6CHAPTER 10: Aunt
An elf walked down the broad streets of Ilirea. Her light black hair was cascading down her back, the tips of her pointed ears visible to everyone around her. She was wearing black unadorned leather clothes, yet her beauty was undiminished. She was walking with poise, a content smile on her face.
Elves she passed were bowing their heads with smiles on their faces and were murmuring "Dröttningu", same with some of the humans. Dragons of all color were flying in the air, making the sky looked like rainbow, as some of them walked with their riders on the streets.
Then, a familiar orange dragon and blonde haired female caught her eye. It looked like they had already seen her, for they were walking towards the elf. The elf smiled, for it had been a while since she had seen the pair. She had to carry the eggs around the towns for the annual egg ceremony, and plus being an ambassador of the elves, it was hard to had free time.
"Hello, Talia. It had been a while, how are you and Vascar?"
The blonde haired Rider whose name was Talia, smiled. It had been a while since she had seen the elf. She still remembered their first meeting. It had been a week since she had arrived at Ilirea, and she literally ran into the girl. After apologizing, the black haired elf had proposed she showed the city to her and after that incident they had became friends.
"Good," replied Talia, as the orange dragon lowered his head and looked at her with one blue eye. 'I'm doing well. How are you, Alearya?' Alearya blinked her eyes. She knew dragons grew very quickly, but it was still hard for her to comprehend how big Vascar had became. He was coming to her shoulder the last she had seen him, and now his figure was hovering over hers.
"Good. I don't have much time to myself because of my duties, but I'm not complaining. It brings me joy every time I see a dragon hatch, happy that I can help riders grow. Now, rest of the egg carries are continuing their journey towards Dras-Leona..." Alearya paused, a dark look crossing across her face. "... But I separated from them at Teirm because there is a issue I must deliver to the attention of the Elders."
Talia looked at Alearya with a confused expression, but she didn't ask anything. She turned her head back to forwards, her confused expression soon converting into a hopeful one. Vascar let out a soft, warning growl, causing the egg carrier to frown. Talia glanced at her partner of mind, but still asked what was in her mind.
"Is Galbatorix with them?" With the frown still evident on her face, Alearya looked at Talia through the corner of her eye. She knew of the relationship between the two, and didn't approve of it, but still didn't say anything. There was something different about Galbatorix, something suspicious and dark. Choosing her words carefully to not offend her friend, Alearya spoke.
"Yes... But I advise you rethink on your feelings about him. There is something... Something suspicious about him and I don't want you to get hurt." Talia narrowed her eyes at her friend. She knew she was just looking out for her, but it still hurt her to saw that Alearya still didn't trust Galbatorix. "You can't choose who you love, and... I know that he changed, but..." She looked at Vascar for a moment. "...that's what life is. Everybody changes, even you and me, and sometimes you just have to accept it. I still want him to be in my life."
Alearya sighed. Talia was right, you couldn't chose who you fell in love with, but it relieved her a little to knew that love hadn't blinded her mind. They continued walking in silence. A longing filled her chest as Alearya gazed at the flying dragons. How she wished she could became a rider! However she wasn't, and it looked like she wasn't becoming one in the near future, but it still didn't stop her from wishing and helping riders in every way possible.
Carefully, she stretched her mind towards Vascar who didn't participate in the conservation. After knowing it was her, he let her in.
'Can I ask you a favor?'
Vascar glanced at her discreetly and replied with his deep voice, the melody in his mind causing a wave of calm to washed over Alearya's body. 'Of course,'
'I know that you will, or are already acquiring similar feelings to Talia for Galbatorix. She loves him, and it is obvious that he cares for her too, but there is something different about him... something bad. Can you keep an eye on her? I don't want her to get hurt. She is still young.'
She felt his affection for Talia and the longing feeling appeared once more, but she quickly hid it. 'That's why I am here.'
Alearya nodded towards the dragon and broke the contact. Seeing the hurt expression on the rider's face, she said, "I didn't mean to cause you pain. I just don't want you to get hurt." Talia too looked at her and the two gazed at each other for a minute. Understanding why she wasn't trusting Galbatorix, Talia couldn't help but smile, feeling happy that she had a friend that looked out for her. "I understand."
I willedmy breathing to deepen and my heart to quicken to woke up from my waking dreams. I was not sleeping, I couldn't sleep since the dragons had lifted up the spell on me but surprisingly, it didn't matter much for it felt like I was resting in this state my whole life.
