Wow. over 100 reviews. That's the first time I have broken that milestone and I want to thank everyone who made it possible!
Soooooo. It's been a loooong time. I guess I have some explaining to do (lest my underwear gets stolen, long story). I know what you are thinking: He didn't do his writing homework! Not true! I wrote this chapter not once, not twice but thrice. Word decided to delete the first version and corrupt the second.
To make matters worse my life is coming together in a clusterfuck of deadlines and end-term exams. In two weeks my summer break will start and until that time I hope to get one, maybe two more chapters out, but do not expect too much (I really wanna get my good grades first). Again apologies. In any case, after a long wait it is finally here, so enjoy!
"Fuck!" Eragon swore as an arrow embedded itself in his shoulder. Grimacing he reached over and pulled the barbed steel out of his flesh. His hand came back stained crimson red. Angrily he threw it in the general direction of the pursuers behind him, satisfied to hear them cry out in surprise. Meanwhile his horse galloped on as if nothing had happened. Just ahead a second horse ran, this one with two riders, though neither held the reins.
He had strapped the elves to the saddle and covered them with alternating layers of leafy branches and cloth. The method was crude and rudimentary, but it kept the arrows at bay. They would stink, be sore and bruised by the time they arrived at the Varden, but they would be alive. The wound on his shoulder was already beginning to patch itself up, courtesy of Icarus's shared power. Eragon glanced over his unhurt shoulder. There at the spearhead of the chase party rode Durza, his long hair dancing in the wind, that same wicked smile still on his face. He had appeared again two days ago. Eragon wondered how the shade had managed to catch up with them for he had ridden day and night for four days straight now. Then again, perhaps he should also be glad Murtagh wasn't sent after them. He would stand no chance at outrunning a dragon.
"Saphira, they are gaining. We must do something."
"What do you suggest?" She replied.
"How much further is it?" Eragon asked.
"This valley ends in steep cliffs in perhaps two thousand paces." She replied. There, either they would find the Varden or a fate much, much worse. There had been no time to deliberate, to determine where they were and make a though through decision. It had been a sheer gut based decision to follow the left most of the two valleys. At times he managed to drive a gap between him and his pursuers, but he would have to grab fresh horses. Then they would be close again until they had to get new horses themselves. It had been like that for days now. "What are you planning?"
"I think it is time we put Brom's saddle to the test." He replied. In return he heard her snort.
"About time. It would have been a damn shame if I flew around with that thing for four days straight and never put it to use." She replied. "Give me nary a moment. Up ahead is a field, clear enough of trees to allow us space." Eragon knew where she was, felt her muscles work as she pulled herself into a steep dive. The noise of iron splitting air brought him back to his own body and he dove to the side just fast enough to avoid another arrow.
Behind him he heard a feral roar that shook the ground and there was Saphira, sweeping down low and knocking the archer off his horse with her razor sharp talons. She snapped her jaws shut over the head of a second soldier before her forward momentum pulled her out of reach of the soldiers. He could hear their cries of surprise, mingled with Durza's triumphant one. "Get ready." She said as she remained as level as she could without flapping her wings too much.
Later he would tell tales of this moment and even he was not quite sure how he pulled off the feat, but with surprising balance he hopped on top of the saddle. With a powerful jump he closed the distance between him and his dragon, narrowly avoiding being skewered on one of her spinal spikes. He caught a leather loop of the saddle on Saphira's back, knocking her off balance and making her right wing scrape over the rocky forest ground. Ignoring the pain she felt through their shared bond, he pulled himself into the saddle, feeling her strong muscles work under his hands.
"This is not at all how I imagined our first flight to be." Eragon said, the adrenaline from said feat still pumping through his veins.
"Well, let's make it count." She replied, pulling away from the ground, narrowly missing the treetops ahead. For a moment Eragon allowed himself to enjoy the sensation of flight. He hollered, sharing Saphira's joy. He was pulled out of his exhilaration by an arrow that almost tore through her wing.
The horse carrying Arya and Faolin would keep running, the screaming soldiers behind it would make sure of that. Meanwhile Saphira circled around while Eragon took his bow and knocked an arrow into it. At first he had presumed perhaps twenty men were after him and the elves, but now from above he saw how wrong he had been. At least one hundred soldiers, spread out over maybe two miles behind them were engaged in the pursuit, swapping with those at the front when their comrades grew tired.
