An Ironic Healing; Eragon and Lindariel

[Eragon Ládin]

"It is very good,"Eragon nodded, standing up again, and beginning to pace.

"Lin, I have this feeling...that something bothersome is about to come upon the order. It's an awful feeling, and I've had it ever since I came back from Ellesmera. The elves there seemed to have furthered my insight on certain matters. But...these dreams I'm having. They trouble me greatly. I do not know if I will live much longer, actually. It's very...troubling, in fact, to think, or perhaps know, that your life is going to end in such a short time."

Eragon continued pacing as he spoke, though his face turned pale.

[Lindariel]

Lin narrowed her eyes as Eragon stood up, and sniffed. "Well, you certainly aren't helping yourself lead a long and healthy life by pacing like that, not when I specifically told you to stay put. But, all the same..." Lin licked her lips; they were dry today for some reason. "I think all of us who grew up in the time of the war feel like that. I don't sleep much, but my dreams are nightmares that I care not to remember. There is something sinister hanging in the air-something that makes swords slip, arrows hit unintended targets, and fatal mistakes to be made. I have been too busy this past year. Bid'Daum himself said that he was blocking you from his mind, and when he rejoined your consciousness you saw through his eyes. If the leader of our organization can make such a mistake as that, then I do not know what is happening. I'm only eight or so years younger than you-I've watched you for a long time. That was nothing that you or Bid'Daum would do normally."

However, Eragon's face blanched, and Lin furrowed her eyebrows. "If you strain yourself too soon, there won't be anything I can do for you, and you will, indeed, die much sooner if that wound gets infected. If I have to tie a rope around your waist to prevent you from harming yourself I have no problem with it. As a doctor..." Her voice trailed off. Lin cleared her throat. "As your friend. I won't stand to watch you hurt yourself. Not even if it means that I have to knock you and Bid'Daum both out and tie you to a tree!" Her voice had been steadily rising, and now it was a commanding shout accompanied by an accusing finger. "So sit down and don't move! I don't care when you're going to die, I don't care when I die. What I care about is that I have told you to sit down and that you continue to stand up!" Lin's shoulders rose and fell, and her voice dropped to a menacing whisper. She had absolutely no problem with challenging the head of the Dragon Riders, as was apparent with her outburst.

"Look." Her eyes were fiery, and her fists were clenched into fists. "I don't care, Eragon. I don't care. I don't want you to die, not by my hands. I don't want you to die. I don't want you to die. I don't..." Lin closed her eyes, and her chin dropped down to touch her chest. Her long hands relaxed, and so did her shoulders.

"Not by my hands. Not by my hands." The healer's voice was almost inaudible. She didn't look at Eragon; she just rubbed the tears from her eyes with her fists, almost like a little baby. And indeed, she did seem very, very young just then, with her blonde hair framing her face and her shoulders shaking softly.

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon frowned, but continued pacing when Lin narrowed her eyes and told him not to. He turned to her when she began speaking of something other than his health. He watched closely, in a curiously way, while she licked her lips and spoke of ill omens and such. However, his lips pressed together when she began to worry about his health. She was right, it was as he thought...something troubling thickened the air of Vroengard this past year.

A slight smile appeared on Eragon's face as Lindariel berated him. It was...amusing, seeing her stand up to him, though she was exceptionally shorter than he, who was considered to be a very tall elf. But his face changed from amusement to concern when she became uncharacteristic of herself. He felt some sort of emotion stirring inside of him, and reached out, softly touching her face; he was alarmed by her tears. It stunned him, to be truthful. He had always seen Lin as the strongest person he knew; to see her crying unsettled him. His hand stroked across her cheek, and then came down to cup her chin as he gazed at her.

"I'm not planning on dying....yet,"he added as an afterthought, remembering what he just said, and moving to draw away from her.

[Lindariel]

Lin froze as Eragon touched her cheek, and tried to pull away from his touch. Something about him thrilled her, filled her with warmth, and Lin was afraid of it. She had never felt like that, not around anyone. Her mother and father were dead, and she had been too bitter to love the Haldens as much as she should have. This was the first time that Lin ever felt like this, and she gazed up at Eragon with wide, scared eyes when he lifted her chin. She was caught for a moment just staring at him, then pulled away sharply, breathing hard.

Lin turned her back on Eragon, staring at the floor with wide eyes. She had almost lost herself, and that scared her even more than the fact that she liked to be around the tall Rider who was standing behind her. Unconsciously, the healer crossed her arms and caught her breath. Only then did she turn back to Eragon. Her honey-brown eyes were cold again, though still red from her tears. Slowly, she walked up to the Rider and put one hand on his waist, over where Deloi had sunk into his side.

She stared at him for a moment, then, not taking her eyes off him, whispered, "Do you want me to heal it or not?"

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon turned away from Lin when she drew away sharply, confused. He pondered for a moment until he felt the hand on his waist. He realized that Lin was standing in front of him then. He froze for a moment, a bit shocked when she asked if he wanted her to heal his wound.

"Uh..."he spoke, at a loss for words,"I, uh, I can do it myself,"he frowned, becoming even more confused at her question. She just said a moment ago she wasn't going to heal him with magic, so why did she change her mind? Besides, Eragon could do it himself, and was planning on doing just that when he left the healer's quarters.