In an desperate attempt to calm down easily and quickly, I looked for Sulfrábar, only to remember that he had told me he would go hunting when the sun set. It had been two days since we had left the Varden and know, we were at the edge of the Du Weldenvarden. With our supernatural speed, it wasn't too hard to travel long distances. We were running during the night and slept during the day, to decrease the chance of being spotted by farmers or other human travelers.
"Are you okay, Argetlam?" Yaela asked from where she was leaning against a tree. We didn't make a fire, for it would attract unwanted attention. I sighed, not being so sure if what I saw was a dream in the first place. "I'm okay, just had a strange... dream."
The silver haired elf leaned forward a bit, like me having a dream intrigued her. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. I just stared at her and took a deep breath from my nose. She reeked of hope. What was she hoping for?
I looked at the night sky. From the first moment I saw her, I felt like I could trust her, like I knew her. It was impossible, but during my life I had learned to trust my instincts. "Well, it starts with..." I told her my dream to its very little detail. It wasn't hard to remember, for my mind was playing it again and again. She listened without interrupting, her blue eyes fixed on me while her hair glowed like stars because of the moonlight. "... However, it felt too real to be a dream." I finished, thankful that I could told it to somebody for I felt better.
It was starting to make me nervous, for every time I slept, I saw a dream similar to this one; too real and familiar.
Yaela laughed; it was like a flute trilling with delight in its own melody. "I knew it would happen, Islandzadí had informed me before I left, but not this soon." With a joyful smile on her face, she gazed at the stars and mused, "Oh, old friend. You are very right. They are not dreams, but memories."
"Whose memories?" I inquired. I was confused, why was she laughing?
"Yours."
I frowned, a scowl forming on my face. Was she playing with me? What she said was impossible, I had never been in Alagaësia before and I was sure those memories or whatsoever, wasn't taking place in Earth. "I don't know why you think they are my memories, it is very absurd. I had never been in Alagaësia before, so please stop playing with me."
Yaela's joyful smile turned into a sad one as she lowered her head to stare at the ground. "Oh, my friend. Now I understand what Queen meant when she said it is more of a curse then blessing. To not remember your memories or family..." She shook her head and drew her gaze back up. "I knew that my musing must have increased your confusion than decreasing, but I can't answer your questions, for that job belongs to Dröttning."
Then she swiftly climbed back to her feet and ordered, "That you woke up, let's continue, shall we?"
Two more days passed with running through the Du Weldenvarden. Instead of getting a few elf guards like Eragon got when he arrived, Yaela seemed to try to avoid any elf contact. When I asked her, her only response was saying it was the Queen's order.
I tried to get more answers out of her about what she meant two days ago, but she ignored my questions. She only talked to me if the conservation was about when we would arrive to Ellesméra or similar things, but even then her answers were swift and short, no more than two or five words.
I had asked for Sulfrábar's counsel, but his answer only got me more confused and curious, wanting to learn what was happening to me as soon as possible.
'I don't know if it will help,' he had said. 'But, I sensed your presence before.'
I had frowned, continuing comparing the night sky to Sulfrábar's scales. 'How's that possible?' I'd asked him, but it had come out more like I was asking to myself.
Sulfrábar had turned his head to look at me. 'I don't know, but I'm sure I had felt it before. It was like a century ago.' He'd made an odd sound. 'When you found me your presence was slightly different, it was more human. That's why it took me a while to hatch.' He'd nudged me on my shoulder with his snout lovingly. 'I had waited for you for a century. If I had to, I would wait for a few more centuries.'
Shaking my head, I put a hand on Sulfrábar's shoulder. When I had seen him for the first time after my change, his shoulder was coming to my upper arm and now it was leveled with mine if it not taller. Sulfrábar slightly turned his head at the contact. 'Are you okay, Little Wolf?' he asked. I frowned at his nickname and disagreed, 'I'm not little.'
Bending his head, so he could look at me in the eye, I saw an amused glint in those deep silver eyes. Fanning his wings, he answered, 'But you will be when I grow bigger.' His words were followed by a coughing growl and Sulfrábar curled his lip until his teeth were showed. Knowing that he's laughing, I patted his shoulder twice and drew my hand back.
The forest floor was dark. Here and there, some sunlight which had found a way to shone through the dense leaves, was illuminating the leaf covered floor. For some reason, the forest seemed familiar. For a normal human, it could be seem dangerous, a dark being lurking in its every shadow, but for me the forest was comforting and it kinda made me feel more powerful.