"I have never shot a bow and arrow from the back of a dragon before." He mused, releasing the arrow and watching it bore straight through the breastplate of one of the soldiers.
"I don't imagine it being much different than on horseback." Saphira replied.
"You would be surprised. You provide a much more level and stable platform to shoot from."
"I am glad my stability meets with your approval." She snorted, diving down and knocking another two soldier off their horses. Feeling the need to match her he put three arrows on the bowstring, drew and shot, nailing thee others square in the face. "Showoff." She snorted, but he could feel her amusement nonetheless. "Look, the end of the valley draws near." She said.
Suddenly surprised cries arose from the soldiers below them. He glanced down to see a hail of arrows descending upon them. Relief filled him as he saw Durza's smirk turn to a frown, pulling the reins and forcing his horse to a standstill. The arrows directed at him merely incinerated perhaps a foot from him as he watched his men get riddled with them. In a cry of rage the shade sent a rather deadly looking miasma of fire their way which Saphira only narrowly managed to dodge before he turned his horse around and disappeared into the tree line. "It appears we managed to find the Varden." She remarked dryly, recovering from her sudden jerk to the right to avoid Durza's magic.
"We make a crack team." Eragon remarked.
"Of course, you are my rider and I am your dragon." She replied matter of factly. "Now you should join your elves on the ground. Something tells me the Varden will want an explanation." Saphira dove down and gracefully touched down beside the horse carrying Arya and Faolin. The horse snorted and moved restlessly in Saphira's presence. It almost managed to run away, but Eragon got hold of the reins just in time and forced it to stay where it was. "I will wait above." Saphira remarked before taking to the skies once again.
Behind him a rag-tag band of men holding bow and arrow emerged from the wood, forming a line and successfully cornering him and the elves. "Who is it that stands before our gates?" A deep voice boomed and echoed between the rocks.
"I am Eragon, son of no one. I bring with me the elves Arya and Faolin." He replied to no one in particular.
"Your arrival was expected, you may continue." What Eragon had at first perceived to be steep, flawless rock turned out to be nothing less than a gate! With a low, deliberate motion the heavy doors swung open, revealing the true majesty of their craftsmanship. Behind him the archers disbanded, disappearing back into the shrubbery before Eragon had a chance to thank them.
Shrugging his shoulders he took the horse carrying Arya and Faolin and pressed onwards into the darkness of the dwarven kingdom. It was hard to see at first, much of the interior turned to silhouettes by the blinding sun behind him. It was not until the doors closed behind him once again Eragon was able to truly take in his surroundings. The walls were adorned with lanterns. They were not regular lanterns, for their flames were bright and even, as if a thousand fireflies had been captured and suspended in each and every one of them. Had they been made with magic perhaps?
From one of the connecting tunnels a man arrived. He looked like a regular guard, save for the decorations that adorned his chest piece. "Allow me to introduce myself." The man said, bowing ever so lightly so his black hair streaked with grey fell over his eyes. "My name is Jörmundur. I am lord-commander of the armies that stand united against Galbatorix and call themselves the Varden."
"The pleasure is mine." Eragon replied. "The elves have been poisoned and need to be taken to one of your healers. They require Tunivor's Nectar for the poison Durza gave to them was quite potent."
"You crossed blades with the king's shade?" Jörmundur asked, slightly impressed.
"Briefly." Eragon replied. "I have traveled long and fast, is there by any chance a place I could briefly rest?" He asked, slightly wonky on his feet after five days of non-stop riding.
"I am afraid there is one more thing I must ask of you. It is required your mind is tested first. I did not make this law, nor do I feel the particular need to enforce it now. I am afraid, however, my hands are bound. Do you consent to having one of our magicians validate your claims?"
"Eragon, it would be highly inadvisable to have them touch your mind. It will cause irreparable damage to the person who will try to force themselves upon you." Icarus whispered in his mind.
Somehow Eragon was glad, the prospect of sharing his mind not a welcome one. "Although I would like to comply, I am afraid I must decline for the magician's sake."
"I ask you to please respect our only line of defense between us and spies of the Empire. I will be forced to lock you up if you do not give your consent." Jörmundur pressed.
