Children of the Forsworn

Yay! Another chapter! As last time, review responses…I'm now letting anyone review, so if you couldn't last time because you weren't logged in, feel free to now! Should have mentioned that last chapter…oops. Ah well, it hasn't fazed any of you.

Imma Yellow Unicorn: Thank you! It strikes me that CP has made Eragon grow up too quickly, and I thought, hey, he's only 16, so my Eragon is a little more childish and less…well…boring.

jimmy-barnes-13: Yes, I liked that line as well, a flash of comic inspiration there. Oh and thanks for the comment about the battle scene, although I did rewrite it about 6 times before deciding I liked it enough to post…

Right, now that's sorted…this is where it gets confusing. Points of view will change more frequently now all the characters are in the same place. I'm playing around with two endings, one is a lot more sad than the other…although I'm not even close yet. ;).

By the way, I'm planning a sequel, and for those who are interested in the back-story of Lillian, Renn and Aaran, there is a prequel somewhere on the horizon too. Woo, trilogy! (She says, writing the middle one first. I'm an incarnation of George Lucas. I apologise.)

A warning…there will be torture in this chapter. Sorry if that's not your thing, but I need it, it's kind of important to the plot. You can always skim read it and not read the scary bits. It's not that bad. Honest…

Eragon: says you.

Me: why is it always you talking? Go away, I'm writing.

Eragon: (mutters)

Disclaimer (sigh – we go through this every time…) nothing is mine, it all belongs to CP.

-------

Lillian wandered the grim, dark corridors of the palace moodily, kicking her feet. She was lonely. Aaran had gone out riding somewhere, and Renn was in the library, probably frantically searching the 'antiquity' section for glimpses of the old order of the Dragon Riders. She was obsessed, and the fact that such tomes were forbidden by Galbatorix only increased her interest. She thought that Murtagh was in his room, being all moody. He'd hardly spoken to anyone since Galbatorix had interrogated him, and she couldn't blame him, he'd been furious at the invasion of his privacy. He'd always had some level of sanctuary in his room, but lately that had not been the case. Lillian sighed, and glanced out the window.

She moved over and leaned on the stone sill, gazing at the gloomy weather. It had begun to rain yesterday, and it hadn't let up since. There was thunder rolling around in the distance to the West, but not close enough to be dangerous. She looked down at the courtyard, her eye catching some sort of commotion. Squinting through the rain, she could make out three figures making slow progress across the ground. The progress was slow because one of the figures was pulling against the other two, struggling and squirming. She ran to the next window, trying to get a better view. The person in the middle was trying his best to get away, and Lillian heard a strangled cry. "No!"

The person was small, no match for the two hideous looking creatures that dragged him. Lillian wrinkled her nose, they were repulsive and inhuman, and clearly enjoying themselves. She knew enough about the Ra'zac to know what she was seeing. Suddenly there was an agonised roar, and a huge blue shape appeared behind the three figures. She gasped. It was a blue version of Thorn, a dragon. She glanced back at the Ra'zac, and peered intently at the third person. He had light brown hair that the rain had plastered to his face, and wide, terrified brown eyes. He was young, younger than her brother and sister, just a boy…then it clicked.

Eragon. Murtagh's little brother. The other Rider…hence the dragon…She mentally kicked herself for taking so long to figure it out.

Fear flooded her. She had to find Murtagh, he'd tried so hard to keep Eragon safe…no…she had to know where they were taking him first. She cursed her naivety. She was too young for this, how on earth was she supposed to know what to do? Gods, she hated being twelve. She glanced outside again, and watched with a sick sense of dread as the Ra'zac dragged the protesting boy into the palace. She fell against the wall, her hand flying to her forehead. Think, girl, think! Where would they take him? Where was her father? She made up her mind and flew down the corridor.

