Age of the Dragon 1: Return of the Riders

Chapter 8 Bonus

Murtagh considered Fallyn as she slipped away from the group - she let him know she was just visiting the nearby stream, just out of sight, to wash away some of the accumulated filth from their travels.

It certainly struck him by complete surprise to discover that their mystery companion was an elf, but her words rang in his ears every time the thought came to him.

Her people would disagree.

Were there subspecies of elves? Were some considered lesser?

He pictured her in his mind. She was certainly smaller than the other elf. Shorter, slimmer... while they both had cat-like faces, there was something undoubtedly more delicate about Fallyn compared to the other. The intricate tattoos that spiralled on her cheekbones and disappeared beneath the collar of her clothes made her seem almost ethereal.

"She's very beautiful, isn't she?"

Murtagh started, looking over to Eragon, who was still staring in the direction Fallyn had left.

"There's this strange... almost ancient kind of feeling that comes from her," Eragon continued. "Saphira says it's like her entire being sings, and the song is ancient and sad."

Murtagh looked back where she had left.

"Yeah... You don't get that feeling from the other elf?" he glanced at where the unconscious elf lay.

"Not really, no," Eragon admitted. "That and her mind is... musical is the best way to explain it. Like a thousand voices all singing at once, with one voice that's just... just barely audible. It's maddening."

Murtagh frowned. "Does she know you're poking around in her head?"

"She pushed me out," Eragon admitted sheepishly. "I just... wanted to know if we could trust her."

"I think all you accomplished is annoying her and proving she hiding things from us," Murtagh pointed out. "But she has helped us. And different from the other elf or not, she is still obviously against Galbatorix."

"Some of the other Forsworn were elves, though," Eragon pointed out.

Murtagh opened his mouth to respond, then paused. "I hadn't considered that..."

"Well, she has a rider blade, is a rider without a dragon... I think she has plenty of reasons to be against Galbatorix," Murtagh said carefully.

Eragon hummed in agreement, and Murtagh turned his eyes to the stars, falling deep into thought as he relived the events of the last few months.

"Can you believe it, Tornac? I've met not one but two elves... I've seen and ridden a dragon... I witnessed the death of the man who killed my father..."

After five minutes, Murtagh became worried that Fallyn hadn't returned but also noticed that Saphira seemed worried about Eragon - who was sitting beside the unconscious elf with his hand on her forehead.

"Having someone here who can talk to Saphira would be so helpful..." Murtagh reached out to touch Eragon, who seemed pale but hesitated. "What if... whatever the elf did to him could affect me if I touch him?"

He stood up and paced around the camp, sweeping his eyes down the stream but not seeing Fallyn within sight of the camp.

"Dammit... of all the times to be concerned about hygiene..." Murtagh cursed as he paced back to Eragon. "How long do I wait? If he snaps out of this before I come back, would this be a problem? I should go find Fallyn..."