As if arriving on dragon's back didn't count for anything. "Icarus?" Eragon asked.
"Let them. We have given them fair warning now."
"Do not say I did not warn you." Eragon replied, lowering his cowl so Jörmundur had a clear view of his otherworldly complexion. If he was indeed surprised by the eyes, he did not vocalize it. Instead the lord-commander nodded and gestured with his hand. From the shadows two tall, bald men emerged dressed in robes of purple and gold.
"These are the twins and represent the strongest magicians among us. They have been tasked with testing all who wish to enter these halls." Jörmundur explained. One of the two stepped forward, his face blank and expressionless.
Then Eragon felt it. A distinctly wrong presence pushing up against his thoughts. It felt like cold, disgusting slime, slowly crawling over skin. Eragon closed his eyes, preparing himself to endure. Yet something unexpected happened. Something within him shifted, bundling together. Then, with an enormous shove of power it pushed outward, destroying the invader. Eragon felt the man's mind shatter to a thousand pieces before him. He saw everything; his memories, feelings, loyalties.
When he opened his eyes he saw the twin had collapsed to the ground, blood trickling down from his closed eyelids. The other twin was hunched over, clawing uncontrollably at his own eyes and shouting obscenities. "You dare strike against us?" Jörmundur said, his hand around the hilt of his sword.
"Stop this madness at once!" Both Eragon and Jörmundur turned to saw Brom walking towards them with brisk steps. "Do you not know who stands before you? I thought I made myself quite clear." Brom spoke sternly to the lord-commander.
"I know, but regulations dictate-"
"Then I vouch for him. Would you like to have me tested as well?" Brom asked.
"No, of course not. I beg forgiveness." Brom gave the man a silent stare for a moment, then with a jerk of his head motioned for the commander to bugger off.
"My apologies for that fool. I would hear more of your travels, but you are no doubt tired, so it can wait. Before you can rest, however, I am afraid Ajihad, the leader of the Varden has ordained to see you." Brom said to Eragon in a much gentler tone. He gestured towards one of the hallways, waiting for Eragon to take the lead. When they walked by the sulking Jörmundur Eragon spoke up.
"You might want to lock those two up. They are two of those spies of the empire you fear so much." Eragon said, leaving the lord-commander behind wide eyed.
"What did you do to those two?" Brom asked.
"I did nothing. One of them tried to pry into my mind. I was going to let him, but then something within just collectively destroyed him. Icarus warned something similar might happen. Told Jörmundur too, but he insisted. The other just kinda… followed suit."
Brom shrugged. "Well, if they were indeed spies I suppose we should be happy things happened the way they did. The rest of their journey passed in silence until Brom halted in front of a large, oaken door. "These are Ajihad's chambers. Be careful what you say in there, Eragon. It will likely shape a large part of your future." Brom advised. "Once you are rested, come find me. Most of the servants will know where to find me." He added before walking off into the dimly lit tunnels ahead.
Just this one last thing, then you can rest. Eragon thought to himself. "Saphira? Have you found a place to rest yet?" Eragon asked.
"Hmn. 'A place' doesn't do it justice. But I am close by should you need me." Was her lazy reply. She sounded half asleep already. Although sleep rarely came to him, it was a welcome prospect indeed after four days and four night of non-stop riding.
"Want to share what castle the evil dragon has nested in?" He replied sarcastically.
"Oh, one with a princess and a hoard of gold." Was her equally sarcastic reply. "Fret not. When you are done with Ajihad you must merely look up."
"Up?" But she refused to give him more answers. Having no other options left to him Eragon took a deep breath and pushed open the doors to Ajihad's chambers. Eragon had not known what to expect from the fearsome leader of the Varden, but it was not what he saw. Ajihad was a broad shouldered man with dark skin and eyes from which shone unhidden wisdom. It only took one glance for Eragon to know that the title 'leader' was befitting of the man.
Eragon was not quite sure what to do, but thankfully Ajihad took over for him. "I am honored. Never before has a rider been in my presence. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ajihad. Although the Varden has no true leader – for we come from too many places and too many cultures - I am often chosen to speak for them as one." His voice was outlandish, exotic. Clearly not used to the common tongue. If Ajihad was at all fazed by his unnatural eyes, it did not show.