Two flights of stairs and three corridors later, she skidded to a halt outside the door to the King's throne room, hoping against hope that her hunch had been right. She pressed herself behind one of the columns, hiding in the shadows. Sure enough, barely seconds later, a door crashed open further down the corridor, and she shrank back against the wall as the Ra'zac entered. She was terrified of them at the best of times…Eragon was still struggling, although the fear in his eyes told Lillian that he knew it was futile. "Can't you sssshut him up?" One black cloaked figure growled. The other merely grunted in response, and struck the teenager sharply across the face. The resounding crack made Lillian wince, and the force of the blow sent Eragon to his knees, taken aback. His right arm had been twisted behind his back, one of the Ra'zac's slimy fingers pressing on the pressure point of his wrist, just below a shining silver tattoo that matched Murtagh's. They were close enough now so that she could see everything, and for a second, she frowned.

Eragon had a far more delicate appearance than his brother, he looked…well, she'd never seen an elf, but had read about them…elfin. His face was smooth, unmarked and slightly angular, and the tips of his ears were very slightly pointed. Funnily enough it looked normal. If she'd had pointed ears it would have looked stupid. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why he looked the way he did. Was it purely because he'd been trained by the elves? She'd have to ask him.

If he lived.

He was dragged to his feet, and Lillian's heart hammered as they moved past where she was hiding and stopped. If they caught her skulking around outside the Throne room, there'd be the devil to pay. Eragon struggled half-heartedly, still looking rather stunned. He stared up at the doors, eyes now strangely blank, although when they opened, a flicker of fear darted across them briefly. There was a quiet but triumphant laugh from within, and Lillian flinched at the sinister undertone. She blinked and they were gone, all three having disappeared inside. She swore and darted out just as the door slammed shut.

At the last second, she stuck her foot in the way, and the door crashed onto it. A shattering pain reverberated up her leg and she bit her lip violently, trying desperately not to scream. The wretched thing was heavier than she'd thought.

Still, she'd achieved what she'd hoped. The door was open a crack, and, taking a deep breath, she moved closer and peered through the gap. Her foot throbbed painfully, and she curled her toes, trying to coax some feeling back into them, wincing.

-------

Eragon mentally cursed everything he could think of, especially himself. Why…no, how had he been completely idiotic enough to get kidnapped by Ra'zac? Where was Roran? He was physically and emotionally exhausted, and he was in Galbatorix' throne room. What? He thought blearily, trying to organise his thoughts. He was shoved to his knees, and a cold hand grasped his hair and wrenched his head back. He cried out softly in surprise and winced.

"Well well. How wonderful, we have a guest." A low but harsh voice murmured from the darkness. Eragon flinched, but took a second to look around. The room was hideously dark, draped in black and red material and lit by the odd candle here and there. Stone floors and a high ceiling made it feel cold and gloomy, and his eyes finally came to rest on a dark and very tall figure stood some ten feet away from him. He was thin, and dressed in red and black, matching the 'interesting' décor of the room. In his hand he fingered a long, thin, black-bladed sword. His face was thin and angular, his eyes were such a dark shade of green they were almost black, and his mouth was a thin line that was currently smirking.

"So you are the great Eragon Shadeslayer. I hadn't realised you were quite so young. Fifteen? Sixteen?" Eragon screwed his face up, refusing to answer and closing his eyes, trying to stop his heart fluttering quite so madly. Suddenly cold steel was at his throat and he gasped, his eyes flicking open. The King was right in front of him, the point of his sword touching his neck. "I suggest you answer me, boy. Don't be rude." Slowly, he dragged the sword point up Eragon's neck to his chin, forcing his head up and leaving a thin, neat cut. Blood welled up and Eragon hissed in pain, biting his lip. There was absolutely no mercy in Galbatorix' eyes, so Eragon muttered, "Sixteen."

The King tutted. "So young. Too young to deserve what I'm about to do to you." Fear seeped through him and he flinched. Galbatorix ignored him and continued. "Or maybe not. You've been a bit of a pain, my boy…you killed my Shade, and several hundred of my men…several thousand in fact, you and that dragon of yours. Saphira? How sweet." He leered at Eragon, and the smaller boy shuddered. The King was only inches away from him now, and the black sword was millimetres from the side of his face. He was unable to move, aware that the two Ra'zac still held him in an iron grip. He briefly ran through a list of spells, but he was too tired, and besides, he couldn't move his hand.

