reversed life

50/51

Chapter 50
I'm so sorry for the delayed update but this weekend is Asian New Years and my family is getting ready to celebrate. Anyways like I promised here is the long awaited chapter. It's not like the last few in that the angst and uncertainties are gone but I hope you'll all enjoy this.

Before he woke, he knew that there was something different. He felt lighter and whole. It was a rather odd experience. Feeling a soft hand touch his cheek, he heard murmuring weaving in and out of his rather pleasant state. Then a voice was calling for him.

"Eragon."

It was Arya, he was positive that the voice calling for him was hers.

"Eragon," she called again.

Instead of waking, he tried to burrow deeper into the soft surface that he laid on. He didn't want to wake. Not now when he was having such a pleasant dream.

He heard another voice snort at his action, "You've slept enough, Eragon Shadeslayer. Awaken already before I slap you senseless!" There was a soft murmur of disagreement to the threat but he was not frightened in the least.

Instead, he was annoyed beyond anything. This was not a dream for he would never allow Angela into a dream that already had Arya in it. Blinking, he frowned when a soft light flooding in from the small flap in the tent entrance hit his eyes, momentarily blinding him.

He was lying on a rather comfortable cot and it took his to realize that the tent that he was in was his own tent. The small table in the center was clustered with weapons: his sword, bow, and quiver. And occupying the stool next to his bed was Arya. But she seemed different for some reason. Hovering over him with a suspicious bowl in her hand that was steaming a nasty murky yellow was Angela the herbalist.

She was staring down at him with bright eyes and a faint smile, "And look who decides to join us from the dead," she said reaching down to widen his right eye with her thumb and forefinger. He grimaced as the air stung his eye, relieved when she let go. "Everything seems quite normal with you." Her eyes darted to Arya, who was pointedly ignoring her stare, "At least on the outside."

Holding the bowl under his nose, he frowned as she hit his lips rather roughly with the object, "Drink up then, you'll need it if you want to go down the road of swift recovery." Trusting the herbalist more than he should, he reached out to take the bowl from her hands before drinking the liquid. He nearly gagged and was about to toss it out before another hand reached out to hold the bowl steady against his lips. Knowing that it was Arya who was assisting him he reluctantly continued to down the substance. With a great gulp, he swallowed the remaining drops nearly retching as the foul taste of rotten eggs and spoiled milk erupted in his mouth.

"Good, good," said Angela as she retrieved the bowl to set it aside before handing him a wineskin filled with water. Gratefully taking it, he took a long drink until he felt like he was bursting from the seams with the extra amount of water intake. "How are you feeling?"

He coughed before answering, his voice creaking from disuse, "Different."

Angela nodded, thoughtful. "As it should be." She turned and began to bustle about his tent. "I must say when I called your brother an idiot, I didn't expect for you to take on the ropes. That was the most ridiculous request I've heard in my entire life. Honestly, what were you expecting when you asked that of your servants?"

He blinked staring at her, "How do you know?"

"I know everything," said Angela with a reprimanding look. "Dying does not make the problem go away, Eragon. Surely you knew that."

"It seemed like the best possible solution at that time," said Eragon simply as he coughed trying to clear his throat again. "Where are they? My servants?"