19
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294 AC
Braavos - House with the red door
Eragon Targaryen
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I jolt awake, sweat covering my body and feeling a headache coming on. I reach for a cup of water beside my bed and down the whole thing in one go, my throat demanding more. I groan and throw my legs off the bed and stand up so I can walk over to the pitcher that is out of reach.
Grabbing the pitcher I skip the cup and drink straight from it, some spills on my bare chest and run down to my pants but I ignore it. My throat feels raw and this cool water is doing wonders for the pain. I set the pitcher down and catch my breath, looking around in the darkroom I can barely make out familiar shapes.
A horrible dream about all manners of death plagued my sleep last night. I never felt in danger but horrible things kept going on around me, people burning alive mainly.
It wasn't all bad though, I remember flying in the sky above the clouds which was pretty fun. The feeling of the breeze almost felt real and as a cloud hit me it felt like a thick mist. But the best part was how I was flying above and in the clouds.
A dragon, the size of or bigger than the ships that come into ragman's harbor. though that part of the dream didn't last long and then I was walking through a field of burning people.
I fill my cup up and take another drink from the pitcher once more before walking back to bed. Narrowly avoiding hitting my toe on the edge of the bed I set my cup down on the small table between me and Daenerys beds.
"Eragon?" I hear Danny croak as she sits up and I see her dark figure move around.
"Yes?" Hearing me she stands up from her bed and walks toward mine.
She pats her hands around on the table and eventually finds my cup and I watch as she steals it Infront of my very eyes.
"Hey, stop that I just filled it up." I reach out to pinch her and she doesn't even bother to react, knowing I won't hurt her she finishes off my cup of water. She sets down my now empty cup and wipes her face with a sleeve of her night dress.
"I needed it, my throat was dry." She continues to stand beside my bed as she moves her weight from foot to foot shifting in place. "Can I sleep with you? I haven't been able to sleep well tonight." I raise an eyebrow not that she can see.
"Bad dreams?" She takes my question as approval and puts the corner of the covers up and slips into my bed, even pulling my pillow halfway out from under my head for her use.
"Yes, bad dreams." She dozily says and nuzzles her head into my pillow after she covers herself.
"What was it about?" I ask and she just grunts.
"I am tired, ask me in the morning." Laying my head back down I take that for what it is a refusal and close my eyes to go back to sleep. I will remember it in the morning because I will remember her drinking all my water.
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I open and close my mouth feeling something in it and realize it's hair, absent-mindedly I run my hand through my hair and realize it didn't get rid of it. Opening my eyes I see the top of my twin's head and how she has stuffed her head partly under my chin while hugging my side. I swipe her hair off my face and out of my mouth as I close my eyes to get a bit more rest.
The door to the room is knocked and I groan knowing I will be denied my sweet sleep.
"Are you guys still sleeping?" I hear Rhaenyras voice come through the door and choose to remain silent and pray to any god that will listen she will leave.
Soon the door is cracked open and lets some candlelight into the room, the door closes quickly and I hear footsteps approach the bed.
"Why do you guys even have two beds if you just end up sleeping together anyway?" I hear her grumble and the noise stirs Danny awake.
"Eragon?" She calls my name into my shoulder and I turn around causing her head to drop off of me.
"Eragon is not home." I respond and the covers are pulled off the bed.
"Wake up you two, you are both late to breakfast. We have spiced sausage and eggs with some bread." The temptation of something in her stomach rouses my twin out of bed and I reach to pull the covers back over my head.
A hand whips across my back causing an echo to go out into the room and I hiss.
"What was that for?!" I spin around deceptively fast and manage to catch Rhaenyra off guard almost pulling her off her feet.
"Wahhhhh!" She fights to stand up and I wrap my arm around her back and pull her up and over me and lay my head back down with her restrained.
"It's sleep time." She struggles against my grip and I tighten down on her like a snake constricting its prey.
"Then let me go, I still want to eat!" She indignantly shouts, I let go and she stops struggling.
She pushes me flat and climbs over me to follow after Danny who has already slipped on some shoes and is heading for the door.
I lay my head back down and close my eyes, A few more minutes will do me good.
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"It's still good." I say as I eat the barely warm food, the others are already done eating but discussing their plans for the day.
"Eragon and I are going to visit Nata today." I cut a piece of the sausage and stab it with my knife before bringing it to my mouth.
"We are?" I ask with uncertainty, did I ever agree to this?
"I want to see my friend and you know where she is so I need you to take me." Probably is best she doesn't go to the whorehouse on her own anyway. She might get mistaken as a worker and dragged into a room, can't have that happening so I will head there with her.
