Lessons Learned, And They Don't Come Cheap
Last time: "Oh, great," Kierra hissed. "The Ra'zac."
"Ra'zac?" Eragon asked, his heart starting to race, although he wasn't quite sure why. Ah, well, he'd figure that out later. Right now, he... he closed his eyes in agitation at the thought that correction, they needed to figure out how to get out of this hanging noose. Well, figuratively speaking, that's what it felt like to him. He truly would love to kill Brom for this. He hated not being in control of his own descions, and hated having to depend on Kierra to help him out when all she had been doing the passed week was degrade him and lower him, demoralize him, and say truly insulting things to him.
It builds character, Saphira had said with amusment in her tone, which he scoffed at. If he had wanted to build character, he would have begun building it himself, at his own pace, and in a slightly more positive, and uplifting manner, instead of being laughed to scorn by some stupid elf-girl who seemed to idolize Brom and put down everybody else...
Ugh, I need to quit thinking of her and start thinking clearly, went through his head as he looked around and pondered on how to get out of this hanging cage of death. He couldn't help a few stray thoughts, Maybe if I'm really lucky, and by some miracle, it'll catch fire and then I won't have to worry about getting out anymore.
"Any thoughts?" Kierra's taunting voice broke him from his peaceful reverie, one in which she was blissfully pushed off of the Beor Mountains. However, harsh reality hit him when he heard her grating voice, and could feel his blood start to boil.
"At the moment?" he said with forced calm. "None."
Kierra smirked. "That figures, oh mighty Dragon Rider," she snorted. "And the world is in your hands. I can think of nothing worse."
"Would you stop that?" Eragon asked quietly, slightly unnerved by all of her Dragon Rider insults. Not just because he was angry with her for shooting them at him every time she took a breath, but he recognized a bit of truth in them. He himself didn't feel ready for this destiny choosen for him, and was overwhelmed by it all, and her insults were just playing on his insecurities, making him feel even worse.
What if he wasn't ready? What if he messed up, and something really bad happened because of him? What if he wasn't what everybody thought he was? What if he wasn't the hero that everybody imagined he would be? He is a Dragon Rider, of that he's sure, but what if, just maybe, he wasn't as strong and able as everybody believed him to be? What if they were placing too much faith in him?
Kierra raised her eyebrow at his tone of dejection, and looked away. "What, can't take some insults? It's not like you haven't heard them before,"
Eragon glanced at her, and then away. "It just isn't helping anything," he quietly replied, fighting to keep his voice from shaking. "You know, instead of insulting me, you can help me think of a way out of this. And then, when we get out of here, I'll gladly leave killing Brom up to you."
Kierra snorted. "And I will certainly take you up on that offer," she replied, and then got a faraway look in her eyes. "I wonder if she's looking for us,"
Eragon looked at her, surprised more than anything, by the soft tone of her voice, and the way her facial features softened as she thought. The question and her mood change definitely caught him off guard. "Who, Emilee? I have no doubt of that; truth be told, she can hardly function on her own." he chuckled softly.
The corners of Kierra's lips pulled up in a half hearted smile that lasted only a second, and again Eragon was surprised by the emotion she was showing. She seemed... sad. "I think," she said softly, "I wasn't quite fair to her. I think I judged her before I thought about what I was doing, and now... anything that happens to her... I'm to blame."
Eragon shook his head, more than slightly unnerved by the turn the conversation had taken. "You're not to blame for anything that happens to her; she's her own person, and she can, hopefully, look after herself. Besides," he added off handedly. "She probably found somebody who was nice enough to travel with her." he chuckled darkly. "Knowing her, it's probably some gullable young man who thinks he has half a chance with her. You would be surprised at how often that happens."
Kierra chuckled. "I can imagine," she said, then, "Don't let Brom hear you say that."
Eragon smiled, still slightly unnerved by the turn the conversation had taken. Not that he minded. He liked the pleasant Kierra. He liked the pleasant Kierra a little too much...
