Please don't kill me! I know this is over due, but here it is the next chapter. And as promised, there are semi-epic fighting scenes. ( at least I HOPE they are. I'm a little new to writing them still, but Riyu said they were good.)
Anyway, I'll keep this author note short-ish since you guys are probably ready to already tear my head off for the long wait. (Hehehe ^^') I just want to make a few things clear. This is the last chapter the Ranger girls, or any rangers for that matter, will be in until the one after the next chapter. Why, you ask? Well because a certian broody dark haired young man will make a permenant re-aperance in the next chapter. ( lol, three guess who THAT will be XD) Also... well as you can already tell were getting to a certain ...umm sad point in the story.
Also, alot of you may be thinking that Sight is the main OC in this story. (Lol, actually it was Riyu who pointed this out to me. ^^' ) Anyway I want to make it clear that there really isn't going to be a certain main character, it just looks like Sight is that way because of the writing and all that Jazz. I acutally just really wanted to get to the main plot before we jolt off into the sub-plots of everyone, and Sight's deals mainly with that so thats sorta why she stands out more. ( Otherwise there would be like ubbber long chapters. ). I also wanted to get our readers ( All 6 of you, lol) more into the feel of the Ranger life stlye POV of our story. ( After all you probably know how the orginal story goes, so there really isn't a reason to tell Eragon P.O.V during these parts.)
Okay one more thing, and then you can have at the story! Since it takes a while to get these chapters up, we've ( Riyu, Ko-toni *Riyu's sister* and I) have to decied to put up Q&A filler chapters to kill time. So if ANY of you have had questions like- how did you come up with this story, the character designs - or even just questions about the rangers themsevles or heck even about US ( the creators of the fanfic) we'll answer them. Just remember, no spoiler questions ^^.
And Incase you forgot the rangers here they are. by groups/ apperence (so far) ( and if you don't have a score cad XD)"
Terwarille
Sight/??????
Hunter/??????
Sky/?????
(yeah you probably have guessed their REAL names already, but XP)
The Guard ( Ranger of Terim)
Gale Stonewall
Blade/ Erin
Fang/ Robbin ( and his sea hawk, Ian)
The Blades of Death ( Dras -Leona)
Irial
Cedric
Dawin
Emmett
Lol, wow guess that wasn't such as short chapter after all. Gomen!
~Standard Disclaimer Applied HERE~ Don't own, can't own blah blah. WE DO OWN THE RANGERS THOUGH *see above*
Song: Jolly Rovin Tar. Preformed by .......Drunk Dawin!!!
Chasing Shadows
The girls were surprised at how good the guys were at cooking. The meal was one of the better ones they had had since they became rangers. The roasted pig was so tender that it fell apart in their mouths, and the ale was crisp and frothy, much better than the watered down wine they usually sipped down.
Most of them managed to stay sober....but Dawin had gone off to a whole different world. One where ale had replaced water.
"Awwww, come-on Irial. We all know what you're hiding under all that leaatthhherrr!" The dark haired-dark eyed slurred drunkenly in a horribly off key sing-song tone as he waved his empty half-pint of ale in the air.
The girls just stared at him, slack jawed, wide-eyed, and completely speechless.
After kick starting her brain back up, Sight wearily asked " Ummm... is he always like this?" She blinked, stunned as she watch a pissed off Irial try to wrestle the drunk off of him.
"Get. off. me." He slammed the heel of his hand on to Dawin's forehead as he kept plowing forward.
The other men seemed unfazed by anything Dawin did, including break out into a big whoop and tackling Irial in a neck hold while yelling, " I LOVE YA MAN!"
Aparently ...this was normal.
" I don't get it.." Sky gaped and looked down at her own mug, as if she would find the cause there. " He's only had two drinks!"
Emmet shrugged. " What can we say, the man has one low tolerance level."
"DAWIN, YOU GET OFF ME THIS INSTANT OR I WILL BURN YOUR SORRY ARESE!"
Note to self:NEVER get on Irial's bad side...
"He's a class A lightweight." Cedric mumbled as he took a casual sip of his drink, before quickly tilting his head to the right and narrowly dogging the smoldering body that went flying through the air.
"Hey, Dawin! You alright?" Emmett called over his shoulder.
There was a faint groan that informed them that he didn't turn into a pile of burnt flesh.
"If it's worth anything thing, I think you broke you're record!"
"Oh my... is he alright?!" Sight asked , horrified, as her medical instincts kicking in. She had jumped half way on to her feet when Emmett told her it was alright. " He has on fire proof clothing. We got it for him just for things like this."
Hunter looked at Emmett with a dry expression as she cocked one eyebrow. "No offense, but I thought you would be the one who couldn't hold their drink."
All the men, including Irial and Cedric, gave a booming laugh at her statement. The girls just looked at each other, like they were trying to figure out the joke they had just missed.
"Oh no, " Cedric choked, " It would nearly take a full barrel to get this boy swooning."
"I'm just pleasantly buzzed right now." Emmett said with his trademark charming grin as he raised his mug in a mock toast.
The on going party of shots and off tune songs by Dawin ;
'Get upppp, Jack, John sit downnnnn!
Come alonggggg, come along me jolly brave boys
There's plenty more grog in the jar
We'll plow the briny ocean with a jolly roving tarrrrrrrrr
,was interrupted by a soft mew.
Sight looked over her shoulder and saw that the young boy was stirring on the cot she had placed him on before. She turned back to the others and got up from her seat. " Looks like our little guest is up." Irial commented when she walked over with Sky at her side.
"Hey, feeling better?" She softly asked the boy as she sat down next to him.
The child was sitting up and looking at her as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. " Mmmhmmm."
Sky gave him a smile and cooed, "Aren't you cute?"
The boy blinked at her with his big eyes. "Are you hungry?" Right away he gave an energetic nod. "Yes." His voice was tiny, high, and inwardly made the to girls squeal of how cute it was. Sky looked at Sight with another smile. "I'll get him some hot stew."
She nodded in agreement as Sky stood back up and walked back over to the fire pit. She then turned back to the boy and smiled kindly while she wrapped a blanket around him.
"So what's your name?" she asked in a friendly tone.
"Caleb."
"Well Caleb, I'm Sight. Nice to meet you."
