When Destiny Burns, Ep. 2 A Halo and Inheritance Cycle Crossover [Discontinued]

Chapter 16.2 Slow developments

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Maine stepped through the slowly darkening forest, carefully avoiding all branches that were scattered on the ground. He had intended to leave the city so that he could find the Forerunner structure again, but the forest was a maze. He didn't want to risk getting lost, so he had scouted the perimeter of Ellesméra in an attempt to find his way to the structure. He had seen many things, most of which he had ignored. But he had stumbled upon Daenlith's house, close to the barracks where he slept. Aeraleth had been sitting in the courtyard, with the elf herself sitting a few meters across of her. They had looked like had been mentally conversing, so the Spartan had quietly left again.

Seeing his partner and the elf together had done something strange with his head. He knew that he was feeling an emotion, but he didn't know which one. He honestly did not know and that was frustrating.

He had left Daenlith's house without even showing himself to them. They hadn't seen him though, as so few elves did. The occasional one would glance at him and jump to attention, but he always ignored them and marched on. Eventually, he found a tunnel of dogwood that seemed to lead somewhere, so he decided to follow that in an attempt to find something of interest. No sooner had he done so however, when he spotted two familiar figures. One was brown-haired and the size of a human teen and the other one was black-haired and the size of a tall marine.

Eragon and Arya.

He realized that he hadn't been the best sight for them in quite a while. He had greatly insulted Aeraleth already and he didn't feel like messing up something else. He just wanted to leave Ellesméra and return to killing humanity's enemies, but things weren't as simple as that.

Maine was about to turn away when Arya turned around to show Eragon a certain flower and spotted him.

Instead of frowning or ignoring him or even chasing him away, she looked straight at him and greeted him. Rather kindly. Did that have something to do with their last conversation?

He didn't want to impose on them though, as all conversations he had with others ended in problems. "I was just leaving," he quietly told the two.

"Nonsense," Arya replied. She seemed more cheerful than before and even Eragon –whom he had left under rather vague odds the last time- seemed not upset to see him. "I have no reason to think that anyone is showing you Ellesméra. I was just about to introduce Eragon to someone I respect greatly. Do you wish to come with us?"

What was she playing at? Why did she want him with her? Was she staging an ambush, leading him to an elf with enough power to incapacitate him? Or was she intent on creating another conflict, increasing the problems that he had with these people?

Maine was about to ask Aeraleth for help when he remembered that they weren't talking to each other. That was negative. He didn't want to spend any second more with living beings, but neither did he want to instigate another conflict. He felt strangely tired of all the problems that he had been having.

Knowing that he was about to make a great mistake, he agreed. "Sure."

Eragon threw him an awkward smile, looking rather nervous and disturbed. He opened his mouth, perhaps to ask the Spartan a question, but then thought better of it and kept quiet.

"Where is Aeraleth?" she asked.

He didn't reply. They entered an enclosed atrium of a house grown out of a ring of trees. An open-walled hut occupied the center of the atrium, where an old forge and an impressive array of tools had been installed. Was Arya leading them to a smithy?

An elf woman held a pair of small tongs in a nest of molten coals, working with her right hand at something. With uncanny movements, she pulled the tongs from the fire and revealed a ring of white-hot steel clamped in the pincers. Then she looped the ring through the edge of an incomplete mail corselet hung over the anvil, grasped a hammer and welded the open ends of the ring shut with a blow and a burst of sparks.