Arianna Selenasdaughter

After nearly a month in Gil’ead, I figured out why the king had sent me here. Durza was a real bastard when it came to torture. He’d stand back while a soldier whipped me, occasionally barking at him to stop and asking me if I was ready to give up yet.

When I refused, he yelled for the soldier to carry on. I blacked out more than once. A few times, they came at me with a hot iron brand. Then, of course, there was the more traditional method of torture involving kicks and punches.

I was used to that sort of thing from the king, but he had never done to me what Durza and his soldiers were doing now.

I wasn’t the only one suffering at the hands of Durza though. There was an elf in the cell across from me. Durza had been trying without success to get information from her for nearly six months. I think he took out some of his frustration at not being able to break her out on me from time to time.

The king wanted Durza to send the elf to Urû’baen next week so that he could try and get information from her. Durza had no choice but to agree.

I could sense, though, that Durza was irritated that the king had more power and authority than he did. He wanted all the power for himself.

I was surprised one day when, after being forced awake and hauled roughly to my feet, Durza came to see me. It had been the general arrangement for the past month that I was taken to him for my torture sessions.

He looked extremely smug. I thought maybe he’d finally gotten the elf to admit defeat and give in. How wrong I was.

“You will be very pleased to know, I think, that your brother is here.”

Dread filled me. My face paled. How had I not seen this?

My reaction seemed to please him. “Now I have both of you. Maybe I won’t give you back to Galbatorix...” he mused.

I wasn’t sure which one was the lesser evil. I was used to being around the king, but Eragon wasn’t safe there. He wasn’t safe here either, but at least here he wasn’t in danger of being used by the king.

Durza left after a while, and the guard stuck food into my room. It was disturbing how used to the food I was. Then again, I’d been stuck eating it for months. And I had no fear of magic oppressing drugs, since no one knew that I could use it. Therefore, I was not a threat to them.

That did have its drawbacks though. I couldn’t heal my back after it was whipped and everything else, otherwise they’d figure it out. Grumbling to myself, I curled up and fell asleep.

I was once again rudely awakened, only this time it was by Durza himself. I didn’t receive any sort of explanation – he tugged me out of the cell and towards the stairs. The room where I was usually tortured was just at the other end of the hall. There also seemed to be a lot of shouting going on.

I wasn’t sure when the thought hit me, but when it did, I smiled. Eragon had escaped! I didn’t know how, and I didn’t care. He was out and on the run. So then what was Durza doing with me?

He hauled me into the banquet room at the same time I heard an unfamiliar voice say, “Let’s just hope the Shade doesn’t find us.”

Durza began to laugh. It was cold, and seemed to fill every corner of the room. I saw Eragon and the owner of the unfamiliar voice spin around. Eragon looked so much different than he had when I’d last seen him.

The other man was an inch or so taller than my brother, and had brown hair. Evidently he was here to help Eragon escape. And I was here to be his downfall.

“Arianna?” Eragon asked, disbelief and a hint of something else coloring his voice. The man beside him looked at Eragon sharply. He understood what this was.

“Yes, your dear, precious sister. What a shame it would be if she was hurt because of your escape.”

The seed of doubt had been placed, and my brother was falling for it.

“Just go, Eragon!” I shouted at him.

If my voice didn’t give away the danger of the situation, maybe the panicky look in my eyes would do it. Or maybe he’d try and be a hero. I really hoped he wouldn’t. But then, he never had been one to catch on really fast.

He drew his sword, and if I would have looked, I would have seen a slow smile creep across Durza’s face. As it was, I had eyes only for my brother. He was hopelessly outmatched.

They stood facing each other, and then the ceiling began to shake. When Eragon automatically looked up, Durza took advantage of the opportunity and attacked. And what did I do? I stayed rooted to the spot, like an idiot, watching it all play out. When Eragon’s sword was knocked from his hands, I sucked in a breath.

“A powerful piece you may be in the game that is being played,” Durza began haughtily, “But I’m disappointed that this is your best. If the other Rider’s were this weak, they must have controlled the Empire only through sheer numbers.”

When Eragon told him that he had forgotten something, Durza responded by asking what that might have been. He was still mocking him.

“The dragons!” my brother roared as he darted out of the way.

He was surprised when the man that was with Eragon shot him through the shoulder with an arrow. Then he laughed and said that he’d have to do better. The next arrow went through his forehead, and after screaming in agony, he disappeared.

The soldiers entered the room then, and Eragon and the man pulled the elf to the back of the room with them. I hadn’t noticed they’d had her until then.

The soldiers were eventually scattered and gone after Saphira stuck her head in the room. Now it was time for the escaping part. But how could she possibly carry four people?

“Arianna, come on!” my brother shouted at me.

I looked doubtfully at Saphira, who looked at me with one of her sapphire eyes.

I can carry all of you.

Her words reassured me, and I rushed over and grasped Eragon’s outstretched hand. Saphira’s flying was awkward and labored, and it didn’t help with the archers flinging arrows down upon us.

But somehow she managed to get us all away safely, and that was all we needed.