[The Shadeslayers]

Greetings IF members and moderators.
I am The Shadeslayers and this is my first Fanfiction piece. I hope that you will enjoy this piece.
>>>>>> C-2 <<<<

Chaper One: A new day

It was two days after Lady Lorana had been captured and Varaug the shade had been killed.

Inside his head, Eragon still felt the anguish of the great golden dragon Glaedr’s thoughts as he has realised where he was. The grief threatened to consume Eragon as he walked and only after remembering how Oromis, his teacher and the only other Rider outside of Galbatorix’s rule, had perished in defiance to the Dark Tyrant-king, that Eragon’s emotions overwhelmed him.

Eragon cursed his weakness even though it was short-lived as Saphira’s thoughts quickly intertwined with his, protecting him from himself.

“Thank you Saphira, I do not know how I would survive without you”.

He let his gratitude awash over their mental link and heard Saphira start humming gently.
Eragon lay down on the bed in his tent pondering what he would do if his family died. Without Saphira he did not wish to think about. The experience would cripple him much more than any wound could.
Eragon’s thoughts then turned to his cousin Roran.

“Roran…he has so much to lose.”

Eragon then remembered the haunted Roran that had sat with him before their assault of Helgrind to rescue Roran’s fiancée Katrina. The haunted man who’s eyes burned fiercely from the hollows in Roran’s once full face.

Eragon’s thoughts then turned to Arya and the strange feeling of protectiveness that had taken hold of him, when he had healed her wounds, when they escaped from the prison in Gil’ead once more surged freely in his mind.

“Arya can take care of herself but I don’t know what would happen if she died.”
Eragon could not explain his thoughts so he presumed he felt so strongly because the Elves would hold him responsible or, at least, Izlanzadi would.

Eragon steered his thoughts from this matter and set himself to expanding his mind outwards over the Varden. He was surprised that a messenger was coming for him and had been able to come so close before being noticed.

Eragon quickly strung up from his bed and pulled on a fresh elven tunic as he heard footsteps approach his tent. Moments later Eragon emerged from his tent blinking his eyes to adjust to the brightness just as the messenger approached.

[i]“Lord Shadeslayer, Lady Nasuada requests your presence in her command tent to take part in Lady Lorana’s trial. It begins in 20 minutes.” stated the messenger before bowing low and walking away.

Eragon thanked the messenger before he left and started walking towards Nasuada’s tent in a brisk pace. As he approached the building where Nasuauda was holding council with the recently captured Lady Lorana of Feinster, Eragon reached out with his mind to better assess the situation. He immediately found the minds of some members of Du Vrangr Gata, King Orrin, Nasuada’s guards and lastly Arya.

Her presence gave him strength and he walked into the building after announcing his presence to the two guards posted outside.

This post has been edited by The Shadeslayers: 16 September 2009 - 01:37 PM

[The Shadeslayers]

Criticise at your leisure.

I will update after a few good comments

[Eldunari Keeper]

I think it is very good so far and that you should continue. Although I don't think anyone calls Eragon "Lord" and after Eragon says that Roran has so much to lose, it says "Eragon remember then haunted Roran..." but it doesn't make sense; it should be something like "Eragon remembered the haunted Roran...". Keep writing, I think this chapter is sort of like CP's style.

EDIT: Yay, first reply!

This post has been edited by Eldunari Keeper: 06 February 2009 - 02:00 PM

[The Shadeslayers]

woohoo
I'm taking your compliment to heart and will update tonight

[The Shadeslayers]

Chapter Two
Revelations. (Part One)


Arya was seated to the left of Nasuada staring out of a window, whilst keeping an ear on the matter at hand. Her mind was however playing over the events of the previous days.

She had slain a Shade but yet in the height of her success she had learnt that Oromis and the partner-of-his-heart Glaedr had been killed by Eragon’s half-brother Murtagh.
She remembered her shock after the Shade had nearly killed her, she remembered the fierce look in Eragon’s face as he saw her helpless in the grasp of the shade Varaug and here she was now but she could not keep her mind off Eragon which confused her.

His last remark had come dangerously close to her true feelings and continued playing over her mind.

“Now we should call you Shadeslayer”.

How much she wished for this war to end and for her to finally confess her feelings to Eragon but she feared he may lose interest in her by then. She personally found the human idea of being together forever with a shared name very appealing.

Arya felt a strange feeling come over her as she felt a familiar conscience approach.
She decided to say nothing as he would be there soon but instead set upon herself her usual emotionless expression.

The warm rays of light disappeared from her face as she turned her head to see Eragon enter the tent. She resumed her usual expression of being impassive which she had perfected from years of practice and greeted the Rider before her formally.

“Eragon” she stated taking in his features, noticing how tired he looked.

“Arya svit-kona” he murmured back.

He then turned his attention to the human Nasuada and after a few bouts of conversation he excused himself.

Without giving a reason Arya noted.

She reached out to Eragon’s thoughts to ask him of his troubles but felt a pang of hesitation for reasons she could not name. These thoughts confused her so she reached out instead for the colossal being of Saphira.

“Greeting Saphira, I’m pleased to find you well.”

Moments later came the reply “Greeting Little One. It pleases me that you too are well but I sense that your concern does not lie on my well-being but of Eragon’s. Am I correct?”

Arya felt herself grin as she sat looking out the window.

“Yes, yes it does. Tell me, is he fine? I cannot help but concern for Erag-”

Her speech was cut of as Saphira’s replied with her voice thick of an emotion Arya sensed was suppressed mirth.

“Your concern for him is as expected. I sense a difference in you, Changeling. It is of what we spoke of in Ellesmera but rest assured, I will not tell Eragon of what you confided in me”.

There was a slight silence as Arya remembered how she had told Saphira of how she felt about Eragon’s fairth, whilst a time Eragon was sparring.