Caleb smiled back, but Sight's eyes were checking all the injuries that marked his tiny body. She gazed drifted down to his legs that dangled limply over the edge of the cot. They were battered, bruised, scraped and cut up from living in the streets above them. Her eyebrows frowned together as she saw the damage. 'He must be an orphan.' she thought. She reached forward and touched her fingertips to his leg, but paused to ask him if it would be okay if she fixed them. Caleb didn't, rubbing his forehead, seeming to remember when she had healed that, and then nodded.
But before she even summoned the magic needed, she heard a plop and slosh of water beside her. Hunter had placed down a bucket of warm water and was holding out a cloth. "Maybe you should clean him up first?"
"Thanks." She took the cloth and soaked it in the water while Hunter grabbed an extra cloth that was already wet. Sight wiped his face, neck and arms, while Hunter worked on his legs; being careful of the injuries.
After he was cleaned, healed and wrapped in the warm blanket again Sight carried him over to the fire where Sky handed him a tiny bowl of hot food, which he nearly scarfed down.
"Hey take it easy." Sight warned, "You don't want to get an upset stomach, do you?"
The guys were still enjoying themselves. Dawin was passed out on the ground, Emmett was amusing himself by poking him with a branch from the fire wood, while Irial and Cedric just watched them. Sky and Hunter sat on either side of Sight, as usual. She and Sky were playing with Caleb, and even Hunter got into the mood – despite her claim that all children were evil.
The little boy seemed to be having the time of his life, but kept close to Sight most of time. He seemed to have taken to her as some sort of mother-type figure. He also had taken a liking to Emmett right away as well.
"I wonder what happened to his family." Sky watched Emmett give a piggy-back ride to Caleb, who squealed in joy at being so high in the air.
"They're probably dead." Hunter answered bluntly.
Sky glared at her sister and demanded , " Do you have to be so cold?" She could only take her aloof attitude for so long. How the two of them could have the same blood was a marvel. They were complete opposites of each other!
"She's probably right." They looked at Sight who was staring calmly forward, but her eyes were always following Caleb. Her knees were tucked under her chin with her arms wrapped around them. Her face may have been calm, but the way her teal eyes shimmered in the firelight told them that her heart went out for him. "He's been on his own for a while. Either his parents abandoned him, killed for some useless reason, or died of some sickness."
'I just hope to the gods it's the last one. It would be the lesser of the evils.'
Sky shifted uneasily in her spot and folded her fingers over her lap. " How could you tell ? About him being alone, I mean."
"His legs. The scars and marks he had were months old. He also had a hairline fracture on his foreleg. They all point to long term exposure or someone who has lived on the streets."
In simple terms what all that meant was one thing; times were hard. This was only one of the many things that rangers stood against. They weren't fighting the empire for the same reason the Varden fought, to overthrow a self-imposed king who was a murderer and right past wrongs, no they were fighting to protect all the peoples of Alagasia. Especially the ones who could not protect themselves.
Sight looked across the fire-pit and smiled a bit when she saw Irial wasn't even able to resist Caleb's energy. The Stoic group leader's face broke out into what must have been his version of a half-smile. She had an inkling of an idea when they first found Caleb on the streets above them and he didn't reject the idea of bringing him along. Now she was positive.
'He has a soft spot for children.'
"Mind if we join you?" Emmett plopped down on the ground to them with Caleb swinging from his big hands.
Sight choked back a laugh when she noticed both of them had the same carefree look. Emmett looked at her, confused. She chocked slightly on another laugh and covered her mouth. "I'm sorry. It's just, if I didn't know any better, I would think you two were brothers."
"You know, I think you're right." Hunter smirked.
"Yeah, you two have the same hair type, color and eye shade." Sky agreed.
"No, I meant they act the same age."
Caleb, oblivious to the cold comment , got up and sat between Sky and Sight. The brown-haired girl smiled lightly down at him with she heard him yawn. "Tired?"
He bobbed his head sleepily as he leaned into her side, his eyes lids fluttering as he yawned again. Her eyes softened as she light brushed some stray strands out of his round face. Hunter noticed the somber look on her friends face and her eyes flashed a bit of worry. She leaned over and place a hand on her shoulder. "Sight, are you alright?"
She didn't react at the touch; she kept looking fondly at Caleb. It was almost as if she was in a trance. "Yeah. It's just he reminds me of him, that's all." Her voice was soft and sounded distant, but something lingered at the edge of it. Both sisters's easily picked up the sadness laced in her tone. They looked at each other and saw their faces reflected the same expression....
Worry.
'Eldraion! Wait up!
"Aranel, hurry!"
"What would you ever do with out me?"
"I'm only strong because of you....."
"Oh come-on, you know no matter what I'll always be there for you. We are twins after all."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Sight snapped back out of her daze when she felt a light pressure on her right arm. She blinked down as Hunter and Sky gently squeezed her wrist and hand in comfort. Her teal eyes flashed with a sad hope and then she squeezed back.
'I'm okay.'
The next morning Hunter woke to a rant of cursing. When she finally had enough and was ready tell the boys to "Shut up!" so loud that she'd make sure their ears would hurt for weeks, she sprung up from the cot and shot the person her wickedest glare...
Only to try to stop from laughing herself to death.
"What are you wearing?!"
Sight rolled her eyes as Hunter broke out into another round of hysteric fits and looked down at the outfit Irial had told her to change into. Since she was the unlucky one to be picked to be the "mop girl" she thought she might as well dress like one.
Unlike the dress in Terim, or even the one she wore in Caravhall, this one was no glamorous gown. It was a simple light grey cotton blouse that was cut off at the elbows and a slate blue dress over it. A belt was slung around her hips to hold the dress closer to her body since it was about a size-to-big. She kept on her knee high black boots, but her usual half-pulled back hair style was out and replaced with a blue handkerchief that covered her hair. The last part of the outfit was the light grey apron that tied around her waist.
'Is it really that bad?' Sight thought as she shifted to take at the back of it. Okay, so it wasn't really her taste, actually no dress was, but at least she looked the part. 'And... I thought it was kinda cute.' she added embarrassed.
The plan was that she would go with Dawin to the lord's estate and pretend to be looking for a job. If all went well, which there was no doubt it would, she would be mopping the floors of the estate in no time.
Hunter finally stopped laughing her head off and managed to push herself off the ground. "So... I guess you're the lucky mop girl?" She asked as another round of snickers escaped her.
The brunette pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. She threw one of her own famous glares at the black haired girl. "It wasn't as if I had a choice. Apparently it's the first one up gets first draft for missions here. And unlike you two sleeping logs- that was me. Besides, I'm the only one of us that somewhat fits into this dress."
