Adurna

Meeting

Chapter Nine-

I closed the front door of the pub behind me quietly and set out through town. My eyes scanned the faces of the villagers to make sure I didn’t miss him. I had somehow ‘convinced’ the dragon to stay hidden in my closet until I returned. At least I hoped that’s what I did. Thankfully, after I told it to stay where I put it, I hadn’t witnessed it move from its designated spot. Perhaps it was the bribe of meat I offered when I got back. For Gran’s sake as well as mine, I hoped I’d find Eragon quickly.

My eyes glanced down at my gloved hand. I had tried to hide the strange scar that had appeared on my palm the first time I touched the dragon the best I could. Gran was oblivious to it during the busy breakfast rush she’s been waiting for and because I kept it under plates and facing downward. Finally, I found an old, black cloth glove in Gran's closet (luckily made for the right hand, though there was only one) and put it on before leaving. Hopefully, she wouldn't miss it.

Once I was satisfied that he wasn’t in town, after walking around for hours, I struggled to think of a place he would be. I narrowed my eyes as I stared intently down at my feet when I came to a halt by a building. I leaned against stone house and crossed my arms in frustration. The one time I needed to actually talk to Eragon, and he was nowhere to be found.

Hoping that he would materialize out of thin air, I glanced back up at the world around me. Suddenly, I wished I hadn’t. Marcus was making his way towards me from across the street. I look swiftly for an exit, but it’s too late. He’s already seen me and would obviously follow me where ever I go. Letting out a sigh now so he won’t hear me, I braced myself against the wall of the random building and prepared myself for his greeting. I tucked my gloved hand behind my back so I wouldn’t have to explain that to him. My brain couldn’t even come up with an excuse to be wearing one glove in the spring.

“Hey!” His wide smile broke my heart. He was an innocent man who fell in love with the wrong person; even if he won’t admit it, it’s true.

“Hi.” My voice was low, but I tried to keep it cheerful under the circumstances.

"I see your leg’s getting’ better.” Is it possible that his smile could get any brighter? I closed my eyes momentarily to get away from the pain I felt with spending time with my best friend. What had he asked again?

"Yeah,” I replied, a beat too late. “It feels fine now.”

Marcus’s eyes trailed swiftly across my features as he tried to find the meaning to my distress he found so easily in my voice. Let him look, I thought glumly, he’ll never guess what happened to me last night. I’m sure by now he has located the dark purple bags under my eyes that were bond to be there. My hair was a mess of disarray curls on the top of my head; I had even pulled it back before departing from my home. All and all, I probably looked just as bad as I felt. Like a wreck. A worried wreck. The one thing that kept me up was the worry and anxiety I was suffering in my small room as the dragon slept on my bed. I remembered pacing around, trying to find the perfect plan for my situation. Nothing came to mind last night or this morning. I’m still searching.

"What’s wrong?” He finally asked, reaching towards me like he wanted to stroke my cheek. I flinched against the wall, causing him to drop his hand in defeat. Instantly, I felt guilty and wanted to tell him the truth so he would feel better once more. An icy embrace gripped my heart at the happiness I got from giving him his happiness. This is wrong.

“I’m…looking for someone.” My voice grew into a few notches above a whisper, but I kept it low so a passer-byer would catch my words.

"Who?” Marcus asked, not picking up on my actions. I stifled a sigh at his obliviousness. Did he think we were the only people here?