Hey all! So, I had to up my rating to 'T' to avoid any trouble, but I'm sure most of you are at least 13 or older, and if you aren't, you probably couldn't care less if you were or were not of age to read it. :)

Thanks to my fabulous 5 reviewers! On to Chapter Four! Yea!

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Chapter Four

Taiven and Cale raced their horses through the narrow streets of the city, dodging carts containing products sold in the market place, and all the while trying to keep ahead of the swiftly advancing guards. The sound of the horses' hooves pounding against the stone flooring of the streets resounded throughout the city. Lights dotted the windows of the surrounding houses as the sound woke up their inhabitants, who came out with a candle in hand and still dressed in their night garments to see what was going on. Their lights made it easier to see the streets as the riders sped through them.

The two boys neared the middle of the city where a large statue of the King was situated and where the streets veered off in several different directions. A slight bend in the street they were on was just up ahead. If we could ride far enough in front of the guards, Taiven thought, we could gain enough time for us to lose them, and then . . . Yes; that just might work. He urged his horse faster and heard Cale's horse follow suit. Yes! Now, how am I going to tell Cale? Taiven debated with himself for a few seconds before he made up his mind. He didn't like what he was about to do. But it's the only way, he thought. He opened his mind and found Cale's.

Cale, don't be afraid. It's me, Taiven, he thought to Cale.

"Taiven?" came the boy's surprised voice behind him.

I'm sorry I have to communicate this way, but we don't have time, he said quickly. Now, listen carefully. After we round this corner up ahead, I want you to take the second right. Understand? The second right. I'm going left. We'll meet outside the city. Ready?

"But, Taiven! I don't think we should—"

Now!

Taiven steered his horse to the left and glanced over his shoulder to watch Cale disappear down the street he was supposed to. The two streets curved and twisted, finally leading to the outer parts of the city. With them each taking a separate street, the sound of hooves should confuse the guards into wondering which way they went, making the guards pause just long enough for Taiven and Cale to gain a good lead.

Taiven's horse pounded down the street with his rider looking behind him every now and then. So far so good, Taiven thought. Up ahead was a long stretch of road before it opened up into the vast land outside of the dark city. As he neared the end of the street, relief swept through him when he found an unharmed Cale smiling back at him. Taiven slowed his horse when he came close to the boy, but then immediately sped up. Once Taiven couldn't hear the sound of his own horse's hooves, he heard the guards' not far behind. While he passed Cale, he inclined his head for the boy to follow. He heard Cale's horse galloping behind him and urged his horse faster, listening for Cale to follow suit. Cale did so and soon surpassed Taiven. The boy looked back at Taiven and grinned widely. Taiven smirked and shook his head.

In moments, they were at a fork in the road with three paths each leading to a different city. The path going right led to Dras-Leona, the one in the middle led to Melian, and the one on the left led to Furnost. Cale slowed his horse and waited for Taiven, since the boy had no idea where they were going. Taiven took the path on the left, and Cale rode on after him. Taiven searched the land for anything that would conceal Cale and him until the guards either passed them or gave up. He figured it would be the latter. Galbatorix's guards generally didn't have a very high attention span. Then again, because he did have something worth considerable value to the King, they may actually search longer than usual.

The sun began to rise and their horses were growing tired being in a constant gallop. Taiven knew that if they kept this up, the horses wouldn't be of any use to them later on. He decided to slow them down to a fast trot. It was a good thing he did, too; otherwise he wouldn't have spotted the very thing he was searching for: a place to hide. He pulled on his horse's reins for him to stop and motioned for Cale to do the same. Mounds of sand and dirt surrounded them, but one particular hill caught Taiven's eye. It wasn't any bigger than the rest, but at the base of the hill, on the side unseen to the eyes traveling on the road, was a ditch. Taiven only hoped it was big enough to fit two horses.

