A Second Rider? (Eragon X Reader) [Book 1]

Chapter 35 (pt1)

Eragon POV

   "Over here", the bald man hissed. After (Y/N) fell off from Saphira they carried away her and then didn't say anything about it. The man still held the knife at Murtagh's throat and made me follow him. He went through a door and I followed. The soldiers followed me carefully and don't let me and Saphira out of their sight. The horses were led through an another tunnel.
I kept on looking to Saphira to make sure that Arya was still on her back. She needs to get the antidote! I thought. I knew that Skilna Bragh was already close to fulfilling its putpose.
I continued to follow the bald man through the door and in to a small hallway. The soldiers had their weapons pointed at me the whole time.

   We came inside a big hall. I held Zar'roc in a grip as I looked around the room. Everything was made out of polished marble, and as I looked down I could see a vague reflection of myself. The lanterns hanged in every corner of the room. "There is one hurt-" I said, but the bald man cut me off. "Do not speak! It will wait until you have been tested." He pushed away Murtagh to one of the warriors, who pushed his sword against Murtagh's throat. The bald man silently clasped his hands. "Put away your weapons and push them to me." A dwarf took off Murtagh's sword and let it fall to the floor. I didn't want to let Zar'roc go, but I pulled off the sheath and the sword beside it. I put my bow and quiver beside them, and then I pushed it to the warriors. "Now step away from your dragon and walk slowly to me.", the bald man commanded. I was surprised as I stepped forward. When we were a meter apart the man said: "Stop there! Now take away all defences from your mind and prepare yourself to let me inspect your mind and memories. If you try to hide something from me, I'll take it with violence... which would make you loose your senses. We will kill your companion if you do not do this." "Why?", I asked horrified. "To assure us that you do not serve Galbatorix, and to make us understand why there is hundreds of urgals knocking at our door.", the bald man growled. "No one is allowed to enter Farthen Dûr without being tested." "We don't have time. We need a healer!", I objected. "Silence!", the man roared and fixed up his suit with his thin fingers. "Your words have no meaning until we have tested you." "But she's dying!" I said angrily and pointed to Arya. The situation was bad, but I'm not going to let anything happen before Arya has been taken care of. "It will have to wait! No one leaves this room until we know what is going on. If you don't want to-" Then the dwarf that had saved me from the lake jumped out. "Egraz Carn, are you blind? Can't you see there is an elf on the dragon? We can't keep here here if she's in danger. Ajihad and the king will demand our heads if we let her die!" The mans eyes narrowed in rage, but then he relaxed and said: "Of course we cannot let something like that happen, Orik." He then snapped his fingers and pointed to Arya. "Take her away from the dragon." Two human warriors stepped forward and started to walk closer with worried eyes on Saphira, that looked at them with a steady gaze. "Hurry up!" The men loosed Arya and took her from the saddle and then put her on the floor. One of the men inspected her face and then said: "It's Arya, the dragon egg courier!" "What?" the bald man said. The dwarf Orik's eyes widened. The bald man put his gaze of steel on me and said flatly: "You have a lot to explain." I tried to return his hard gaze with all the determination I could bring. "She was poisoned with Skilna Bragh when she was imprisoned. Túnivors Nectar is the only thing that can save her now." The bald man got an unreadable face. His lips moved a little, but he stood completely still. "Exelent. Get her to the healers and tell them what she needs. Guard her until the ceremony is finished. Then you'll get new orders from me." The warriors nodded shortly and carried out Arya. I followed them with my gaze and wished that I could go with them. But the bald man had other plans for me: "Enough of this, we have already wasted enough time. Make yourself ready to be inspected." I didn't want this bald man to go through my mind and expose every thought and emotion, but I realised that it was useless to resist. Everyone watched me intensively. I then lowered my head. "I am ready." "Good, then-" He was interrupted by Orik. "It's best for you that you won't hurt him Egraz Carn, or the king will have a thing or two to say to you." The bald man gave him an irritated look and then turned to me whit a light smile on his face. "Only if he resists." He lowered his head and spoke some un-hearable words. I gasped as I felt pain shoot through me. I automatically started to raise my defences around my mind. The attack was extremely powerful. 'Don't do that!' Saphira screamed. Her mind joined mine and became one and filled me with strength.
'You're putting Murtagh in danger!' I hesitated and started to grind my teeth, but then I forced myself to lower my defences and expose myself to the pain. The bald man radiate of disappointment. His assault grew in  strength. The power that came from his mind felt corrupt and unhealthy: it was something deeply unpleasant about it.
'He wants me to fight him!' I screamed when I felt a new wave of pain. It went away soon, only to immediately be replaced by a new one. Saphira did her best to dampen the pain, but not even she could completely shut it out.
'Give him what he wants,', Saphira quickly said, 'but hide everything else. His powers can't overpower mine: I'm already hiding our words from him.'