"The honor is mine. My name is Eragon, son of no one." Eragon replied.
"Please, have a seat." Ajihad gestured to the chair opposite his own and nodded to the two guards standing on either side of the door. They quietly slipped through the door behind Eragon.
"You are awfully quick to trust me. Way quicker than Jörmundur."
"Well, this is the way I see it. Few know this, but the Varden teeters on the edge of failure. Bankruptcy, incoherency and supply shortages nibble at the fringes day in day out. The empire has not one, but two riders in employ. We are outnumbered, outgunned and out supplied. If you are not on our side, we are all doomed regardless. That, and you brought us our elven ambassadors back."
"There is wisdom in that." Eragon conceded.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, I wish to ask you, what is it you plan to do here in the Varden?"
The question took Eragon aback. The rush to get here had been because of Arya and Faolin. Not one moment had he thought of what would come after that. "I do not know." He replied truthfully.
Ajihad frowned and chewed on his bottom lip. "I wish I could keep you here. Announcing and showing off a rider of our own would no doubt bolster moral, draw more men to join our ranks. However, before you become of any use to anyone, you must first learn. We lack teachers here, so my suggestion to you is that after you rest, you journey north, to the elven forests. They can teach you more about dragons and magic than we ever could."
Eragon could see the wisdom in that. "Although you will have to be a lot more careful from now on. If they were not already aware, the chase party you brought with you must have told the king about your existence by now. We were unsuccessful in hunting them all down, not to mention we wouldn't have been able to kill the shade regardless. With your… features… you are a little hard to miss." Ajihad remained silent again for some time, before standing and pacing around the room behind Eragon.
"There is one last thing I wished to ask you. Who will you liaise yourself with?"
"I beg your pardon?" Eragon asked, uncertain what he meant.
"The Varden are not the only ones who stand against Galbatorix. There are also the elves, Surda and the dwarves to consider. All of them will be vying for your undivided attention to increase their influence over the others. Such are politics, I am afraid."
"Are you vying for my undivided attention right now?" Eragon asked.
"No. I am an idealistic man. A suicidal tendency in my position, but every man must have his flaws. If it were up to me, I would have you remain an independent entity." Ajihad mused.
"Are you saying I simply not help anyone?"
"No. You embody the strongest potential weapon we have against the empire. You should help everyone in equal measure and be there where you are needed most. If I might give you one piece of advice, Eragon, it is to fight for that independence until your last breath." He let the silence reign for a moment. "When you reach the elves, I have a favor to ask of you."
"I do not see how I am in any position to give you anything, but I will see what I can do." Eragon replied.
"The elves… lately they have withdrawn into their forests. The Varden are doomed without their aid. I beg you to seek out Queen Islanzadi, their monarch, and beg them to reconsider."
"It is the least I can do for your hospitality and your endeavors to save Arya and Faolin. Speaking of them, how are they doing?"
"As well as two poisoned elves after four days of nonstop riding covered in leaves and wool can hope to be doing. They will recover, but it will take time. If that will be all, I think this will not be the last time we speak." Eragon knew it was dismissal and he was not about to object. A bed sounded damn good right now. With a nod from Ajihad he rose and left. Outside a small audience had gathered. Apparently the rumor of his arrival had spread quick. Without exception they all stared. It was discomforting.
Quickly he pulled his hood over his head, covering his unusual eyes. A girl, barely woman walked by. His hand shot out and closed around her forearm. She gasped and looked at him with big green eyes. "Tell me, what is your name?" Eragon asked.
"Nemeya, sir." She replied shyly.
"A pretty name befitting of a pretty girl. Do you by any chance know where I might find my chambers?" He asked in a quiet voice.
"Y… yes sir. Please, follow me."
There you have it. I hope to see you all again next chapter and thank you to all who reviewed! There are so many of you... If you guys keep this up I'm gonna be writing more replies than chapters! (AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING!)
Maezan - Boy it's been a long time and it's good to see you. Many twists indeed, as for the Deja Vu. There are only three places to put Murtagh: with Eragon, against Eragon or six feet under. There are bound to be some similarities here and there xs. I'm sorry this chapter was so long in waiting, but I hope it was worth it. See ya next time!