With a cold ruthlessness, Galbatorix pressed the blade to his face. "Such a shame to mark such a pretty face. You resemble your mother, and maybe your brother, if just a little. Curious…there's hardly a hint of Morzan in you…" With that, he slashed Eragon, leaving a deep gash running from his forehead to just below his right eye. He howled in agony and the Ra'zac dropped him, writhing, to the floor.

Blood clouded his vision and he desperately swiped at his eyes, which did not hurt, something which Eragon was grateful for: the sword had missed them, which meant he wouldn't go blind. He heard Galbatorix hiss a few words, and his whole body arched, pain exploding in his chest. He shrieked, unaccustomed to pain of this intensity, and The King laughed.

-------

Lillian had seen enough. Sick fascination had kept her there too long already, she needed to find the boy's brother. There were tears in her eyes; Eragon would have a scar sweeping diagonally across his face forever… She bolted, desperately hoping Murtagh would be in his room.

-------

Murtagh blinked a few times. Something was wrong. He could hear screaming in his head, and Thorn was trying to say something. His thoughts were too jumbled since Galbatorix had messed with his mind. He got up and his head spun. He threw open his bedroom door and stepped into the corridor.

There was a little scream as something small barrelled into him. He swore and took a step back. Lillian sat on the floor in front of him, rubbing her elbow, tears running down her face. "Lily!" he exclaimed, hauling the little girl to her feet. "What's wrong?"

"Father…" she gasped, breathing hard. "He has your brother…they're…in his throne room…he's hurting him!" Another flood of tears cascaded down her face as her words hit him.

Eragon…Anguish and fear filled him, and he grabbed Lillian's thin wrist. "Are you sure?" he hissed. She nodded. That was all the confirmation he needed. He began to run, dragging Lillian back the way she'd come. She kept up easily, anxiety for her best friend's kin giving her energy. Within minutes they were outside the slightly open door, panting. A pain-filled voice echoed from inside. "I'd rather…die…than help you…" Murtagh knew that voice, as distorted by pain as it was.
"Don't be boring." A malicious voice that was clearly the King replied. "I could kill you, yes, but why would I want to do that?" There was a cry of agony and a vicious laugh. Murtagh made to shove the door open, but was pushed back against the wall by Lillian, who was showing surprising strength.

"No!" she cried. "If you go in there, he'll hurt you too, or worse, he'll figure out that what hurts you most is seeing Eragon get tortured! Don't make it worse for him!" Her pale blue eyes gazed imploringly up at him. He clenched his fists and murmured, "You're too clever for your own good, you know that? But you're right." It made him feel horrible, knowing that he could do nothing to prevent what was happening in the throne room. Lillian stared at him. "Don't watch. Don't react. For his sake." She whispered.

Agonisingly slow minute passed after agonisingly slow minute. Murtagh flinched every time Eragon cried out or screamed. Lillian had pushed him into the shadow of the column. "They'll be coming out any second." Sure enough, the screaming had stopped, replaced by a low, agonised moaning. "They?"

"The Ra'zac brought him in." Murtagh swore. How had they got their filthy hands on him? The door opened and they pressed themselves against the wall, Murtagh encircling the small girl with his arms for protection. The Ra'zac exited and left reasonably quickly, followed by the King himself. Galbatorix frowned a little and took half a step forward, then shook his head and walked away down the corridor, presumably to his private wing of the castle.

Instantly Murtagh sprinted into the high room, and his breath hitched in his throat. Pity flooded him as he fell to his knees beside his younger brother. Eragon looked so small…he was covered in blood and bruises, and his hands had been viciously wrenched behind his back and bound with thick rope. His eyes were closed. "Lillian…" he muttered, "Go and fetch Renn…"
"But –"

"Do it!" Lillian turned tail and fled. Murtagh shook with anger as he hissed "jierda." The rope broke and Eragon stirred. The dark haired boy gently lifted his arms clear and pulled the younger boy into a gentle embrace. There was a long gash across his face, and Murtagh let his hand touch it. "Waíse haill!" The wound knitted itself together, leaving a thin scar. "Adurna…" water welled up in his palm, and he splashed it onto his sleeve, before wiping the worst of the blood off his little brother's face. Eragon moaned, and his eyelids flickered, and then opened.