[Lindariel]

Lin cursed at herself, but drew away from Eragon, still watching him. "You're tired." She said softly. "Get some sleep." She bit her lip, then turned to one of her cabinets and began sorting through the herbs quietly, not looking up at Eragon. The leaves made soft crackling sounds as she moved them from place to place, and flowers shook out their petals so that she could place them in jars. Sometimes she mixed more than one plant together with a mortar and pestle, sometimes she simply placed them in small glass jars, then set the jars on various shelves.

"You can go." Her words were terse, and she didn't so much as glance up at Eragon. "I'm sure Bid'Daum is worried about you, and you said that you had plenty to do."

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon nodded, a little disappointed. Before he left, though, he walked up behind Lin, taking a strand of her hair into his fingers. He whispered a few words in the Ancient Language, and a red flower appeared in his palm. He smiled, gently putting it in Lin's hair, though the magic made him sway slightly.

"Atra du evarínya ono varda, svit-kona," he said with a small smile, and then walked to leave the healer's quarters, smiling to himself, and pondering over what had just occurred. It wasn't something that he would normally do, but he was glad he did.

[Lindariel]

Lin paused for a moment as Eragon fastened the flower in her hair. "You shouldn't..." She started to object, but was interrupted by Eragon. She didn't look up until he had turned away. She found herself sad that he was leaving...disappointed that he would be going away from her. Lin stared for a moment as the Rider walked away, then set down the herb she was holding. Then, without realizing it until it was too late, Lin ran up to Eragon and kissed him on the cheek. Before he could say anything, however, her doe eyes widened in shock and the healer disappeared behind the curtain that led to her bedroom.

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon sighed as he began to leave, feeling sort of....empty. He gulped slightly as he walked out the door, but was startled by Lin running up to him. He froze when she kissed him on the cheek; he was unused to such contact. He frowned when her eyes widened and she ran off, but ran after her, not caring if she went into her room.

"Lin?"he asked softly, concern and worry coating his voice as he watched her, really unsure of what to do, but not wanting to leave her alone. Maybe he shouldn't have given her that flower, but something had came over him, and he couldn't resist. It was, confusing to say the least.

[Lindariel]

Lin had run away from Eragon as fast as she could, and her face blanched when she heard him call her name. She sighed, however, and sat down on her bed with her back to where Eragon would be emerging. In her hands, she cupped the red flower that he had made for her. While she waited for him, Lin brought the flower close to her face, and breathed in its lovely scent. The healer sighed again, but payed no mind to Eragon as he walked nearer and nearer.

Why had she kissed him? Lin asked herself that question over and over, searching for an answer. Yet, she found none, and could only wait with baited breath while Eragon came closer. She had never kissed anyone before, so why him? Why Eragon? Why the head of the Dragon Riders? Lin didn't know, but she doubted that she really cared. All she knew was that something had made her kiss him...and she had liked it.

[Eragon Ládin]

"Did I do something wrong?"Eragon as he came up behind Lin. He bit his bottom lip, unsure of anything at the moment. Lin was different, and something about that...attracted him to her. Maybe it was just being caught up in the moment, but Eragon wasn't so sure. He thought it wasn't something more than that; that Lin was something more than that.

He put his hands up on her shoulders lightly.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you in any way, Lindariel-elda,"he said softly. He kept his hands on her shoulders londer than need be.

[Lindariel]

Lin shivered slightly as Eragon put his hands on her shoulders. Her tone was bitter as she replied. "No, Eragon. You conducted yourself perfectly. There was absolutely nothing wrong." She shook her head slightly, but allowed his hands to stay on her shoulders. She couldn't believe that she had kissed him, and her eyes were still wide with shock. "It's just that...I've never...never..." Her voice trailed off, and she bit her bottom lips.

"I've never kissed anyone before." Her words came out in a giant breath, and she sighed. There, she had said it. Now, as she turned her head to look at Eragon, Lin wondered what his response would be. To never have kissed someone...ever. It was quite a feat, but not one that Lin was particularly proud of.

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon remained stock still as Lin responded, and he sighed at her bitter tone. He must have done something wrong. Hadn't he? He just didn't know what. Eragon kept his hands on her shoulders, however, possibly gripping a bit tighter on them. He almost laughed when she said she had never kissed someone. That was what was bothering her? After all, she only kissed him on the cheek.

He had never kissed anyone either. He paused for a moment, thinking back a second. Oops. He had accidentally laughed out loud, even though he hadn't meant to. He wondered what her reaction would be. Eragon opened his mouth to try and explain why he laughed, but nothing came out. To be truthful, Eragon was a bit afraid of Lin's temper.

[Lindariel]

Lin smiled grimly as Eragon laughed. "So you think it's funny. But maybe if you knew me you wouldn't laugh so. My parents died. I was orphaned. The Haldens took me in, but never really accepted me. So do you think that I would have kissed anyone before, hmm?" Her voice was mocking and bitter, and a hurt tear rolled down from one of her honey-brown eyes. "So I've never loved anyone in my entire life. So kissing you was a big deal for me. So what? So you can just laugh it off like it was nothing important. I'd like to know just how many girls you have kissed, though, before you turn pink from laughing too much."

[Eragon Ládin]

Eragon's face blanched when he realized how hurt Lin was from his mistaken laugh.

"No. I did not laugh because of that, Lindariel-elda. I laughed because I thought you had been offended over something I had done. And I've never been kissed either,"he spoke, taking one of her shoulders and turning her around to face him. He gently wiped at her tears.

"I am sorry. I did not intend to laughed. I was just relieved that you were not angry with me,"he smiled, one hand unconciously playing with a strand of her hair. He noticed after a bit, and quickly pulled his hand away, blushing.