"It still looks like you're wearing a tent." Hunter pointed out. She then paused and looked around the quite underground chamber. 'Quite? Something's off.' "Where's Silima?"
The absence of her sister was the only reason it could be this blissfully silent.
"She went with Emmett and Cedric. They're going to go to the local tavern and scout the city to see what they can find that can help us with the Ra'zac problem." Sight explained. "They just left about five minutes ago."
Hunter was a little peeved that they had not bothered to wake her up so she would know what was going on. But calmed down when her friend laughed lightly and added, "Relax, you know we would never do that Hunter." She knew how mad she would be if they ever went over a mission with out her. Hunter was an important part of the team, she was the one who came up with some of the best offensive strategies, she was also the third pillar that kept their little trio standing tall.
"Irial is waiting to tell us the rest, so come-on."
Hunter pushed herself off the ground and rolled her bed roll before following Sight across the large chamber to one of the many entrances of the tunnels that spider webbed out from it where Irial and Dawin waited. She then noticed something else that had been nagging at the back of her mind since she woke up. "Where is the boy?" She asked when she noticed that Caleb was nowhere to been seen as well.
"Sky took him. They're going to see if they can find a nice home for him. He can't stay down here with the others forever, it's too dangerous and it's no place for a child, but it would be cruel to put him back on the street."
Sight was a little bit upset that she couldn't have gone with them, but like she said it was better than leaving a child alone down in the catacombs where only the gods knew what lurked in the shadows. "Emmett said there was an elderly couple in the upper-class part of city who had good hearts, and always takes in abandoned children."
Hunter raised one dark eyebrow in question as she blurted out without thinking, "In this hell-hole of a city?"
The slightly younger girl just shrugged. "Even in utter darkness- there is always a little bit of light."
Irial was still dressed in leather and chain-mail, but now he had the signature ranger deep green cloak clasped under his chin. Dawin on the other hand was in commoner clothes like Sight, although his were actually a bit more ornate with a gold, black and red trim around the edges of the tunic and the lord's coat of arms sowed onto the front right side just above his heart.
"Hunter, you will be going with me today." Irial told her. "There's been a bit of a ..incident that's been forming at the plaza west of the palace. I want to see if we can squash the ...'pests' before they spread."
She cocked a thin black eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Crowd control. huh?" She paused for a second, eyeing the red-eyed man she still didn't trust too much, and then a smirk found it's way on to her face. "All right, I think I can deal with that."
Irail turned his attention to the others. "We will be near enough, so you can signal us if you need to."
Dawin nodded, which it was amazing he was even up since he was beyond drunk the night before, and then turned to Sight to ask if she was ready. She followed him into the tunnel. This branch of the catacombs led to a fall-away wall hidden in the shadows of the "church" at the heart of Dars-Leona. Sight steeped aside as Dawin pushed the hidden door back into place.
He then turned to her and asked, "Do you remember what Irial and I explained to you?"
"I'll walk with you to the servants entrance and ask to speak with the head chef or maid." They had gone over the plan so many times it was burned right into her memory. "And if they ask for a reason of how I found out they need a new mop girl, or why I want them to hire me, you'll explain that I'm your sister and that we need money for....." She stopped walking, turned around and gave him a wavering look.
" Dawin, do you really think that these are the type of people who would even care that "our mother" is sick?"
She really didn't think that anyone who worked for such a baneful puppet of the king would even have a shred of a caring heart. But Dawin then told her the same thing she has said to Hunter.
"Even the fiercest dog is still a puppy inside sometimes. Alura and Brak, may be rough skinned, but their heart's are in the right place."
Sight sighed. "I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."
They walked down the slightly dipped road to the lord's manor. The massive granite building loomed up like a giant sleeping beast. The sheer size and overall oriental ness of it's facade made Sight stop in her tracks; black marble, shimmering mother- of- pearl, and wisps of gold gleamed in the all to bright morning sun. The mosaic courtyard spiraled around a single black fountain at it's center; the colors seemed to shift from purples, greens, pinks, slivers, yellows, and all shades of blues as the sun bounced off the mother of pearl. There were even a few that matched Sight's eye color perfectly , vibrant teal that faded with flecks of silver swirled in. Ebony marble statues stood in alcoves, reflecting and reminding of the twisted fate that ruled this city, with sticks of incense smoldering plumes of thick, heavy scented smoke in their hands. None of the statues had visible faces, all of them had hoods pulled up over their heads or heavy veils hiding them. Their design was eerily similar to the Ra'zac.
It was frighteningly beautiful. 'To think something this grand could be in a city like this.' Sight thought in awe, but the over powering dangerous aura she felt gave away the true nature of the building. "Still, it'll take more than fancy decorations to hide its true form.'
"Sight!" She snapped out of it when Dawin called her name. She quickly apologized and dashed over to where he waited by the small servants door. A few seconds after he knocked the door sung open a not to happy looking older man on the other side.
"About time you showed up." The man growled at Dawin.
The doorman was gruff and graying from age. But while his face was cracked with lines, his cobalt-blue eyes were so sharp that they might be able to cut through a rock with a single glance. What one must have been a wonderful shade of cream-blonde hair was now faded into a dull- grey shade with streaks of white just starting to show through.
"Sorry." Dawin apologized. "But could you tell Alura that I wish to speak with her, Frings?"
Frings grunted as he looked down and noticed Sight, who was slightly hidden by Dawin's broad shoulders and much taller height. 'I hate being short.' She shifted slightly because, as much as she hated to admit it, Frings stony gaze sort of made her nervous. But, she did not break eye contact with him.
"And who is the girl with you?"
Dawin stepped to the side to block Sight from Frings view , much like a protective older brother would do. "The reason I want to speak to Alura." he replied off-handily, " Now, will you go get her, or will I tell the lord who is really stealing his wine?"
The older man moved so fast that it only seemed like a few seconds had passed before he was back in the doorway, but this time with a women. She gave them one look with her brown eye before ushering them inside. "Come in. You're letting the heat out." The kitchen was loud. The sound of things being chopped, dishes rattling, stews and soups boiling over huge fires, people yelling across the room for this or that, and servants rushing around buzzed in the air. The smell of food cooking was so strong, that it took almost all of Sight's will power not to drool. She had to stay focused on the women in front of her..... But that was hard to do when she hadn't had a decent meal in months!