Brown eyes, clouded by pain, stared up him. The younger boy gasped and flinched. "M…Murtagh…" he murmured, fear showing plainly on his face. Murtagh flinched too. "I won't hurt you, Eragon, I promise…please…don't be frightened…I'm helping you!" Mistrust flickered behind his brother's eyes, but as he tried to pull away, he cried out in pain and slid out of Murtagh's grip. He fell to the floor, shivering.

Murtagh stepped back, afraid that if he touched him again, Eragon would hurt himself trying to get away. Of course he had no reason to trust him, but it still hurt. A hand touched his shoulder. He whirled around and came face to face with Renn. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, her eyes filled with sorrow and pity. She sat down next to Eragon and touched his forehead. "Eragon, sweetheart, I'm a friend. Let me help you?" The boy's eyes flicked from her to Murtagh, before he nodded resignedly.

-------

Renn worked on the numerous slashes covering the young Rider's thin frame, pity strengthening her resolve. How could someone do this to another human being? Although, he looked more elf than human, when she thought about it. She assumed that was the difference between being trained by the King and trained by the elves. His eyes never left her face, they were blurred with confusion and suspicion. Lillian and Murtagh hovered behind her, both anxious.

Suddenly the door flew open. "How dare you come in here?" An enraged, dangerously quiet voice spat from the opening. The three of them spun round, and instantly Murtagh launched himself at Galbatorix. Of course, he got within a foot and was thrown back by the protective barrier the King kept around himself. He went sprawling to the floor at the King's feet. "You promised!" he shouted, fuelled by rage. "You promised when I said I'd serve you! You said you wouldn't hurt him!" Murtagh's eyes flashed with fury, but Galbatorix just glared at him, before kicking him cruelly in the stomach. The younger man gasped in pain and Renn jumped to her feet. "Don't do that! He's just protecting his little brother, just as I would for Lily!"

The King looked at her strangely, as if he hadn't realised who she was or why she was there. Tears welled up in her eyes. "You don't care do you? Do you even recognise me? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, you've hardly spoken to me in the eighteen years I've lived here!" She pulled Lillian into a fierce hug, and the little girl looked shocked at her sister's outburst. Renn willed the tears to go away. She stared into her father's eyes, trying to find some emotion. Nothing. She laughed hollowly.

When the King spoke, his voice was calm and even. Had he acknowledged what she'd said at all? "Renn, Lillian, get out. Now." Deciding it was best not to argue, Renn steered her sister towards the door, hissing, "Oh look, Lil, he remembers our names." The sarcasm in her voice evidently went completely unnoticed. She shook her head. The King clicked his fingers and several guards appeared, blocking their exit. "Take the boy to the dungeon."

Eragon cried out as he was hauled to his feet and forced out of the door. "And you…" he rounded on Murtagh. "Stay here. I'll deal with you later…" Renn shoved Lillian out of the door, ignoring her protests and her cry of, "Murtagh!"

They hurried up the corridor, followed by their father. "Renn…will Murtagh be alright?" Renn ignored Lillian and continued to force her up the corridor. Galbatorix disappeared up a set of stairs, evidently on his way to his tower, and Renn collapsed against the wall, shaking. Lillian bit her lip. "When's Aaran coming back?" she murmured in a small voice. "He'll help sort out this mess…"

-------

There. All done. I felt so mean writing all that. Poor Eragon. Don't worry, I don't think that will happen again…ever. Galbatorix had to vent his anger on someone didn't he? Although I imagine that would be the king's reaction if Eragon ever got caought in CP's books, he's not much of a mercy person.

Eragon: I hate you.

Me: I know, I'm sorry…

I switched to Renn's pov in this chapter, even though I wasn't really intending to. I thought it might make a change. She's a healer, by the way. Better than Murtagh at healing spells, hence why she was called to help. And yes, Eragon is terrified of his older brother. I can't understand why….don't worry, next chapter, Lily sorts him out. Reviews are welcome!