Chapter 7

Harrison and his four companions crashed through the forest's undergrowth and upon reaching the small dirt path which led to Eragon's house they tore up it, hoping that the boy hadn't done something foolish with possibly there only way back to their world.

They saw smoke in the distance and they quickened there pace. Upon reaching the farm where Eragon said he had lived they found it completely destroyed with the animals slaughtered.

Harrison saw Eragon suddenly dragging his Uncle onto a piece of board, he was about to order his men to help when a gigantic blue beast dropped down before them and Harrison and the men took a surprised stumble back.

Harrison quickly recovered and screamed "Nobody Shoot, you might hit the boy"! The men understood and saw the beast looking at Captain Harrison and his men and snarling.

Eragon looked at them all and suddenly blacked out whilst the beast roared at them. Harrison didn't know how it happened but he somehow just knew what to do, he said through his mind "Get away from the boy or we'll kill you"! The creature stopped snarling and the men all looked around when something in their minds said How can you talk with me"?

The men didn't have a clue what was happening before Harrison told them he was communicating with it. "I am a dragon you twit now help me get Eragon and his Uncle to safety and I promise I will not harm you".

Harrison nodded and told the men to carry the man and boy into Carvhall. The men fearfully grabbed the two people. Two took Eragon's Uncle whilst the other two took Eragon and they started off the track leaving Harrison and the Dragon behind.

Harrison stared at the large blue, scaly beast and suddenly he knew what it reminded him of. He formed words in his mind and opened some sort of gateway and asked "Did you hatch from an Egg"? "Yes, my name is Saphira and I did hatch from an egg you little insect"! said Saphira with a dangerous look of frustration.

"I will just investigate the house, we have to talk about…" but Saphira chose a good moment to fly away very quickly then and Harrison cursed as his and his men's possibly only chance of leaving this land left and he was left standing by the wrecked house which had it's barn on fire.

Harrison looked around and found many scratch and burn marks along with the rank of death. He was looking under a plank of flooring when he found a red glistening cylinder in the snow.

With shaky hands he clasped it and found it was a shotgun shell from a Winchester rifle.

He realised that Geb had been here and must have somehow done this. He ran down the track to the village where he found Private Samson and Billy were standing by a door of the Blacksmiths house with people looking at them and trying to get in.

Harrison ran over to him and asked "where's the boy and the man"? "Inside getting tended to by the town healer" said Samson "Captain what was…" "Not here and not now get back to the camp and get our stuff to the edge of the Spine then go and find Brom, the Storyteller and bring him to our camp, tell him that I need to talk with him.

The men nodded and began pushing through the small crowed. Harrison knocked on the door and Barrel opened it to let him in, closing it before people could ask what was happening.

"Staff Sergeant what have you gathered". "It turns out the villagers suspect two strangers who passed through here asking about a stone and offering large payments".

"That's not all" said Harrison "I found this" he showed Barrel the shell and he gaped at it in surprise. "You think Geb did this as well"? Geb was never fully here if you get what I mean, he may be suffering from a nervous break down". "We must track him, have any of the men mentioned what we saw"? "No, we thought it be best". "Good, stay here and hold back the door".

Harrison moved up the stairs to where the unconscious boy and mangled man were being treated by an elderly old women. Harrison saw she was bandaging wounds and stirring herbs, but her medicine was primitive and as Harrison took a look at the man he saw that the small pellets of the shell of a shotgun hadn't been removed.

Harrison took a step forward and the old women looked up and said quite flatly "get out"! Harrison looked at her and the dying man and said "he'll die if he doesn't get my treatment". "I don't know who you are but I will call Horst in a minute if you don't get out and let them rest". "I know you intend good but I'm afraid that if you don't let me help them he will die" said Harrison, pointing at the man.

"Are you a healer" asked the women. "No miss I'm a Captain in the British army and I need to help this civilian before he bleeds to death". Harrison strode over and before the old women could protest, tore free the bandages around the mans chest. He showed Gertrude the small pieces of metal and soon Johnson came into the room. He ordered Johnson to run back and get a medical kit and after fifteen brutal minutes of waiting Johnson came running back.

Harrison began a lengthy operation which took him days of removing pellet by pellet until only one was left. "What about the one there" said the old women, pointing to the man's chest.

Harrison looked closely at it and saw that if he removed this one it would make the man bleed to death, but if he left t in he would die slowly and painfully. He sat there frustrated and pondered what to do. "What's his name"? he suddenly and sullenly asked the healer. Taken by surprise she answered "Garrow". "Family"? asked Harrison. "Roran's his son and Eragon's his nephew".

Harrison shook his head and looked at the man's burned and bloodied face. "I can take this piece of metal out but it could rupture his heart, causing him to slowly die as his organs and brain shut down from lack of blood. Or I can leave it in and he'll die slowly of blood loss. I don't know what to do and soon he will die so should I do this"? he asked the healer. She looked at I'm and said "I'm Gertrude and I really don't have a clue about what medicines you have been using but, you'll have to try".

Harrison nodded and carefully took out tweezers and bandages before removing the pellet. The man flinched and then with a cry was torn from his lips as his body spas med and he began thrashing and crying in pain.

Barrel, Johnson, Horst and a young girl whom Harrison had heard was called Katrina suddenly appeared and Harrison screamed to them as he tried to keep the man's body down. They escorted the crying girl out and Harrison shouted at Horst "Can I Euthanize him, he'll go through hours of this.

Horst looked at Harrison uncertainly before nodding.

Harrison took out his Colt, clicked the safety off and aimed at Garrow's chest. "Go to your god's" he whispered before pulling back the trigger and driving the 9mm bullet into the Uncle of a boy he admired and respected.

Garrow gasped as his life ebbed away and he stared up into nothingness. Harrison strode out of the room, passing by the open door where Eragon slept, the crying girl who was being consoled by Private Johnson.

Harrison in his daze stumbled down the stairs, past Barrel and out of the door with many people wondering what the loud bang was.

He walked through and the crowd parted as went to the centre of the muddy town. It started to rain as Harrison fell to his knees staring up at the sky. He suddenly let out a cry of emotional agony at what he had done to a man. He had killed him.

He was a murderer.