Vizaul-Era - Hey, there is a reason I ask for reviews. I listen to them and actually take what you write to heart. It's called reader-writer interaction and it's modern and classy. Thank you so very much for the review and I will make sure lots of people will hate you for making Faolin live ;). See ya next time!
FaolenBOokWolf - I am glad the story meets with your approval. Hopefully you are still with us this time around!
thedemonkid - I will make it everlasting in its golden purity, just to frustrate my readers. Eragon and Arya will never be together! Muhaha.
Tamerlorde - That backstory will be long in coming, but it's coming. Fear not, I will dream up some reason for things to be the way they are by the time we get there! I appreciate you dropping by and I will see you next time!
Ky111 - Oh Arya will be antagonizing Eragon for quite some time and it's gonna take an extraordinary event to bring those two back together... It's totally not like I'm setting up a long chain of dominoes that will all fall in a controlled manner into a specified outcome. Also my name is not Machiavelli. As you know, words of reason may or may not fall on deaf ears when the person you are speaking to is in an emotional state... Sorry for the long wait, but I am glad to know you are still with me. See ya next one!
orca3553 - Perhaps he will, perhaps not. Stick with me for a while and you will find out!
David727 - Not anymore they are not. Arya will be quite emotional when she finds out what Eragon did though. As for the antidote, I don't think rummaging through a castle full of enemy soldier to find an antidote is such a fantastic plan. But hey, that's just my logic xs. It is indeed the egg Murtagh gave to Eragon and I know exactly when and for who it will hatch. But you don't. And that's why you are still here ;). I will see you next time!
stevansalzman - That sentence did not make sense to me. But thank you!
Mad hatter - Well, to make up for the lack of saphira in the last chapter, there is a lot more of her in this one! There will be many more fight scenes to come, so I'm glad you can appreciate the style. I would not have you sit through something you detest. Eragon must have some obstacles. If he just breezed through it would be boring. Something must compensate for Icarus. Besides, it will make the catharsis all the better when he gets the girl and saves his cousin and half brother. Thank you for still being with me and see ya next time!
Jay - XS. I plan a much more heroic way for Faolin to go. I cannot say much but it will involve a blender, chloroform and permanent marker. I guess I will just imagine all those commas and periods in your review and thank you for writing it. I will see ya next one!
HomoForElmo - Ok. I honestly don't know what to reply to that. I would try willow. Those branches become flexible as hell when you keep them submerged for a day or two.
Brobe Kyant - Katarina will be there, Roran will still save her, the relationship will be complicated between Eragon and him. Confusion is good, let it flow through you. It is a natural thing to feel after something we writers call a 'plot twist'. Glad to see you still around and I will see you next time!
booklover1798 - That was probably because he was only ever mentioned by name once or twice in the original. The same reason I did not give him a big role here either. Sorry you had to wait so long for this one, but I hope it was worth it! See ya next time.
ImpossibleClara9 - Oh man, so I now have like your inheritance-fiction-ginity or something? I feel honored! If you ever need some pointers let me know. There are a few more good fics out there, some of which even I can't top. Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter, but hang in there! It will all get better in a week or two. See ya next time!
Sebastian Asselbergs - Wow. I am honored, truly. I do not deserve so much praise. Now the finger tips is a funny story. This is how it went down: I was sitting at home (I live alone) and suddenly I get this call from a group of my friends that they want to come over, but they hadn't had dinner yet.
Now you must know, I cook a lot. Like, seriously a lot so I am quite skilled at preparing food (including cutting it)
So I pulled open the cupboard and all I had was onions. Just a shit ton of onions. So I thought, many people+many onions=onion soup. Problem: you need to cut all the onions. Now at this point I was not exactly sober anymore. Maaaaybeee I was three long island ice-tea's into my evening at this point.
Turns out I am not that coordinated with my knives anymore when I am not sober. And I keep my knives very sharp. And that's how I lost two fingertips.
Neko - Is it? I didn't know xD. Also a good answer, but I was referencing to a small, undergrown dragon (also named Errol) that is given to the guards of a city as a mascot in the books of Terry Prachett.
sortofbored - Glad you approve. Sorry this one was so long in the making. Thank you for taking a moment to leave a comment!