Alura was a bulky woman in the middle of her life. Like Frings, her face was also folded with lines, but it still held the look of someone half her age. Her graying black hair was twisted into a heavy braid that was slung over one shoulder, while the front of her hair was held back by a bandana. The selves of her blouse were pushed up to her elbows and the rest of her dress was spattered with oil, or other food stains. "Now, what is it you wanted to see me about?"
Dawin gently nudged Sight's shoulder, telling her that was her cue. Letting her natural acting skills click in to place, she took a step forward and gave a small curtsy. When she looked back up she steadily met Alura's brown gaze with her own teal one. The look in her eyes and the tone of her voice told Sight that this woman did not like wasting her time.
"Sorry to bother you ma'am, but I would like a job."
If the head of the kitchen was surprised at her coolness, she didn't show it. Alura looked Sight over, from head to foot, and took a long draft from her pipe before she asked, "What's your name. Little lady?"
"Anna. My name is Anna." Sight said the first name that popped into her head. "and I'm eighteen."
"How did you even know if we are looking for a new hire?"
Just as predicted. Sight gave fake nervous glance to her "brother" and wet her lips. " Dawin is my older brother. He mentioned that you need a new mop girl."
Alura cast an amused look over to Dawin. "You never mentioned you had a sister, Dawin."
Dawin just shrugged. "No-one ever asked, and Anna's been at home taking care of our mother." He lied.
Sight lowered her eyes and continued softly, "Yes, our mother caught some kind of strange illness and we barely have enough money to pay for a healer – even with Dawin working." She tried to add the sadness in her voice at a reasonable level- the last thing she wanted to do was hysterical.
'Not only would that be over-doing it, but it would be down right pathetic. Even I wouldn't respect anyone who cried like a baby.'
The act seemed to work because Alura's eyes seemed to soften for a moment. Then the gruffness returned. She held out her hands, palms up. "Let me see your hands."
Sight flinched a bit when she grabbed her hands roughly and raised them to her eye level. She seemed surprised and enlightened at how rough and nicked Sight's fingers were. "You clearly know how to work." she remarked before flipping them over and looking at the fingertips. "You know how to use a bow." Sight's fingertips were covered in tiny calluses and deep cuts from pulling back the string.
"I taught her, you know incase she ever needs to defend herself." Dawin lied, but still sounding like a proud older brother. "Dras-Leona isn't exactly the safest city in the empire, you know."
"Aye, the streets are no place for a young lady. Fine then, you can have the job."
Sight gave a truly honest smile. "Thank-you ma'am!" Meanwhile she was cheering in her head, 'We did it! It worked!!'
The other woman gave her a warm smile before turning to snap at Dawin and Frings "Alright, we've wasted enough time. Frings , return to your post and Dawin, get your arse up to the main hall! Brak will have your head and I will not let him have mine."
Dawin gave a quick bow, but winked at a Sight as he passed her. "Behave yourself, Anna."
She gave a small laugh as he bounded up the servant staircase. "Well, come along. " Alura ordered as she led her in the giant room that was the kitchen. Her voice had gone back to its "no-nonsense" clip. "There's a mop and bucket with your name on it."
Mopping the kitchen floors sounded so much easier when she Irial and the others had informed her of the plan. But after moping the floors over by the roasting pits where fat that had melted off the meat had merged with the brick, Sight's hands felt like they were about to fall off. She winched slightly as she flexed her stiff hands, the muscles and joints screaming in protest. Sure, she was use to this sort of thing from clutching her bow or the handle of her sword in tight grips when in the middle of a fight, but for some this reason this just plain hurt. 'And the worst thing is I can't use magic to lessen the pain while I'm in here. '
"Here dear." One of the older women maids handed her a damp warm cloth, "Wrap that around your hand, it'll loosen the stiffness."
Sight thanked her, but winced again when she took the rag. "I guess this happens a lot, huh?" she asked as she gently wound the rag around her hand. She let out a breathy sigh as she felt the cramps in her hand relax.
The maid smiled softly at her. "Yes, but at least we won't have to worry about you getting blisters now, will we?"
"Guess I'm blessed." She muttered sarcastically while she leaned against the handle of her mop.
"Ha! I like ya already girl!" Howled a bulky cook. His face was slightly cubby and red with watery brown eyes. "You got a wit! Ye'er from up north, aren't ya?"
Sight shrugged , " You could say that."
The cooks laughed again as he slammed his wide knife down through a thick piece of sirloin. "I knew it, we northerners always have the wit! We got to beat ol' man winter somehow, right? So, ya from near the coast, or up by the valley?"
"Near Ceoun, I guess you could say." That wasn't exactly a lie, she was from that area. "My brother and I are from a small village near the forest. We moved down here after my mother became sick." She still felt a little uncomfortable lying about an ill mother, it just didn't feel right; but the charade of her and Dawin being siblings seemed to work. Almost everyone in the kitchen didn't think twice about it since they both had brown hair and similar skin tones. A few of the staff even commented that she must've taken more after their "mother" than their "father".
"Ya'll aren't related to Em ,are ya? Now that boy's got some wit!"
The maid sighed and eyed the cook sternly, " Honestly, anyone with any" wit "wouldn't keep boasting about it, James. "
"Hey, new girl! The floors don't mop themselves, you know!"
Sight sighed and handed back the rag before bending down and picking up her bucket. "Back to the salve driver." she mumbled.
James, the cook, chuckled as the maid patted her shoulder. "Don't worry dear, you'll get use to it. "
'Don't worry it's an easy job! All you got to do is move a stick back and forth, how hard can that be?' She mentally mocked what Emmett had said to that morning.
'Easy.... pheh!'
She paused in the middle of mopping and looked down at her dress. The bottom of her skirt had turned to a dirty brown color from picking up all the dirt and soaking up all the dirty water off the floor, and the rest of the skirt, plus the apron, were smudged with hand prints. She let out a frustrated groan and shook out the dress, but the dirt clung stubbornly.
As she cleaned she kept her ears sharp to pick up any information that the servants might accidentally spill in their gossip. Sadly, most of what they talked about was the poor girl who she had filled in the position, or how all the women found Dawin, Emmett, or even Cedric and Irial quite handsome.
"Emmett is such a sweetheart!"
"True, but Dawin has that scar.." another sighed dreamily. "Just like a warrior."
"I don't know I think Irial is the best looking one of the groups."
"Are you kidding? With those eyes?"
'They sound like a bunch of squawking hens.'
Just then there was a sound knock on the servants' entrance. Curious, Sight raised her head to see who it was, only to yank it back around and curse her luck to hell when Frings opened the door.