He rode his horse, Cale following behind, to the trench-like hole behind the hill. He dismounted and made his horse lay in the hole. Cale watched him, and then tried to do the same with his horse – except she wouldn't lie down for him. Taiven smiled as he walked over to help. When they were all situated, the only thing to do was wait . . . and wait . . . and wait. Finally, after what felt like an hour of waiting and not one bit of any of the guards was seen, they decided that the guards must have given up. As they rose from the hole, they smiled to themselves, rejoicing that they were finally free and continued on the road to their escape.

The sun was high in the sky before Cale finally spoke, "Why didn't you just talk to me like that before? And now? It'd be a lot easier." Puzzled, Taiven thought about what he meant. When it came to him after a moment, he shook his head while rummaging around in the pack that contained the parchment and grabbed a piece. His handwriting, which was already somewhat poor, was made worse with him writing while on horseback. Cale took the paper, but it took him a minute or two to make out Taiven's chicken scratch.

It's a violation of your privacy.

"Oh I don't care. Really, Taiven, I'll let you." Taiven shook his head yet again, took his note from Cale's hand, and wrote beneath the previous line.

I do care. I will only use that type of communication in an emergency. Okay?

Cale's eyes were downcast as he returned the paper. "Fine," he said dispirited. Then he muttered low enough for Taiven not to hear, "Writing's so much slower. And a pain." Taiven narrowed his eyes and then raised an eyebrow in askance, but Cale shrugged it off. They rode in silence until resting for lunch when Taiven scribbled something else on a piece of paper and handed it to Cale.

Thanks for saving me back there at the gates. I owe you one.

Cale smiled. "You don't owe me anything, Taiven. When the King made me his servant, I didn't know anyone and you just looked after me no questions asked. You saved me when you became my friend. We'll call it even." Taiven just stared at him, a small grin playing on his lips. It's amazing the sort of things he comes up with, he thought. Sometimes he seems much older than he is, like at the gates.

It was then when he remembered the crystal hanging from his neck. He grabbed the paper from Cale and wrote:

Cale, can I ask you about the crystal?

"What do you want to know?"

Where did you get it? And how do you know what it does?

Cale lifted his eyes from the paper to see Taiven looking at him expectantly. The boy took a deep breath and began slowly, "Well, my mother gave it to me before she died. I was five, I think. I don't know how it works. My mother told me that it would protect me from harm, to always keep it around my neck, and to tell no one about it." He paused, realizing what he just said, and looked over at Taiven, smiling sheepishly. "You're an exception. You needed it more than I did then."

Taiven smiled gratefully, but then furrowed his eyebrows and scribbled another note. So, you don't know how it works at all? How did you know that it would protect me from the King's magic?

Cale shrugged. "Well, I didn't really. I only hoped. You looked like you were in so much pain, and I couldn't watch whatever was happening to you go on." Taiven nodded his head in complete understanding. If anything happened to Cale, and especially under his watch, he would never forgive himself.

Feeding and watering the horses came before he would allow Cale and him to eat. He put a grain bag around horses's mouth, and then, after the bag was removed, he let Cale feed them an apple. As for getting them some water, he mentally kicked himself for not bringing anything with him for them to drink out of, so he had to use his hand instead. They drank thankfully as Taiven poured the water constantly, never letting his hand become dry until they were finished.

The boys ate in silence. Eating was made extremely difficult for Taiven as he had nothing to move his food around in his mouth. Instead, he had to move his head from side to side, making him look profoundly ridiculous. Nevertheless, Cale kept his laughter to himself. He knew it would hurt Taiven's feelings and it also wasn't his fault that he didn't have a tongue. When they finished, Taiven wrote one last note.

Well, we'd better get moving. We have about three more days until we reach Furnost.

They packed up the horses and set off on their journey to Furnost, and then eventually Aberon – where Taiven heard the Varden were now located.

Whoo hoo! Chapter 4 is finished! This chapter's cool. It gives a mysterious edge to Cale's heritage (and Cale himself), which stirs up questions that will, of course, be answered . . . but not until later in the story. Questions like, where did the crystal come from before given to Cale's mother? Was it given to her? Or did she steal it? Maybe she created it. Who were Cale's parents exactly? Is there more to Cale than Taiven thinks? Who really knows?

Oh wait, I do. :D Review, please!