Two weeks later
"So that's the situation," Slyfer said, telling his friend everything that had happened so far, being careful so as no one else would hear.
"Well, I'm going to have to think about it. I'm sure you will be able to take the guards right?" Ben said after a long pause.
"Maybe, I know I'm an elf and all, but there's only so much I can take, there's no telling how many guards will be between here and the exit. You sure you know where it is?"
"Yeah, the guard I bribed told the truth, I'm sure of it. What about the girl? Carmese, right? Our plan wont work if you plan to get her out of here too."
"Sure it will, she will stay with me while I take out the guards. She might even come in handy."
"How?"
"Well, she's an elf too, she could help take out the guards with me."
Just then a large boy, about their age walked up to them. "Hey guys," he said in a friendlier tone than he looked like he could create.
"Hey Mur," Slyfer and Ben answered.
"So, how are things goin?" Mur asked, still in the friendly voice. The two then told him about everything that had happened. "So no change in plan?" the hulking man asked.
"Nope, you still take out the guards on your end, while I get a little extra help taking out mine," Slyfer assured.
"By then I should have caught up to you two and we can make our way to the exit," Ben finished.
When training was over the three went back to their cells.
"Anything happen while I was gone?" Slyfer asked Carmese.
"Well the guard outside brought in food, but that's it. Any news from you?"
"Good news actually, we can get out of here tomorrow."
Carmese's face lit up, "Really? So fast?"
"Yeah," Slyfer said, "Ben said that his guard is starting to ease up on him, so after Ben's fight tomorrow he will be able to knock him out. Meanwhile Mur and I will pick the locks to our cell, take out whatever guards are around and Ben will lead us to the way out of here."
"Simple plan, you think you will be able to take them out?"
"Yes, you sound just like Ben," Slyfer said, "I'm going to sleep and I suggest you do too; tomorrow is gonna be a big day." He lied down on the cot, used to the hard floor, and went silent.
"Alright," Carmese answered, "scoot over." She lied down next to him, knowing she had to, just in case a guard came in, to keep up the appearance of her being Slyfer's "prize." They had been doing this since he chose her that two weeks ago. That night had been perhaps the most awkward night of both of their lives. The awkwardness had diminished some since then, both of them getting used to it, but it wasn't completely gone.
Slyfer woke up to find Carmese still asleep, lying into him. Then he noticed the two bowls of food on the floor next to the door: breakfast. He quietly, slowly got off the cot, trying not to wake up Carmese. Of course, he failed.
Carmese got up right after him, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. It was small things like this that reminded Slyfer that she wasn't completely elven, which then reminded him that neither was he. Then he remembered something that she had mentioned, something that he somehow had completely forgotten about.
"Carmese, you mentioned that there were only two known human elf couples at the moment, your parents being one of them…who are the others?" Slyfer asked. How could he have forgotten a hint that Carmese knew his who his parents were?
There was a long pause, or maybe Slyfer was just nervous, he couldn't tell. Eventually Carmese replied, "They are the leaders of a rebel group fighting against Galbatorix called the Varden. One of them is a dragon rider by the name of Eragon."
What? Slyfer thought, he had heard of Eragon, the only hope for Alagaesia, the one free dragon rider, the man who would one day kill Galbatorix.
After another pause Slyfer dared to ask, "And my mother?"
"The ambassador of the elves…and also secretly the princess of the elves. Her name is Arya."
So I'm…a prince? Slyfer thought. Then after a few more moments, Galbatorix must have taken me in order to emotionally destroy the Varden leaders. Then why not kill me?
After voicing his thoughts to Carmese she answered, "If I had to guess, I'd say he didn't kill you so that he could use you in an emergency."
Before he could process this information they heard a loud cough outside the door. The Signal. Ben was supposed to cough as he was being walked past Slyfer and Mur's cells. It meant that it was time to start picking the locks on their cell doors.
"We can talk about this later," Slyfer explained, "Now we need to get started." It crushed his heart to stop the conversation there, but he knew that if they went on then they would fail to escape.
From underneath the cot he grabbed a few tools that Ben had sneaked him and Mur so they could pick their locks. Soon Slyfer had unlocked his cell door and eased it open. Looking out, he saw no guards in the dark, dreary hallway.
"Come on," he called to Carmese, who followed him out of the cell. As they were emerging from their containment they heard another cell door open. Must be Mur. Slyfer thought. Another sound then came from the other end of the corridor; the sounds of shouting and yelling that were soon shut out, only to be replaced by the sound of three pairs of feet walking toward Slyfer, Carmese, and now Mur.
It was two guards and Ben walking back from what Slyfer assumed was Ben's victory. Knowing it was his chance, Slyfer took off toward one of the guards, tackled him to the ground, and in one punch to face knocked him unconscious.
Ben then pushed the other guard in to wall and head butted him in the nose, breaking it. Mur then pounced on the guard and quickly took him out.
"Time to go," Ben said, sprinting away from where he had come. His rescuers followed him. The four of them ran for what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a few minutes, until the came to a door.
Slyfer walked up to it, put his ear on the door, and listened for people on the other side. After a few tense moments of nothingness, he slowly opened the door, only to come face-to-face with a big, hulking guard with a large hammer in his hand. "Mur," Slyfer uttered.
The guard raised his hammer and came down with it. Just then Mur stepped from behind Slyfer and somehow managed to grab the exposed part of the handle. Mur yanked the weapon away from the guard and struck him in the ribs with the stolen hammer, causing the guard to crumple to the ground like a dry leaf.
Without a word the group continued their sprint until coming to a gate, behind which they could see desert.
"Finally!" Mur exclaimed, rushing to the gate at a sprint, only to crash into it. The impact brought down the tiny barred door, filling the corridor with the warm air and dry smell of the desert.
The walked out of the corridor. Looking back Slyfer realized that they had been in a tunnel, leading underground, where the fighting arena and cells were.
"Seems too easy," Carmese, who hadn't said much in a while murmured to herself.
"True," Ben responded, "but who cares?"
"We are free," Slyfer whispered.
Sorry for taking forever to write this. I have been swamped with school. But the thing is that for awhile my internet got shut off, so even if I DID have this written, I wouldn't have been able to upload this.