Brom stood in the doorway with a humble look plastered on his aged face, but his ageless blue eyes sparkled with the same mischief they always had. "May I help you?" Frings asked in his dry tone.
Brom gave a small smile. "Yes, I was passing by and wondering if this palace would like a lonely bard to fill it's halls with for a while, in exchange for some warm food and drink?"
Somehow with just that simple question he had managed to charm himself into the kitchen and servants quarters. Not only that, he was also starting to charm all sorts of information out of the staff using his gift of storytelling and song.
Although she felt boxed into a corner at the moment, Sigh couldn't help but silently thank the bothersome bard. He was helping her also get the information she needed; but that still didn't change the fact that she was teetering on the edge of ruining everything she and the others had worked for up until now. If Brom discovered her now, it wouldn't be a far leap to figure out that Hunter and Sky were here too. She doubts that he would have forgotten them already, Eragon might have – or might have at least forgotten their names- but Brom was a whole nother story. She had figured that out from her encounter with him back in Carvahall, and she was willing to bet her treasured sword and pendant that, like that encounter, he knew much more than he was letting on. 'To be honest, I wouldn't be that surprised if he already knew we have been following them.'
So, to sum it up, it would only be bad if she was caught. As long as Brom didn't recognize her, everything would be fine. So she kept her back to him and kept her head down as she pretended to mop. Luckily, her hair color was a common brown and since she had not tied it back in her trade mark half-up style , it would be a little harder for anyone to know that she was " Sight, a ranger of the north." and not " Anna, Dawin's sister"; and her hair was half hidden by a handkerchief anyway. Her eyes on the other hand – were a little more striking; Not many people had teal eyes, and if they did – they were nowhere near as bright as hers. Sight could probably change her hair to cotton-candy-pink and people would still know who she was just by her eyes. Her mother once told her that he aunt often to complain about the same thing.
"She never complained about having to hide her ears, a simple spell could fix that, but it was her eyes that always gave her trouble. She would have to close her eyes and pretend to be blind, or wear a heavy hood that would hide them because her eyes were so obvious."
Sight strained her ears to hear what Brom was saying to a group by the fireplace she was at before, but they were too far away. So even though she knew it was risky, she quickly muttered a quick strand of words under her breath and instantly she could hear everything from the fluttering of sheets of a bed being made three floors up to the group all the way across the room.
"Oh, you're a bard? You've probably traveled all over." One of the maids said.
"I've heard the sirens song of the waves to the baritone of the mountains, and everything in between." Brom's lip twitched slightly in amusement. But it wasn't just part of his charming act, he had sensed the shimmer in the air when Sight cast her spell. 'What an amusing little ranger. She's smart, but a little reckless if she thought I wouldn't have noticed that.'
"I bet you know a lot of tales then." another older women pointed out.
Brom humbly nodded his head, "Aye. From the ghost stories they tell in small towns, to the histories of our people and more." He replied, "But, I'm always looking for new stories."
The bait was set, and it didn't take long before it snagged a few fish. Soon every scandalous event that had happened in the palace came tumbling from their lips; like water rushing forth from a dam that had just broken. Most of the stories were centered around a common topic – Marus Tabor , the lord of Dars-Leona, and his never ending thirst for women.
"And not only does he have three mistress, but they all live in the same wing of the palace!"
"We call it "the brothel.'"
"There's Lady Ivy, the temptress, Lady Cecile, the siren, and Lady Mary, who is not as pure as her name suggests."
The number of romps, ladies, and the tales that went with them were become so crude that even Brom had to blush. Sight, on the other hand, felt like burning her ears off.
'Well this isn't working out exactly like I planned.' Brom grumbled in his mind. The plan was to somehow draw out information about where the seither oil was shipped after it was taken from the warehouse he had trace it to earlier to here. 'I guess I'll have to take the obvious route, since it doesn't look like they'll be giving me a foothold.'
Apparently Brom spoke to soon.
"So bard, what do you think of our little personal hell?" one of the older male cooks asked bitterly
"It's ...interesting. Your city is much more.....radical than the others I've been to, I guess you could say."
The forced pleasure on the servant's faces cracked and faded to give way to their true tired and worn expressions. Mother's who were just scrapping by to care for their children, or who had lost them, and men and young adults who worked to support their families. People who had never seen a shred of human kindness in a very long time, if not in their entire lives. They lived the life that Alagaisa had become since Galbatorix crowned himself king nearly a century ago; a never ending cycle of death and neglect.
The somber air was broken when a burly man came trudging through the kitchen with two rag-clad men who looked more like living skeletons dragged in chains behind him. One of the oldest servants in the room lifted his head and listlessly gazed at the lifeless slaves as they passed by. "It must be that time, isn't it?" His tone was so casual, it was unnerving.
The women Sight was talking to earlier returned to somberly wiping down the dishes in her hands. "It could be worse -we could be them." She said gravely.
Sensing the gap he was looking for, Brom grabbed on to her comment and starting pulling to see where it led. "Those were slaves? Are they to work out in the stables, or to move goods and that kind of thing?"
"Delivery - if you could call it that." someone answered in another grave tone. "But none of them have ever come back. The lord had some kind of trading system set up with some shady people out by Hellgrind. Black Market stuff if you ask me, but whenever it is every full moon he sends out two slaves with a months worth of provisions. And like I said, so far none of it has come back."
"That's not really a trading system, you know." another pointed out.
"Oh stuff it, John!" the man snapped. "Keep being a wise arse and I'll make sure you'll be with the group who takes the next trade out."
This was it. This is what they had been waiting for. Brom just needed to probe a little more until the answer leaked through, while Sight waited on baited breath. "What kind of provisions do they take? if you don't mind me asking." His voice was clam and smooth, but inside he was a jumble of nerves.
"Oh, just the normal things; food, water, cloth.."
"Oh, and that oil when it's in the warehouse has it."
Both Brom and Sight froze in shock that instant. They couldn't believe it, after weeks...months... they had finally found them! Brom cleared his throat, reminding himself to keep in character. Sounding innocently confused he asked, " Oil? What type of oil would they be shipping out there?"
The servants shrugged. " Seither oil, I believe. Must be some black market jeweler out by the cliffs."
Jewelers...if only that was true. But it didn't matter, they now knew that that the Raz'ac were defiantly here, and where exactly their hideout was. Sight relaxed and released the spell. She didn't have to hear anymore; she did have to go find Dawin now though. But the excitement she was feeling at the moment was blasted to bits when a terrified looking servant came running in. His skin was as white as sheet and his eyes were wide and frightful. It looked like someone had just told him doomsday was coming.