As we walked, the trees grew thicker and taller, as well as farther apart to accommodate the increased span of their branches. It was now nearly impossible to see the top of the trees for they were obscured by shadows. Yaela said we were nearing to Ellesméra, that was the reason why Sulfrábar was walking with us rather than flying. There were several wards around the city, making it impossible to enter it through the ways of magic or flying. And, even if Sulfrábar denied it, dragons required magic to fly. Other way, it was nearly impossible to lift such a big mass off the ground with just two leathery wings.
Towards the late afternoon, the somber half light which caused Sulfrábar to gleam was lifted to reveal an elf standing before us. A bright ray of light was shining on him, making it possible to saw his appearance. He was garbed in white flowing robes, with a circlet of silver resting above his brows. His face was old, noble, and serene.
He stared at me for a long time then glanced at Sulfrábar. I raised my hand, palm towards the elf, so he can saw the gedwëy ignasia on my palm. At that moment, an overwhelming feeling washed over me as a few images flashed before my eyes. Taking out my necklace's dragon pendant from under my tunic, I raised it so he could see it too; I saw Yaela smile at the motion.
The elf's eyes widen and soon a vast conscious was touching mine. It was very big and powerful, it entered my mind without an effort. I panicked as Sulfrábar growled connecting his mind with mine to help me eject the intruder, but we didn't have to. A sentence was all the mind said before the conscious withdrew, 'Welcome back, daughter of Aaron and Djamila'.
Confused, I open my mouth to correct the mind's mistake, but the elf had vanished. Yaela began walking, waving her hand forwards. "Let's go, Argetlam. Little way we had left."
Still on edge, Sulfrábar lightly pushed me forwards and with a few strides I was at her side. "Gilderien the Wise said my mother's name wrong." I stated, still on edge and uncomfortable. Yaela glanced at me and again I saw the same emotion I saw two days ago. "How did you know who he was?" asked Yaela in her musical voice.
Snorting lightly, I replied in annoyance. The elves hiding something from me and the memories I was seeing, was starting to make me angry. "Dragons just took away my memories about what will happen in the future. I never told that they took away the knowledge of what happened until I came and found Sulfrábar's egg."
Yaela didn't say anything; her face was hard so it was impossible to read her expression, but I could still smelled her sadness. Than I remembered she didn't answer my question and asked again, but all she said was that the Queen will answer my questions. I sighed, realizing she would not talk and continued gazing around us; sometimes starting a small conservation with Sulfrábar.
A quarter of a mile beyond, the forest thinned out and gaps appeared within the canopy of trees. We passed under two trees that were leaned against each other forming an arch and Yaela lifted a hand to stop me and Sulfrábar at the edge of a glade.
The clearing was filled with dense patches of flowers. From purple bindweeds to yellow verbascums; pink buttercups to white lilies and red roses. They were scattered around the glade. The sound of a stream could be heard from right. I saw paths among the flowers, bushes and trees. To a human eye, it would be hard to see, but with someone who has a keen sight it was easy to see the hidden paths.
Sulfrábar nudged my mind with his. 'Look at the trees. They are just like in your dream.'
Already knowing what I would see, I slid my gaze and focused on the trees. There they were, the houses, sang by the elves so the tree would grow in the shape of a house. They were all in various sizes, some small with lot of stories while some big and short in stories. They were blended excellently with sight around them. Elves really are master in adapting themselves to their environment, I concluded.
The city was quite. After a while, one by one, elves emerged by the tree houses. They were not much like I thought, for I knew elves were marching into war, but there were still plenty of citizens.
Both sexes were garbed in rustic tunics similar in color to their surroundings. Female's hairs were unbound, silver or sable in color and were adorned with fresh blossoms. They were very beautiful, flawless; as like the men. With their high cheekbones, finely sculptured noses and heavy eyelids, they were strikingly beautiful and seemed flawless as the females.
When they saw Sulfrábar, their eyes widened and their were a lot of joyful cries. Beautiful laughter filled air and the elves bowed from the waist. By a hand gesture from a nervous Yaela, we continued walking and my features became prominent.
Simultaneously, all elves became silent. They were like when Yaela saw me for the first time: Eyes wide, mouths open or murmuring under their breaths. I even saw a few flinch and a few tears. Uncomfortable and confused by their actions, I moved closer to Sulfrábar. Every elf's eyes were on me as they watched us pass by.
Then, a pressure formed on my mind and grew until it hurt. Random pictures flashed before my eyes. Gulping, I put a hand on Sulfrábar's shoulder to maintain my balance. All of the images showed the same thing and the message was clear, I had came to Ellesméra before. I didn't know how that was possible, but I now knew it was true. These images were more than just a image.
