Not a moment too soon, Firnen swiftly turned his head towards his Rider, observing her closely and simultaneously reaching out to her with his mind. However, his attempts to make his presence known mentally failed right from the start, as he couldn't penetrate her natural barriers. Initially perplexed, as this was usually not a problem for him, Firnen then grew concerned and let out a thunderous roar, hoping to at least reach Arya in this way. A few minutes later, Altaris landed in the Dragonhold, carrying Anna through the sky with his claws while protesting loudly at the panicked roar of his master. Simultaneously, four armed dwarves stormed into the hold to be prepared for any emergency situation, which was quite daring considering their size compared to the green giant. Firnen reacted to the arrival of his disciples and the vigilant dwarves by instinctively positioning himself in front of his Rider, shielding her from any possible danger. It was only the reassuring mental voice of the werecat Gasor and his promise to investigate his Rider's condition that calmed the green dragon somewhat. However, Anna immediately recognized the situation when she saw her Mistress lying limp on the ground and bellowed a command to the dwarves to fetch a healer as quickly as possible. One of the guards responded to the command and disappeared, while Anna rushed into their sleeping chamber to scoop up a bucket of water from the storage barrel. She intended to go directly to Arya with it but was stopped by her soul companion, as she needed Firnen's permission first. Arya herself was completely unaware of the commotion around her, as she was fighting her own battle.
"Yaela, please stop. You can clearly see that my feelings for Arya surpass yours, and they won't change anytime soon. I don't want you to give up our friendship for an unrequited love. I made the same mistake once and almost lost my friendship with Arya." "I don't care. I'd rather take the risk than live a life where I mourn for an unrequited love." Eragon was about to reply when he was interrupted by a gentle touch. Yaela gathered all her courage, pressed her lips against Eragon's, and poured all the feelings she had for him into that kiss. At first, Eragon tried to gently resist, but eventually, he let it happen. For a moment, the Rider thought about betraying his feelings for the Elven queen, but that thought was overshadowed by the overwhelming emotions of the elf. As Eragon became unable to think clearly, he felt something completely different that he had never experienced before. A void, which in no way was unpleasant, spread through his mind. Yaela also perceived it and let go of him. She stared at him expectantly, hoping he would follow her lead. However, the Rider couldn't grasp this thought anymore, as the void felt truly strange. A brief moment later, the elf recoiled from him and looked at him in total fear. The eyes of the Dragon Rider began to glow white, and something that seemed like white smoke exited his body through his mouth. Arya...
Arya felt as if she didn't belong to this world, as if she didn't belong in this place. Her entire body seemed non-existent, but her knowledge that she was capable of thoughts, even if they made no sense, testified to her existence.