The entire kitchen went silent at the unexpected entry. Most looked at him as wondering what had him so scared. The man grasped the banister with his clammy, shaking hands as he said in a crack voice.
"T...The...."He swallowed, "The king will be here with in the week!"
CLATTER
The sound of the mop falling from Sight's slack grip echoed in the dead kitchen as a sense of overwhelming dread washed over her. To her, the entire room froze as soon as those words left the messengers lips.
'No...of all the...'
It was like a giant wave of cold water had just washed over her and the wraith-like fingers of the current had grabbed hold of her legs and were pulling her under. Flashes of jumbled images flashed before her eyes.
'No...'
Waves of bodies rushing forward to a black cloud racing over the land. Swords flashing with sparks as metal struck metal. Gurgled screams of a dying man as his life was wrenched from him. Two pairs of lifeless blue eyes holding her own.
' No... make it stop..'
A bloody battle field over flowing with lifeless bodies, and from the smoke a demonic laugh that chilled her to the bones as pair of glowing gold-and -blood-red eyes watched in amusement.
"Whatever is after you is something you will not be able to stop once they know who you are."
Angela's words from the reading echoed warningly in her head.
'Stop...stop...no...just..'
"STOP IT!"
" -ear? Dear, what's wrong? Anna?!"
Sight jolted back to reality when she felt someone shaking her shoulders. When she blinked away the blurriness in her vision she was shocked to discover that she was kneeling on the floor and doubled over as her hands griped her head. Her breathing was short and ragged, like she had just awoken from a bad dream, or someone had bunched her in the gut.
When gentle hands on her shoulder lifted Sight lifted her head and saw the maid from before was kneeling in front of her, her face showing concern. That was also when she realized , to her embarrassment, that the entire kitchen was looking at her too. She quickly dunked her head to hide her reddening face.
"Anna?" the women asked in her usual motherly tone.
"Is she alright?"
Sight stiffened as she heard Brom's voice behind her. 'No! Go away!' She begged with her mind. 'Go away.'
She felt the maid wrap her arms lightly around her, probably taken her sudden stiffening as still being a bit jumpy after her attack. " Shhh, it's alright." she hummed. She lifted her head and looked at the other servants, "Does anyone know where Dawin is?"
"I...I'm fine." Sight managed to say after she finally found her voice. "Thank- you, but really, I'm fine."
The maid did not seem convinced as she leaned back. She softly reached out and brushed some stray bangs out of her eyes. " How about you go find your brother then? I'm sure Alura will understand."
Sight nodded and tried to stand up, but her legs gave out. She froze again when she felt Brom clamp his hands on her shoulder to steady her. "Maybe you should rest for bit, young lady." His voice actually sounded worried. "That attack seemed ....rather -"
"No, I can walk." She cut him off as she stepped away but kept her back to him. "Thank- you, for your concern though." She looked at the maid with a soft smile, "Do you know where Dawin is?"
"He should be in the hall upstairs." She paused and pursed her lips as she still looked at her with worry. "Maybe someone should go with you?"
Sight shook her head and gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile."No, I'll be able to find it. Thank-you again though."
It was only her pride kept her from running through the kitchen doors like her body wanted to. As soon as she knew no-one could see her anymore she dropped her charade. She paused at the bottom step of the narrow stone staircase and took a moment to clam down. She reached up and clasped her pendant that around her neck. The familiar smoothness of the silver and the slight rough edges of the crystals and ridges engraved into the silver instantly eased her stress She took a short deep breath and opened her eyes. "There, much better."
With her mind and body calmed back down, and the memories locked back where they should be, Sight remembered her mission. Without a second thought she dashed up the staircase and set out to find Dawin to tell him what she had found out.
~May thee who enter here understand thing impermanence and forget thine attachments to that which is beloved.~
The ominous words sent a shiver down Eragon's spine as he read the row of silver script inlaid into the iron-bound gates of the cathedral. In fact the entire building made him feel uneasy as he stood in its shadow. Its twisted spires were covered with statues and scrollwork. Snarling gargoyles crouched along the eaves, looking ready to come to life and swoop down among the helpless people that walked below them. Fantastic beasts writhed on the walls, and heroes and kings marched along their bottom edges, frozen in cold marble. Ribbed arches and tall stained-glass windows lined the cathedral's sides, along with columns of differing sizes. A lonely turret helmed the building like a mast.
Eragon felt like he was standing at the jaws of a giant predator that was just waiting for its next victim to carelessly approach it.
It was his second day in the city, and today Brom had told him to go out and explore since they had discovered that the oil they had been tracking went to the palace before being shipped out to Helgrind every full moon.
The old man was currently at the palace, probably trying to figure out a way they could take the place of the slaves, or find out some more information. He had come back the night before dead tired and grave and Eragon soon found out why. Galbatorix was coming to the city, and with in the week at that!
But the mood suddenly changed when he also said he had found out where the oil was taken.
Eragon felt a rush of emotions all at once; joy, fear, excitement, and a dull pang of grief. This was it. This was the end of his quest, their journey. He could finally have his revenge for his uncle's murder! But, deep down he knew he couldn't go back to his old life. Saphira had ruefully pointed that out to him when he suggested that they go back and visit Carvahall once they were done.
Although he stubbornly denied it, deep down Eragon knew everything was different now. He was no longer "Eragon, the farm boy". He was now "Eragon, the dragon rider". His old life had died when the Raz'ac had killed his uncle. It had gone up in flames with the rest of his childhood home. Maybe even before that.
He had nowhere to go back to. His home was with Saphira now and the ultimate choice that lay ahead of him now. The words tasted bitter on his tongue, so he could never bring himself to say it out loud, but he knew that now his fate rested with the Varden. He was starting to feel the weight of the responsibility that now rested on his shoulders. He and Saphira were the only hope Alagaesia had of escaping the bloody darkness that had shackled everyone down for nearly a century.
There was something else about Brom's behavior last night that left him confused. The old bard was still as gruff as he had always been, but there was something that was still a little off when he came into the room. When he began telling him about the palace, Eragon could've sworn there was a glint of something in the old man's blue eyes and the sides of his lips twitched slightly upward in a small smirk. It was like he was in on an inside joke that no one else knew about, or something equally as amusing.
