Before The Fall {An Eragon Fanfiction}

Chapter 14- It Takes Courage

I woke up sweaty and cold with a pounding headache. I had had a terrible dream and all I could remember from it was that I was drowning in a pool of blood. It had shook me more than it should have. Until the events from the night before hit me, and everything starts to make sense. The guard, the new rider, the man in the black cloak, who I had killed, and Vocko.

Vocko!

Sitting up quickly, I grab my head as it starts spinning. Or was it the room? Either way, I could not pay any attention to it as I slid my legs off the bed and start to stand up. But, the dizziness gets the best of me and I have to lean over and place my head in my hands.

Suddenly, something else joins the headache in my mind as Vascar's panicked emotions invade my thoughts.

'Talia! You're okay!'

'Yes, I think so....', I answer sluggishly.

That's all he needs as his mind completely engulfs mine, his emotions molding with mine, and I can feel just how worried he was. Sending out any comforting thoughts I can, I reassure him that I am fine. But he doesn't listen as instead he beats himself up for not being there.

'Vascar there isn't anything you could have done-'

'I could have ripped him limb from limb for even thinking about harming you. I should not have left your side Talia', Vascar growls.

I sigh, then reply, 'maybe, but there is nothing we can do now, except to get me out of this room. Where am I anyways?'

'The infirmary', Vascar says, 'you had a nasty wound on your head. But, because you are a rider, they were allowed to use magic to heal it.'

Unconsciously, I lift my hand up and touch the back of my head, the source of my pounding pain. That must have been where the wound was. It made sense since the last thing I remember from last night was falling backwards and blacking out.

Vascar prods me with his mind, then says, 'not last night....', he must have been paying attention to my thoughts.

'What do you mean, "not last night"?', I say, feeling like my stomach had turned to lead.

'Talia, you've been unconscious for three days.'

I can't help but let out a sharp gasp. Three days? How could I have been unconsciously for three days? Now that I realized this, I could feel the ache of hunger in my gut and how dry and sticky my tongue felt.

As soon as I came to this realization, the door to my room swings open and in walks two people. One, a lady I did not recognize, followed by Oromis. His face was one of complete concern.

"Talia! I'm so glad you are alright", he said when he noticed I was awake. I couldn't help smiling despite the situation I had just been through.

'I will stay quiet while you explain the situation', Vascar says when I tell him that Oromis had arrived.

Chuckling, I tease back, 'that's a first.'

He grumbles something unintelligible but otherwise keeps to his word. Like he expected, Oromis wanted the whole story. A part of me felt like he already knew what was going on, but just wanted to see if my point of view fit in with the story they had compiled.

Oromis kept quiet as I told my story, and the healer buzzed around me, checking out everything to make sure I really was alright. When I finished with shaking breath of how I had slain the man, Oromis's eyes acquired an understanding gaze as he nods his head.

"That is what we had basically figured from what we found when we arrived. When your mind went blank, Vascar contacted Glaedr and I in a panic to come help. But, by time we had arrived, the whole situation was already over. When you fell, your head received a nasty gash on a piece of uneven stone, if not immediately treated, you would have died. That is why you are here.