As the images stopped, a worried thought poked my conscious. I send a reassuring smile to Sulfrábar, and tried to suppress the urge to rub my temples.
We followed a familiar path until it ended in front of a net of roots that were in shape of stairs. We climbed to a door embedded within a wall of saplings. More images flashed before my eyes and, aware of everyone's eyes on me, I delicately put a hand on the wall as we passed. My attention was ones more on the door as it opened in its own accord and revealed a hall of trees. We walked under the honeycombed ceiling formed from branches melding together. Below, twenty-four elf lords and ladies were seated on the chairs arrayed along each wall.
The pressure had grew into a headache now, and it was growing. Only thing I could focus was becoming to be the pain.
The elves seated on the chairs were handsome and beautiful like the rest of their kin, but their eyes were filled with wisdom even if they were staring at me with unbelieving eyes. They paled even when their skin was pale when they took a good glance at me, their knuckles turning white from gripping the arms of their chairs.
I frowned. 'What is wrong with them?' I asked to Sulfrábar. When he replied his voice was bitter, it was obvious he was offended that no elf had praised him and ignored him. 'I don't know. I'm more worried about you. If it's not getting better than I will kidnap you away.'
'It would disrespect the queen.'
'I don't care. You health is my first priority. She wouldn't want to be on the bad side of a dragon.'
At the head of the assembly stood a white pavilion that sheltered Queen Islanzadí who was sitting on a throne of knotted roots. She was beautiful as a wood in sunrise, with slanted dark eyebrows, lips same color as holly berries, and midnight black hair gathered together under a diamond diadem. Even with tears in her eyes, she was standing proud and imperious. A white raven was nesting on the curved rod with chased crosspiece she was holding in her left hand. He looked at me with his eyes full of uncanny intelligence and shrieked, "Dröttningu!" and flew away from one of the windows.
Yaela knelt on the moss-covered ground and bowed, with me following her when the doors opening to the hall closed. Sulfrábar had remained standing, for, in his words "he couldn't care about formality or royalty when his rider was in pain".
I inhaled the smell of the mosses and trees and instantly regretted as another series of images came to the front part of my mind. I wrinkled my face in pain and looked down, only looking up when I felt trembling hands on my shoulders. There, standing in front of me was Queen Islanzadí. She tightened her grip on me and lifted me up from my position on the ground.
As she studied my face with watery eyes, the most painful series of images flashed before my eyes and I noticed that they were coming from the depths of my mind, where my oldest, first memories stood.
A little girl wearing a blue dress ran through the hall of trees. At the end stood a fair women garbed in a red gown. The little shouted and jumped on the women as she turned. Wrapping her little arms around the neck of the woman.
The same girl, now sixteen years old in appearance walked slowly down the hall made of trees. Her face was full of grief. Knowing how the woman would react, she had volunteered for the task of telling the death of her husband and her husband's sister, the girl's mother. She stopped in front of the throne, the woman's back faced towards her. She cleared her throat, effectively getting the woman's attention. She turned around, it being clear that she already knew the death of her husband and his sister by the tears on her face. The young girl and woman started at each other, both their faces wet with tears they only allowed it to flow in the presence of each other. And they hugged, the young girl with light black hair and grayish blue eyes murmuring comforting words to her aunt.
The images stopped, or should I say memories. Now, I understood what Yaela meant, for I remembered her and why Ellesméra and Du Weldenvarden seemed familiar. All the dreams and images were more realistic than they should had been for they were my memories. I still couldn't remember all of them, but the ones that took place in this forest was there, easy to remember. Gilderien the Wise was not wrong at what he said, for the woman I thought was my mom was not mine. With my mind being cleared, straight as the surface of a pond on a windless day, tears welled in my eyes as I finally understood why elves were acting the way they did.
I felt Sulfrábar's surprise as the memories I remembered flood to his mind too through our bond, now he too understood why he had felt my presence before. With an aching weight in my hearth, I croaked out a word in the old tongue, feeling very bad that I had caused so much pain because of the spell my dad put on me, forcing me to forgot all of my memories; memories worth of seventy-eight years. "Tanta..." Aunt...
Finally allowing the tears in her eyes to be poured down, Islanzadí cried out and embraced me (with me doing the same), saying, "O my niece, how I missed you!"
Talia and Vascar are not my characters. They are PotterLover2462's creations. She is an amazing writer from Wattpad. I certainly recommend you to read her story.