"At any rate," Kierra suddenly became serious as she heard the screeching sound in the distance again. "We need to figure out how to get out of this stupid net."
"I have an idea," Eragon stated suddenly, making Kierra raise an eyebrow. She was slowly getting back to herself (thankfully, because she was really starting to feel a little unnerved by how she felt around Eragon.), so she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh?" she said simply, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "And what might that be?"
Eragon cringed as her voice returned to the mocking tone to which he was accustomed. Not to mention he was cringing at the thought of voicing his idea, but better late than never. "Since your hands are free," he yanked uselessly on his hands which had gotten caught in the net when it hoisted the two off the ground. "you would reach around my waist to-"
"Excuse me?" Kierra snapped, outraged. How dare he suggest a lady do such a thing?! How repulsive. Why did she start treating him like a human again?
Eragon rolled his eyes. "Let me finish," he said in a voice of forced calm. "You would reach around my waist to grab my sword and-"
And then he let out a pain-filled yelp as the burning tip of an arrow pierced through his right shoulder blade, all the way through to the front and instantly cauterizing it, making Kierra lean as far away back as she could so as not to get herself hurt, eyes as wide as saucers. What had happened? What was going on?
She got the answer to that question when she saw a group of not only Urgals but Kull as well running down the hill towards the two, an evil red glint shining in their malignant eyes as their lust for blood consumed them.
Kierra frowned and, with a swiftness the likes of which Eragon had never seen, Kierra had unsheathed Zar'roc and had a them cut free. "Brisingr," she said in a deadly calm voice, setting a magnificent light amethyst purple colored fire to the ropes around herself and Eragon, and making the Urgals and Kull jump back in surprise.
Saphira! Eragon called, cringing in pain as the arrow sent another sharp pain through his body, making him tremble, and sending a light cold sweat down his body. We need you!
Coming, little one. came Saphira's snarled reply.
Kierra pulled out her own sword and turned and sliced into a Kull that had been about to chop bother hers and Eragon's heads off. She sliced into its stomach and then dug her sword as far into his stomach as she could get it.
Eragon took a deep breath after ducking a sharp blow to the head from a nearby Urgal, squared his shoulders, and broke the back of the arrow off, letting out another pain-filled yelp as he dodged yet again another blow. As soon as his vision wasn't blurry anymore, he proceeded in ripping the arrow from his shoulder, his cry becoming more pronounced.
Quickly ducking and dodging another Urgal, Eragon picked Zar'roc up off the ground and, still crouching, turned with all the might his shoulder could muster and separated the Urgal from his legs.
"Eragon!" Kierra yelled in a panic, after having been swept off her feet and thrown across the Urgal captain's shoulders, who was sprinting away with her.
Eragon jerked towards her voice, and noticed that with a feeling of dread. Looking around frantically, and chopping into more Urgals and Kull, he noticed a way to get Kierra back. After chopping down some more Urgals, he ran over to a dirt wall and started hoisting himself up to the ledge that it held by a vine hanging down.
He kicked some Urgal and Kull hand's off of him, but when one of them decided to cut the vine he was so anxiously trying to climb up, he found himself standing on a very unhappy Kull's shoulders.
Eragon and the Kull just stood there for a moment after hearing a tortured screech that sounded like it came from Saphira. Taking the Kull's hesitation to his advantage, Eragon jumped from the Kull, onto another vine and used the momentum from his swing to swing himself onto the ledge, and started running after the Kull that had Kierra, hope very slim of catching up.
Saphira, his dragon was his first concern. Are you alright?
I'm fine, Eragon. came Saphira's slightly annoyed voice. Somebody had to get you moving. Do not worry about me, and worry about Kierra. She's more important than I.
Not to me, Eragon assured her gently.
End of that chapter, for now. Heh, heh, betcha love me for the cliffy, mystery. Hope you enjoy!