Author's Note:
Considering how long I've been away from this fanfiction, I have decided to start editing the chapters I have already written before furthering it.
Summary:
The Rider of Urû'baen focuses around a girl named Kaiya and how she and a rebel group manage to steal the two remaining eggs from Galbatorix's castle. It starts out in Urû'baen around the time when Eragon left Dras-Leona with Murtagh. Galbatorix has left his castle for the first time in ten years (which was mentioned in the book) to go to Dras-Leona, giving a small rebel group in the city a chance to steal the eggs. Reviewing would be much appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own Eragon. Anything familiar belongs to Christopher Paolini, but everything else belongs to me.
Chapter One
It was night, and brilliant white flashes of lightning danced across the sky, followed quickly by deep rolls of thunder. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon long ago, casting the land of Alagaësia into darkness. Icy cold rain pelted the empty streets of Urû'baen mercilessly. Suddenly the creak of a door opening could be heard and a tall, cloaked man stepped out into the rain. The man looked around impatiently, his hidden face peering down the empty street.
"Are you searching for someone?" a young voice asked. The man whirled around quickly. His hand settled on the handle of a sword hidden under the cloak. When he spotted who it was he let out a relieved breath, though from under his hood his eyes flashed anger and annoyance.
"I told you to wait in the inn," he snapped. In front of him was a girl of fifteen, her hands on her hips. Long ebony hair stretched down to her chest, and her bright eyes sparkled emerald. She shrugged and walked up slowly to him, ignoring the rain that soaked her clothes. "I grew bored. Besides, Tesu told me to come." She frowned suddenly, remembering the recent conversation with her older brother. "Yes, he told me to come directly to you and to say that the message was very important and urgent." The cloaked man gave the girl a fierce look. "What of Tesu? Tell me, Kaiya! This could ruin all of our planning."
Kaiya shivered from the cold and repeated the message Tesu had passed to her. "Tesu said to take me in his place. He suspects that someone has caught on to our plans and has been spying on him. No one else is trustworthy enough for this, and no one will ever suspect me of taking his place." She gave the man a pleading look. "Please Jevden? I can do it… I know I can!" Her mouth opened to continue begging, but the man held up his hand. He looked troubled, but finally he agreed. "Is Tesu sure of this?"
The girl nodded eagerly, "Yes! Tesu had to drag me into a corner of the inn to speak to me without any eavesdroppers. He said that Galbatorix will be back from Dras-Leona by midday tomorrow and all of the planning we have done will have gone to waste. We have to do this tonight!" Kaiya's words seemed to have finally convinced Jevden. He pushed back his hood and muttered in a low voice, "Then it is settled. The others await my signal in the alley near the stables. We must hurry." Glancing quickly down the street and seeing it was still deserted, he started walking at a brisk pace. As a flash of lightning lit up the ebony sky, Galbatorix's castle could be seen looming in the distance.
A pleased look crossed Kaiya's face and she started after Jevden immediately. It seemed that all of the eavesdropping she had done over Jevden and Tesu's mysterious group had paid off. Jevden was her guardian, since her father had died when she was only thirteen. He had been a slightly large man with brown hair and intense chocolate-brown eyes that could make you tremble when he was mad. Before he had died, Kaiya could remember the lengthy meetings held in her father's study. Jevden often came to them and spoke cheerfully with her before leaving. Many other men also came to these meetings, but most of them frightened Kaiya so badly that she would turn and run at their appearance.
Then one day her brother started joining the meetings. Kaiya could remember asking crossly why Tesu could join them when she was always told to go play. Tesu would cross his arms and say haughtily, "Because I am older." Her father would then pick her up and say in his deep voice, "Because they are boring and serve as a good punishment for Tesu. Do not worry yourself over these things, Kai."
But Kaiya would not allow this as a just answer. She made it a habit of sneaking to the oak door of the study and pressing her ear stubbornly against the wood, determined to find out what they were talking about. For the most part, all that she accomplished was a sore ear and being told off if she was caught. However, usually she could pick up a few certain words from the muffled voices. 'Galbatorix' was a word that was frequently used. Perhaps it was the way they said it, but Kaiya often felt chills go down her spine at the mention of the name.
This went on for two full years, from the time before her father died until quite recently. As she grew older, Kaiya could piece together some of the information she heard, but not all of it. Her suspicions of the meetings grew. Finally Jevden gave in to her persistent prodding and flat out told her the truth. Her father had been one of the main leaders of a small rebel group in Urû'baen. The meetings held in her house were about Galbatorix, the hidden dragon eggs in his castle, and many other things. This left Kaiya speechless, to say the least. Speaking ill of Galbatorix resulted certainly in death. What would the king do if he found out that her father had been in charge of a rebel group?
When Kaiya told them of these things, Tesu laughed bitterly, his eyes gleaming unusually brightly with hatred. "But Galbatorix did find out. How do you think Father died, Kai? What did you think happened to him when he came home with a sword wound? A soldier of Galbatorix tried to kill him." His voice suddenly dropped to a low growl, "And he succeeded."