"Alright." I chew my food and look over at Danny who is leaning her head on the table, she seems tired still as well. I need to ask her about her dream, I want to see if it was like mine. Wouldn't be the first time we dreamed the same thing. "You want to go as well, Danny?" She peeks to her side and meets my eyes with her half-lidded eyes.
"Mmmmmm." Her eyes shut and she gives a cute little yawn. "Maybe." I shake my head and fight off a yawn of my own.
"Why don't you ask me, uncle?" Shiera pouts on the side of her mom, who is watching with great interest. There she goes calling me uncle when I don't like to be called that.
"You want to go outside and play and potentially get dirty? There are no rooms to lock yourself in with books outside this house. Well, there might be but people will be very upset with you." She glares and sits up straight.
"I wasn't going to read today, so I will go with you and Rhaenyra." Rhaenyra shrugs and I don't mind, I need to keep an extra careful eye on her though. Rhaenyra can at least kick someone in the balls if they try something, Shiera doesn't train so she isn't as physically capable of defending herself from foul-intentioned people. Given that none of us are and we are too small to fight off a full-grown person without biting the hell out of them or something.
We can't carry our swords on us for two big reasons, well three if you count that we don't actually have real swords and only have training swords. The first is that it would draw attention to having kids walk around armed and people would wonder why we are so worried about carrying weapons. Second is that anyone carrying a sword in Braavos can be challenged to a duel and if you deny their challenge you are likely to be stabbed regardless.
Most people actively challenge people they think that are carrying money and 'accidentally' kill them and take their coin. A more scummy side to Braavos is apparent when you open your eyes enough. But three kids walking down the street with no swords will draw less attention.
Though the attention we do draw is dangerous, it's rare since Braavos is anti-slavery and is trying to force the rest of Essos into removing slavery. That doesn't mean someone can't snatch up a young kid and do what they want with them and even sail away with them.
"Ok Shiera, but you listen to me when we are out on the street." I say seriously and she nods slowly.
"I know, I am not stupid Eragon." I smile hearing my name and not uncle and take another bite of my sausage.
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"She lives here? Isn't this a-." I cut off Rhaenyra and send a look her way that silences her.
"It is, but that doesn't mean she works here. I think she said something about her family owning the place, it's also why I don't want you to come alone though." She nods in understanding and even looks a little scared. "Are you going to see your first friend or are you going to abandon her because of the way her family makes money?" I have my reasons for wanting to meet Nata again but if her family's occupation scares off Rhaenyra I wouldn't blame her.
She shakes her head and looks toward Shiera who is busy looking around the street nervously.
"No, I am fine but we should go play somewhere else and not here." I was already planning on heading toward a different location. This is a good part of town, like one of the best actually, and makes me wonder how rich Nata's family was to even own this place. But it's still not for the best for us to hang out right outside this place.
I knock on the door and when no one responds I knock a little harder. Shortly after the door is opened and a girl with feathered clothes opens it. She isn't a summer islander but she is dressed in their theme.
"Yes?" She looks confused when she spots three kids.
"Nata told us to use this door to meet her here. She said someone would send her out if we knocked here and ask for her." The woman nods and smiles.
"Ok, she will be right out." She closes the door and we back up and wait for her to come out.
----
"Do you think she is ok?" It's been a few minutes and Shiera speaks up.
"She should be, but if she isn't out soon let's just leave." I will be cautious with these two with me.
The door is soon thrown open and an excited Nata jumps out, she spots us and runs up and hugs Rhaenyra.
"You came! I was hoping you would show up." She spots Shiera and tilts her head, seeing Shieras mismatched eyes Nata's sky-blue eyes go wide. "You have very pretty eyes, I have never seen such beautiful eyes." Shiera nervously rubs her arm being stared at like this.
She used to be insecure about her eyes because all of her family who is us have different shades of purple and neither of hers is purple. She got over it after she realized her difference only makes her more unique and that's not a bad thing but a good thing.
"Thank you, my name is Shiera. They told me you are Nata and that you are Rhaenyras first friend." Rhaenyra puffs up and looks ready to jump on Shiera but I hold her back. "Can you be my friend as well?"
Nata looks back at the embarrassed Rhaenyra and smiles before nodding at Shiera.
"Of course, I will be your friend, let's have fun today and celebrate becoming friends!" Rhaenyra stops struggling seeing the pure scene of friendship before our eyes before breaking away from me and hugging both of them.