Kvistr by Melissa Nichols (elon musk reading list .TXT) 📕

"But its none of my business. Fine."

"No, its not that. Its-" He sighed, as if working up the courage to say something. Alanna's guard raised and she was now on edge. What did he have to say?

"You told me that your parents died at Ceunon."

"Yes." Now, she was very concerned. His tone was different then she's ever heard from him. "What do they have t…" She cut off as a theory came to her mind. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.

Murtagh didn't respond. He just looked at her, sadness in his eyes. Understanding dawned on her then, and she looked away. "Oh. I see."

"I'm so sorry." He whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He had never felt his throat so tight, it was hard to even breathe, let alone speak.

Beside him, Alanna was silent. She had always assumed that it was Murtagh who had killed them, since they were the most dangerous adversaries the Rebellion could face in that battle, and the most destructive. Chances said that he was the one who had killed them, but it was even harder for her to find out that the man that she had been training alongside for two months had indeed killed her parents, forcing their responsibilities onto her at too young of an age, when she needed them most. He was the one that had ripped her parents away from herself and her brother, whom was now fully in charge of their estate and properties because she wasn't able to yet. Her stomach rolled and she thought she was going to be sick.

"Please, let's not speak about it." She whispered, struggling to remain composed. "Thank you for telling me. I had suspected, since you and Torn were the most dangerous enemies of that battle, but its nice to know for sure so I can come to terms. Thank you for that. Now, let's go." She continued and started trotting again. Beside her, Murtagh urged Tornac onward.

The rest of the day was passed in silence. Alanna had moved to a path that was parallel to Murtagh's path, but was several yards away. She needed to think in peace, and it wouldn't help to be running alongside the man who murdered her parents.

By the time the sun had gone down, they had picked a thicket and made camp. They ate in silence and neither one of them slept that night.

Three days passed in silence and the pair soon entered the small elven town of Osilon. Directly east of Ceunon, the town was still in the far-reaching grip of the forest, but little else was known. During the rebellion, the town hadn't given many warriors due to a lack of numbers, and nothing significant had ever happened there.

"What should we do, Alanna?"

"My parents have another estate here. It isn't as big as the one in Ellesmera, but it's big enough for us. We find the house." She replied coolly and started walking, easily navigating the streets until she stood before her treehouse. Without breaking stride, she swiftly climbed the stairs and entered the family house. It was bigger than her treehouse back in Ellesmera, but smaller than her family home. With a study on the third floor, three bedrooms and a washroom on the second, a spacious living room and kitchen on the first floor, this house was the perfect size for a small family. If she had a family, she would happily move them here. The treehouse in Ellesmera was simply too big for them, but her parents wanted to keep the important things in the residence that would house them full-time.

"You're welcome to every facility here." She explained to Murtagh, whom had only just now climbed the stairs and was having difficulty catching his breath. She took him on a short tour of the house and then left him to his own devices. Ensconcing herself in her room, the one she'd had as a child, she lay on the bed and pulled out a bowl from her knapsack. "Adurna." She whispered, and water filled the bowl, the water condensing into the bowl from the moisture in the air. "Draumr kopa, taka eka ven un hona abr Eragon Shur'tugal, un atra alfr ven un hona eka." Dream stare, give me sight and sound of Eragon Shur'tugal, and let him see and hear me.

Immediately, an image of Eragon's bedroom filled the small bowl, and it was empty. But she could hear movement, so he must be home. "Eragon."

"Alanna!" He called back and a moment later he was standing before the mirror on which she likely appeared. "You made good time. I take this to mean you're in Osilon?"

"Yes, we are. Our journey has been safe so far. I'm just checking in."

"Excellent. Then, I'll expect contact again in three days when you get to Ceunon."

"Very well. How has Faolan been holding up?"

"He's been taking his punishment well. He hasn't complained or objected, he just does as he's told. He finished his sentence this morning and now he's at your family hall, resting and getting acquainted with your brother."

"That's good to hear. I was worried."

"I'm glad I can put your worries to rest, then. You need to stay focused during your mission."

"I'm finding that rather difficult."

"Then he told you?"

"Yes. I had suspected that he was likely the one to kill them, but I didn't know for sure. Now that I do know, I can adjust to it."

"You seem to be taking this well. I'm surprised. It's quite a bombshell, learning who killed your parents."

"It wasn't entirely his fault. It was a battle, kill or be killed. He was just doing his job. That makes it easier. And I know him enough to know that he wouldn't have killed them had he been as he is now, free of being controlled."

"Are you being straight with me, Alanna? Because it's okay if you want to scream or yell." Eragon looked at her pointedly. That's right. It's the Ra'zac who killed his uncle and father, whom were under the influence of Galbatorix at the time. Neither of them had to die, but they were killed anyway. Like my parents. In this respect, Eragon is kin. I can show emotions with him, since it's just us hearing this conversation and we share similar circumstances.

"That's what I keep telling myself so I don't dwell on old emotions. It's like I'm hearing the news all over again. There's grief, anger, and denial all roiling under the surface. But these are nothing new to digest so I have to keep telling myself that it wasn't Murtagh's fault, he was just doing as he was told, so I can keep functioning. I can't get distracted too much right now. There's a mission I have to prepare for, to learn from soon. I have to put off dealing with these emotions until the return trip, when I have six days without training to come to terms with all of this."

"That's a very brave thing to say. You've impressed me. You're a lot more mature than I thought you were, even for an elf."

"Thank you. If there's one thing you're teaching me, its to keep a clear head so you can focus and think clearly."

"That is the goal of the orothrim. I'm glad it's helping you in your personal life, too."

Alanna didn't really have a response to that so she just nodded. Shortly after that, the two ended their spells. After that, Alanna went through her evening routine and promptly fell asleep.

Text: ALL THINGS RELATED TO ALAGAESIA BELONGS TO CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI, CREATOR OF THE INHERITANCE CYCLE. I OWN NOTHING!
Editing: Melissa Nichols
Publication Date: 08-04-2011

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