“Just know…what you told me then….and what you may wish to do in the future, you have my blessing”

With that Saphira left Arya alone in her own thoughts.

Arya felt herself blush and her ears go red at the tips before returning her attention to the debate at hand. Lady Lorana had pleaded her case that she had been forced to swear loyalty to Galbatorix and only wanted her people to be safe.
The members of the council knew this to be true from the memory that Eragon had showed them when Feinster had been taken.

That had been the longest time that Arya had been with him after the battle, which alarmed Arya.

"He is not himself lately" she thought, "It is almost like he is avoiding us"

After a decision was reached, Lady Lorana finished addressing the council before her and they left leaving only Arya and Nasuada. Lady Lorana called out to Nasuada as she started making towards the exit of the tent to call her guards.

"Thank you, this war is too much for my people. The King's heavy taxes were grinding our once proud city away".

Nasuada walked closer to the captured woman before her.

"Do not worry, we work towards freeing this land from that dark tyrant no matter what cost" added Nasuada so quietly in an attempt so Arya could not hear them
Lady Lorana then added just as quietly

“I am glad of your intervention here; I only hope to now find what the she-elf and your Rider have. Then I can return to normality."

She flashed a smirk to Nasuada that Nasuada seemed to understand and then left under armed guard.Taking a deep breath, Nasuada collapsed lightly into her chair. After a few seconds she raised her head to face Arya with a faint smile.

“So what is going on between you and him then, Arya?”

Arya froze in alarm.

Meanwhile, many miles away sat upon the shoulder of the great and powerful Elf-Queen Izlanzadi as she sat in council, Blagden the raven suddenly cried out “Wyrda”, and flew out over the elven camp.

This post has been edited by The Shadeslayers: 07 February 2009 - 07:50 AM

[The Shadeslayers]

Criticise at your leisure.

My story is now flying as freely as an arrow in the wind. Please comment on my page your suggestions no matter how small. This story is for your enjoyment as much as mine

[Eldunari Keeper]

Did it take you only 16 minutes to write that? Wow. Please check the sentence "That had been the longest time that Arya had been with Arya after tha battle which alarmed Arya"; there are too many Aryas. Brilliant work so far!

[The Shadeslayers]

I had started it after i finished my first post.
Fixing now

Would you be interested in becoming my personal spell-checker ?
My respect grows for you my friend

[hackingoutofthetrap]

Sounds good but you need to separate paragraphs and speech, clicking the Enter button twice.
You also need to put the speech in Italics so it looks flashier, and people automatically know it is speech.

It is a good book so far, and by doing those changes it will be better.

[evarya]

Very good. hope you can update soon.

[The Shadeslayers]

I might reply soon if i can get a couple of comments

What PoV do you want for Chapter four?

[The Shadeslayers]

Chapter 2. Revelations part two


Arya’s body froze as she heard the question.

Her midnight hair falling past her ears to cover the faint colour that was gathering to her face. Her mind was racing to figure out an answer to get out of the situation at hand. She wondered how obvious she was for both Saphira and Nasuada to figure her out so easily.

“Well, Arya?” came a calm voice from nearby.

“I do not love him” Arya quickly responded hoping to avoid Nasuada’s question.

Arya knew herself that she could not say if she loved Eragon or not. Before he had made the flower for her when they had talked at the campfire she would have easily been able to say she did not even like him anything more than a friend but now she thought of him more than a friend.
Maybe even more than Faolin, she wondered to herself.

A hand came down gently on Arya’s arm and she looked up to see Nasuada’s face beaming down at her.

“Who do you not love Arya?” said Nasuada roughly in the ancient language
Arya secretly cursed having insisted on Nasuada being taught some of the Elves language so not to seem unitelligent or rude.
Arya then met Nasuada’s gaze and said “You know who. I admit we are close but there are too many obstacles in our way. My mother and him being a rider, whilst I am but a princess. He is human and young. I am an elf and over 100 years old.
I do not love-“

Arya had tried to say she did not love Eragon in the ancient language but could not. The words caught in her throat so she turned her head to avoid Nasuada’s gaze.

Neither woman said anything for over a minute until Nasuada broke the silence returning to the common language.

“Arya, this is a war we are caught up in. We lose those who are close to us everyday. I lost those I love to Galbatorix and I am sure you have lost loved ones too.
Everyday you hesitate is another day that death may claim all that we fight to protect.
Do what makes you happy, it is your life we are talking about and with a life as long as yours, regret is the last thing I would want you to have."

Arya was touched by how much Nasuada understood her. Everyone else would have judged Arya and blamed her for distracting their only hope from his duty.

“Arya, I am giving you tomorrow off duty to rest and think of what your best actions are right now. Now go, I have an army to command.
Oh, also I also feel that my training in your language is complete for today

And with that Nasuada returned to her seat and gained back her composure.

Arya bowed her head and left the tent in slience.

This post has been edited by The Shadeslayers: 18 February 2009 - 06:20 PM

[jsquared0905]

Good, but I would like to point out that Arya is not subordinate to the Varden. She is the elven ambassador.

And who taught Nasuada the AL?

And I disagree with Hacking regarding the italics for dialogue. What I usually like to do is quotes for dialogue, and italics when they are thinking or talking using the mind.

[Eldunari Keeper]

Would you be interested in becoming my personal spell-checker ?
My respect grows for you my friend

Oooh, a job, OK! Excellent chapter again.

And, yes, who did teach Nasuada the AL?

[The Shadeslayers]

All will be revealed in due time

What PoV do you all want for chapter 4 ?
Come on!


Edit: Ok well. I don't feel brave anough to attempt a Nasuada PoV yet

This post has been edited by The Shadeslayers: 07 February 2009 - 02:02 PM