That restless feeling was still with him when he woke up and for the rest of the morning as he wondered the city. As Brom had instructed him in the note he had left on the wall of their room that morning, Eragon carried his bow with him, but that didn't shake off the feeling like he was being watched everywhere he went. It seemed like every few minutes he found himself looking around for someone who was staring at him or following him. The rooftops, musty alley-ways, or a stand out figure in the crowds. But there was no one there.
He had even contacted Saphira to ask her if she felt anything strange, maybe it was the Ra'zac or someone. She had said she could sense something, but it was too vague to pin point the source. But she also said something that had slightly surprised him.
She had said that, although the trace was faint, it was exactly the same as the aura she had felt in Terim.
The thought made Eragon uneasy. Was someone or something following them? Were they friend or foe? A thousand questions raced through his mind, but he couldn't find an answer.
The city did have more than it's fair share of shady characters to choose from.
Eragon slowly climbed the broad row of steps that led to the cathedral's entrance, but hesitated at the door. 'I wonder if I can go in.' the cathedral had been a fascination of his ever since Brom had told him about the twisted religion the people In Dras-Leona had. Eragon had never been in a church before, deviant or otherwise, and found the large building interesting. To be honest, he hadn't planed on coming here today. A short while ago he had come across the trading square, which, to his horror, was actually a salve trading post. He had come so furious at the way the people treated others humans like they were cattle. He had even thought about using magic to free the slaves, but caught himself at the last moment. It would do nothing and the salve would probably be killed before he even reached the city walls.
It was only after he walked away in disgust, pity and trying to regain control of his temper, did Eragon find himself in front of the cathedral.
The heavy oak door swung open smoothly. The inside of the cathedral was as silent as a tomb and felt like one as well. The sound of his leather boots echoed deafeningly on the marble floor as he walked forward and was the only sound within the temple. The entire place was a homage to all the dark things in life; personified depictions of anger, hate and remorse decorated the dark cold stone and black marble as well the stain glass windows that lined the walls. What light was let in was aimed at the granite pews ,as if leading the way deeper into the beast, the rest of the place was bathed in a deep blue huge. Eragon felt like he was walking in a dream, a nightmare of some kind that was bound to end badly. But although he was hesitant in his steps at first, he kept walking forward. ' I'm not the same boy I was back in Carvahall. What help can I be to the people of the empire if I'm scared of this?'
He eyed the statues between the windows that seemed to stare back at him with rigid, pale eyes. The altar was a great slab of stone devoid of adornment. Behind it pipes of a wind organ rose up and thought the vaulted ceiling out into the open air, but there were no keys to be played. The only time the organs would moan would be when ever a gale rocked Dars-Leona, sending a low unearthly moan vibrating from the bowls of the stone beast.
Out of respect, Eragon knelt before the altar. Down on one knee, while placing one arm over it and bowing his head. He didn't pray for to worship what ever demented god this place was built for, but simply paid homage to the building itself as well as all the sorrow of the lives it had seen.
Eragon could almost hear the sobs and cries of pain that were permanently embedded into the stones. He could taste the pain and dejection, yet also a far darker power that thrived in it. It was a foreboding place, it was bare and cold. But in that chilling touch though, came a glimpse of eternity and perhaps... the powers that lay there.
Finally, Eragon inclined his head and rose. Clam and grave he quickly whispered a few words to himself in the ancient language, as a hope that those souls in pain found peace, before turning to leave. But when he fully turned around, Eragon froze and his heart jumped.
The Ra'zac, the soul reason for his thirst for revenge, stood at the cathedral's entrance – watching him. Their swords were drawn, keen edges bloody in crimson light. A fiendish hiss came from the smaller one, but neither of them moved.
Rage welled up in Eragon. He had been chasing the Ra'zac for so many weeks that the pain what they had done to his uncle had dulled in him. But now it, flared to life again and his wrath exploded like a volcano – fueled even more by all his pent-up fury at the slave's treatment.
An animalistic and thunderous roar tore from Eragon lips and he snatched the bow from his back with out thinking. Skillfully, he fit an arrow to the string and then let it lose. Two more followed their brother an instant later.
The Ra'zac leapt away from the arrows with an inhuman swiftness. They hissed as they ran up the aisle between the pews, cloaks flapping like raven wings. Eragon reached for another arrow, but froze when a thought he hadn't concern raced through his mind.
' If they knew where to find me, Brom is in danger as well!' He had to warn him.
Eragon then glimpsed the line of soldiers that filed into the cathedral's and his blood turned cold. He was trapped. But before he could even look around for an escape route, three arrows shot down from the ceiling and it was only at the last moment that Eragon noticed the light blue flames that engulfed them. 'Magic arrows?"
This question was answered the next second when the ground exploded in flames where they struck down in front of the soldiers. 'But , who.?!'
Three figures dropped down in front of him, as if from mid air. Their backs were to them, but Eragon could make out that the two on the ends were tall , while the one in the middle clutching a bow with another arrow already notched and aimed, was smaller. For a minute he wondered who in the world these strangers were, but when he saw the color of their cloaks – a deep forest green- he all most hollered in joy.
"You're rangers!" He exclaimed in disbelief.
Their hoods were up so Eragon couldn't see their faces, but never felt luckier in his life. Then with out a warning the tip of the archer's arrow ignited in light blue flames and then they let it fly- successfully striking one of the Ra'zac in the shoulder. Then, as if taking the black wraiths screech as a signal, the two bigger rangers shot forward brandishing their weapons. The bigger and broader ranger on that was on the left slammed one his fists that were covered in what looked metal gauntlets with spikes across the knuckles right in a charging group of soldiers. Their bodies went flying backwards in the air. Knocking back more of their fellow fighters.
The other one was facing the Ra'zac, surprisingly able holding his own. The thin, but deadly reaper in his hand flashing in the blue light like a snake rearing back to strike as he parried and blocked the bigger Ra'zac's blows, but never able to deal any hits.
The archer dropped back , keeping the closest to Eragon, and kept firing arrows, flaming and normal, as cover and at any others who managed to slip by their allies.
Even in the middle of the chaos Eragon started at the hooded ranger in amazement. 'T..they can use magic with out speaking?!' He then snapped out of it when the archer whipped their back at head at him. He managed to then make out part of their face in the blue shadows. The fierce blue-green eyes that started at him from with in the hood startled Eragon as he recognized them.
'They're one of the rangers I saw in the pub in Terim! But, how?!' His thoughts were cut off when they yelled at him, "RUN!", before whipping back around and kicking back a solider.
