Arianna Selenasdaughter
Captured
I stood, bound before the king, with the Ra’zac on either side of me.
“Tell me about Eragon and the stone,” Galbatorix commanded of me.
“No.”
I heard the word come out strong and forceful, despite the brewing fear inside me. He glared at me, then motioned a guard forward.
“Take her to the dungeons. No food or water. She’ll break soon enough.”
My eyes fluttered open. My entire body ached, and for the first time I noticed that I was in a room. Across from me, Katrina sat near a bed. Then I noticed that there was a person on the bed. Garrow. I sat up quickly then, gasping as a wave of pain shot through me. Katrina looked up.
“You should lie down,” she told me, concern radiating from her in waves. I couldn’t though. My concern for Garrow’s welfare was overwhelming.
Pulling myself out of bed, I pretty much crawled over to where Garrow lied. He was barely alive. His skin was gray, and a fever gripped him in its icy claws. A small part of my brain came to the realization that this was Horst’s house.
Elaine came upstairs then, heavily pregnant. I wondered how she made it. She made me leave Garrow to go downstairs and eat some food. When I told her that I wasn’t hungry, she made me eat anyway. I didn’t argue.
Gertrude stopped by later in the afternoon. She said I’d been out for a day. Eragon was still unconscious. Horst told me that Eragon had dragged Garrow most of the way to Carvahall, but had pulled me out of the wreckage. He and his sons were the ones to return to the farm to get me. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Horst so angry before.
“What did they want, Arianna?” he asked me.
What I wouldn’t give to tell someone! Then I realized that I could. I could tell Brom. I doubted that Elaine and Horst would let me leave the house though. I didn’t want to leave anyway. Not with Garrow in such horrible condition.
“I don’t know,” I lied. Again.
I was getting too good at the lying game. And I would have to keep lying. It was the only way to ensure Eragon’s survival. That was a noble cause, wasn’t it? Lying to keep my brother safe? It’s a lesser evil than some of the things others might have done.
Besides, Eragon had never done anything wrong. It wasn’t wrong that he found Saphira’s egg, and that she chose to hatch for him. He had never asked for any of this to happen. He deserved to have a chance. Brom would give him that chance, I was sure.
I didn’t remember falling asleep. Someone must’ve carried me back to lie across from Garrow. When I woke up for the second time that day, I was alone. Except for Garrow, of course. I could hear muffled whispers from down the hall, so they hadn’t gone far. It was far enough though.
The Ra’zac entered through the window, carrying a knife, heading towards Garrow. My bed was concealed in a dark corner, but I doubt that I was hidden to their senses. At that moment, I didn’t care what happened to me.
They’d come back to finish off Garrow, and I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t be positive that Garrow would live, but I was going to give him a fighting chance. I wouldn’t allow him to be slaughtered by them.
I jumped up, and uttered an incantation in the ancient language that sent the Ra’zac back a few steps – so that I could get in-between them and Garrow. Between the knife and Garrow. At the same time, I screamed, “No!”
Feet began thudding down the hallway, towards the bedroom. They were too late. I heard the knife enter my back before I felt it. I’d never felt such pain. It beat out that flesh eating substance they poured on me to try and get me to talk. I didn't remember screaming. The pain of it caused me to become limp, and I started falling. The door flew open. I saw Horst, a look of horror on his face.
One of the Ra’zac grabbed me, and they fled the room. I faded in and out of consciousness. I became very aware when they pulled the knife out of my back. A scream passed through my lips. I hadn’t known I could scream like that. I sounded like a terrified, wounded animal.
I didn’t see the farm when they tore past it at an incredible speed, but I smelled it. As they carried me away from everything I’d ever known, and to a place I didn’t want to ever know, I thought of Eragon, and then of Brom. Looks like I wouldn’t be telling him everything I knew after all.
“Tell me about Eragon and the stone,” Galbatorix commanded of me.
“No.”
I heard the word come out strong and forceful, despite the brewing fear inside me. He glared at me, then motioned a guard forward.
“Take her to the dungeons. No food or water. She’ll break soon enough.”
My eyes fluttered open. My entire body ached, and for the first time I noticed that I was in a room. Across from me, Katrina sat near a bed. Then I noticed that there was a person on the bed. Garrow. I sat up quickly then, gasping as a wave of pain shot through me. Katrina looked up.
“You should lie down,” she told me, concern radiating from her in waves. I couldn’t though. My concern for Garrow’s welfare was overwhelming.
Pulling myself out of bed, I pretty much crawled over to where Garrow lied. He was barely alive. His skin was gray, and a fever gripped him in its icy claws. A small part of my brain came to the realization that this was Horst’s house.
Elaine came upstairs then, heavily pregnant. I wondered how she made it. She made me leave Garrow to go downstairs and eat some food. When I told her that I wasn’t hungry, she made me eat anyway. I didn’t argue.
Gertrude stopped by later in the afternoon. She said I’d been out for a day. Eragon was still unconscious. Horst told me that Eragon had dragged Garrow most of the way to Carvahall, but had pulled me out of the wreckage. He and his sons were the ones to return to the farm to get me. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Horst so angry before.
“What did they want, Arianna?” he asked me.
What I wouldn’t give to tell someone! Then I realized that I could. I could tell Brom. I doubted that Elaine and Horst would let me leave the house though. I didn’t want to leave anyway. Not with Garrow in such horrible condition.
“I don’t know,” I lied. Again.
I was getting too good at the lying game. And I would have to keep lying. It was the only way to ensure Eragon’s survival. That was a noble cause, wasn’t it? Lying to keep my brother safe? It’s a lesser evil than some of the things others might have done.
Besides, Eragon had never done anything wrong. It wasn’t wrong that he found Saphira’s egg, and that she chose to hatch for him. He had never asked for any of this to happen. He deserved to have a chance. Brom would give him that chance, I was sure.
I didn’t remember falling asleep. Someone must’ve carried me back to lie across from Garrow. When I woke up for the second time that day, I was alone. Except for Garrow, of course. I could hear muffled whispers from down the hall, so they hadn’t gone far. It was far enough though.
The Ra’zac entered through the window, carrying a knife, heading towards Garrow. My bed was concealed in a dark corner, but I doubt that I was hidden to their senses. At that moment, I didn’t care what happened to me.
They’d come back to finish off Garrow, and I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t be positive that Garrow would live, but I was going to give him a fighting chance. I wouldn’t allow him to be slaughtered by them.
I jumped up, and uttered an incantation in the ancient language that sent the Ra’zac back a few steps – so that I could get in-between them and Garrow. Between the knife and Garrow. At the same time, I screamed, “No!”
Feet began thudding down the hallway, towards the bedroom. They were too late. I heard the knife enter my back before I felt it. I’d never felt such pain. It beat out that flesh eating substance they poured on me to try and get me to talk. I didn't remember screaming. The pain of it caused me to become limp, and I started falling. The door flew open. I saw Horst, a look of horror on his face.
One of the Ra’zac grabbed me, and they fled the room. I faded in and out of consciousness. I became very aware when they pulled the knife out of my back. A scream passed through my lips. I hadn’t known I could scream like that. I sounded like a terrified, wounded animal.
I didn’t see the farm when they tore past it at an incredible speed, but I smelled it. As they carried me away from everything I’d ever known, and to a place I didn’t want to ever know, I thought of Eragon, and then of Brom. Looks like I wouldn’t be telling him everything I knew after all.