It was then that all of the memories of her father's death came rushing back to her. Her father, his shirt stained with fresh blood, his face deathly pale He had spent a week in bed, recovering from his wound, when his illness struck. Too weak to fight it off, her beloved father died the next day. That was when Kaiya fiercely decided that she would join the rebels. After her father died, she came to the fixed conclusion that Galbatorix had killed her father. Although it took some time of persuading, Jevden finally caved in.
Suddenly Jevden stopped his brisk pace and Kaiya nearly bumped into him. "Hey!" she cried, but her mouth snapped shut when she saw what lay before the two. A dozen of the most skilled swordsmen in their small rebel group stood in the narrow alleyway, each cloaked and alert. Three archers also waited, their quivers and bows sticking up from behind their backs. One of the swordsmen who had been leaning against a wall stood up swiftly and asked in a sharp voice, "Where's Tesu?"
"I'm taking his place," Kaiya blurted out. She cowered slightly behind Jevden as she saw the dark looks exchanged by the rebels. A murmur of voices erupted from all of them, doubt and worry behind each one.
"Do not worry about it," Jevden said sternly above the voices, glaring at each one of the men. "Galbatorix and his men know nothing of our plans. This is our final chance before he returns. Whispers of a new Rider have been carried throughout the land of Alagaësia, but we cannot wait for these rumors to be confirmed. Galbatorix will be the least of our worries if this mysterious Rider sides with him. At least with a Rider of our choosing we can fight back."
A couple of the men nodded in agreement, but worry was still etched clearly on every man's face. Jevden looked out at the castle and back. "We must go. Tom, you lead your men first." A dirty man with tangled black hair nodded and started out into the open street. Five other men filed after him, each glancing from the castle to each other anxiously.
"Archers, you know what you must do. After we get close enough to the main wall, you must act quickly. If one guard has time to sound an alarm we can go no further. Take aim carefully—it's hard to see in this light—and move instantly." He looked at the leader of the other six swordsmen, a broad man with shaggy brown hair and a beard to match. "Ross, after the archers take care of the guards, move in. We need three swordsmen to keep post there. The others can advance as well as the archers. Once we get inside, Kaiya and I will break away from the group and get to the room." Jevden smiled grimly, "Then we shall have to make out escape. If we make it this far, we'll have to get out of Urû'baen immediately. Now let's go."
Kaiya gulped and tried wringing out her drenched hair as she watched the archers and other men make their way towards the castle. Her stomach felt knotted and twisted, and her entire body was numb. It was as if she was just now realizing what she had truly gotten herself into. Jevden gave her a concerned look after the others filed out and then left himself. Suddenly she realized something.
"Jev!" she whispered hoarsely, trailing after him. "Even if we do make it in and out of the castle, how are we going to make it out of Urû'baen and far enough away? The guards will find out soon enough, and then there will be a thousand soldiers on our tail!"
Jevden kept walking, but he cast a weak smile at Kaiya. "There will be horses waiting just outside of the city. All we have to do is reach them." His smile faded suddenly, and a look of sadness crossed his face. "I'm sorry I had you involved, little one. I'm sure your father wouldn't have been very pleased with this idea. Now there is no way you can stay in Urû'baen."
Kaiya made a face at being called 'little one', but she also slipped her arm through his and smiled. "That is okay. Father left you in charge of me, so he obviously trusted your judgment. Besides, I wouldn't mind leaving the city. I'd like to see Alagaësia… all of it!"
The group made their way up to the castle swiftly. All the while, Jev would whisper instructions to Kaiya involving the plan. Listening carefully, she absorbed all the information and kept the worries that plagued her mind to herself. So there are two dragon eggs to capture. What if we can't find the room, or what if the room is too heavily guarded? As a thought crossed her mind, her throat went dry and it felt as if her heart skipped a beat. What if something happens to Jev? What will happen to me? Will they make me a prisoner, or kill me? I—
When the outer wall of the castle came into view, Kaiya felt thoroughly sick to her stomach. She watched without breathing as Jevden motioned for the archers to advance. As she watched them take aim, her eyes darted up the stone wall and she counted the guards silently. One…two…three…four… Lightning streaked through the sky, illuminating the castle for a few quick seconds before it plunged back into darkness. Each guard was positioned with some distance in between them, but would that stop them from seeing their fellow man being shot?
Three arrows suddenly streaked through the air. A low rumble of thunder drowned the dull buzzing of the arrows out. Kaiya winced as she watched the arrows get closer and closer to their target.
Each arrow hit a guard square in the chest. The first two dropped dead instantly with an unheard thud, but the third staggered backwards and tried in vain to detect the enemy. Any noise made by him could not be heard over the storm. One of the archers grimaced and let another arrow go quickly, hitting the guard in the chest again.
This time the shot proved fatal for the guard. He collapsed, body slumped over the edge of the wall. Another archer got the fourth guard, and then Jevden started closer, motioning for everyone to follow. Kaiya felt herself stagger forward, the image of two arrows protruding from the guard's chest still engraved in her mind. They made their way up an unstable-looking ladder, where three of the swordsmen made their post. Now it was time for the real challenge.