have forgiven her. Although it seemed strange to him, he decided not to dwell on it any further until he would receive a hearty meal and rest properly.
Angela is scary when she wants to, definitely. Now, I'm pretty sure I will get some OOC comments, especially about Eragon, that's why I ask you kindly to go read the FAQ posted on the first page, because I will add something that explains in more details why I do certain things that might surprise you. After all, this is a fanfic, and I am allowed to do anything I want.
Eragon is definitely not the most powerful being in Alagaesia, as much as some of you consider it. He had not inherited a great power, and such benefits seldom come for no costs. More about Angela will be explained in the future. Hoped you like this chapter. Review and comment please! Come on, give me a cookie!