Erys: An Eragon Fanfiction - (Under Editing)

Chapter Thirteen

Tunnels

Erys stirred at the sound of flittering whispers. She turned slightly to see Keilith speaking intently with Eirdain a few paces away. Though she could not hear what they said, she sensed the gravity conveyed in his tone; their voices were low but harsh. As the conversation continued she focused her hearing until she could catch their words.

"And you're mad enough to let him do it?" Keilith demanded.

The hardly concealed anger in his tone chilled her, but nonetheless Erys smiled to herself. Him. He'd kept her secret.  Whether he agreed with her plan or not, it appeared for the time being she could trust him

"Once he makes up his mind there's no changing it," Eirdain explained.  "The escape, the forest, this shit hole of a city!"

Guilt rose in the pit of Erys stomach.  Had she really caused so much trouble?  The way she saw it, she'd been their savior.  It had been her planning that had bought them freedom.  Her planning that brought them to the forest, though in his defense they'd nearly been killed by Enneniya. 

"At least two of the three paid off," Eirdain added as an afterthought.  "If we're lucky some good may come of this yet."

"The forest?" Keilith straightened. "Du Weldenvarden? So-so that's your...acquaintance?" He cast a glance at Erys. "An elf?"

Erys' dragons' consciousness wavered through their tethered link, growing steadily weaker. She returned her attention to them and gazed into their eyes, feeling as if her own life drained away with theirs. She pressed a finger against a spine until she'd drawn blood.

"What in Eragon's name are you doing?"

Erys lifted her finger without breaking eye contact.

"They're dying."

"You look like your dying!" Eirdain knelt by her side and gripped her hand. "How is this helping anything?" He pressed a rag against her finger.

"They're dying," she repeated.

He sighed. "Look. You've done all you can."

"I need them," she whispered.

"You never wanted them."

Erys pressed her finger against their spines again. "But...we're linked. I can feel them dying. They can't die."

"Then let me help."

"What can you do?" Erys whispered.

"Ask them to touch my mind."

"They're too weak."

"You do it then. And draw energy from me and give it to them."

Erys shifted forward. "I'll kill you."

"You won't."

"What if I take too much."

"I know my limits," Eirdain said. "If I start to feel weak I'll tell you, and you can end the spell or...whatever it is."

Erys gave a short nod and reached out, setting her hand against Eirdain's cheek. She reached out with her mind and entered his. Again, she felt the weird sensation of being separate from her body and being suffused in someone else's mind. She forced herself not to intrude upon his memories and to keep her own from wandering.  She couldn't risk him finding out about anything that might compromise her.

She drained energy from him, feeling continuously stronger with each second.

"Enough!"

Erys let go and retreated into her own mind. Eyes wide, she looked to Eirdain.