"Go now! RUN!" They repeated.
Eragon gazed hungrily at the Ra'zac, his thirst for vengeance overpowering for a moment, before seeing reason in the rangers orders. Despite his fury, this wasn't a battle he could win yet.
He then swept around and franticly searched for an way to escape. A small entrance to a hall to the left of the alter caught his eye, and with out thinking twice he bolted to it and dashed down a corridor that led to a small monastery. Behind him Eragon heard a faint cry and a thud and knew that the Ra'zac had broken past the rangers. Knowing that they were catching up to him made him quicken his pace until he almost ran head first into a closed door that blocked the way.
He pounded against it, only to find the wood it was made of was too strong. The Ra'zac were nearly on top of him. Frantic, he sucked in a breath and barked, " Jierda!" With a flash, the door splintered into pieces and fell to the floor. With out pausing, Eragon jumped over the mess and continued running, determined to put some distance between him and his nightmarish pursuers.
He sped through several chambers, startling a group of priests. Shout and curses followed him, but he ignored them. Then the priory bell began to boom above him in alarm signaling everyone in the area of the intruder. Eragon dodged though a kitchen, passed a pair of monks, then slipped through a side door not knowing where he was really going. He skidded to a stop in a garden, but his hopes vanished when he saw the glass smooth high brick walls the surrounded it and loomed above him. And there were no exits.
It was a dead end.
He spun, ready to search for another way out, but froze when he saw the Ra'zac lurching in the archway. Desperate, he spun and rushed at the wall, arms pumping. Magic was not a option here – even if he used it to break the wall, he knew we could be too drained of energy to run again.
'Time to see if all those days spent jumping over cliffs in the Spine pays off!' With a final push of his legs, Eragon jumped. His fingertips were the only thing that cleared the edge of the wall – the rest of his body smashed against the wall, effectively knocking the air right out of his lungs.
As he hung there by his fingers, Eragon tired to recover from the sudden pain and dizziness from the impact and also keep himself from falling. The Ra'zac prowled into the garden, swinging their heads from side to side like hounds sniffing their prey. He then faintly wondered for the first time if they could see in the first place. But that thought was short lived as he sensed how close they were, they were almost on bellow him. He quickly pulled himself up, ignoring the screaming in his upper arms and shoulders, scrambled over wall, and dropped down to the other side. He stumbled when his feet hit the ground, but then he darted down an alley just as the Ra'zac leapt effortlessly over the wall. Wanting to put as much distance as he could between himself and the demons, Eragon pumped his legs harder.
He had run for over a mile, weaving in and out of alleyways to try and lose the Ra'zac, before he had to stop and catch his breath. Eragon found himself on the edge of a crowed marketplace, but when he heard noise from behind him he dived under the nearest parked wagon.
He was panting hard as he peered out from under the wagon at the dozens of feet walking back and forth in front of it and pressed himself as flat as he could against the cobblestone. 'How did they find me?' He wondered. 'They shouldn't have known where I was....unless something happened to Brom!'
Instantly his mind reached out for Saphira's. 'The Ra'zac found me. We're all in danger! Check if Brom's alright. If he is, warn him and tell him to meet me at the inn. And be ready to fly here as fast as you can' He explained as fast as he could. 'We may need your help to escape.'
The dragon was silent, then said curtly, ' He'll meet you at the inn. Just don't stop moving; you're in great danger.'
"You don't need to tell me twice." muttered Eragon as he quickly scanned the area again and rolled out from under the wagon. He hurried back to the Golden Globe, making sure to sit to crowed places, quickly packed his and Brom's things, saddled the horses and led them to the street. They didn't have to wait long for Brom. The old man showed up, staff in hand, almost a few minutes later, and didn't seem too pleased.
He gripped Snowfire's reins tightly as he swung up on to his back and asked, " What happened?"
"I was in the cathedral when the Ra'zac just appeared out of nowhere behind me. " Eragon quickly explained as he climbed on to Cadoc. " I was able to get away thanks to some rangers and I ran back as fast as possible, but they could be here in any second. Saphira will join us once we're out of the city."
Brom's face whipped over to him with a slightly shocked look when he mentioned the rangers, but it faded as soon as it came as he faced forward and grunted. "If they are here as well, then we might have a better chance of escaping. But it still won't be easy. We have to get outside the city walls before they close the gates – if they haven't already." He grunted again as he gave a irritated tug to his pepper and salt beard. "If they are shut, it well be almost impossible for us to leave."
He then turned his face back to Eragon and looked him right in the eyes, "Whatever you do, don't get separated from me."
Eragon stiffened as ranks of soldiers marched down one end of the street.
Brom cursed, lashed Snowfire with his reins, and quickly speed down the other direction. Eragon nudged Cadoc and followed closely on his heels. They nearly crashed several time as they barreled through the masses of people that filled the streets as they neared the city walls.
When the gates finally came into view, Eragon jerked back on Cadoc's reins making the stallion skid to a halt. The gates were already half closed and a double line of pikeman blocked their way.
"They'll cut us to pieces!" Eragon exclaimed.
"We have to try and make it." snapped Brom. "I'll deal with the men, but you have to keep the gates open for us."
Eragon nodded, gritted his teeth and dug his heels in to Cadoc. The horses shot forward, ready to plow into the first line of men, who lowered their pikes to the horses' chest level and braced their weapons to against the ground. Though the horses snorted in fear, Eragon and Brom held them in place. Eragon heard soldiers shouting something from somewhere above them, but his undivided attention was focused on the gates that were inching shut.
As they neared the sharp pikes, Brom raised his hand but before he could speak several large shadows leapt over the wall of soldiers. A few men fell back as the horses hooves hit the ground and as their riders quickly jumped off of them.
Both Brom and Eragon skidded to a halt and stared dumbfounded at the newcomers. They stood tall in their green cloaks and dark clothes. There were four of them, two of them were smaller compared to the others and had their hoods up, while the other two had their hoods down and reveling that they were men.
"Hey! They're the ones from before!" Eragon gasped.
One of the men had dark brown curly hair, brown eyes and a scar that ran along his jaw and cheek. At his side was a pole-axe , a double -sided axe attached to a pole arm. It looked heavy, but the ranger was surprisingly nimble with it and he swung it out and held it in front of him.
The other man sent a chill down Eragon's spine. The blood -red eyes pierced out at the soldiers from under wild coal black hair. Something dark and sinister rolled off of him in waves and the men felt it too since they looked at him like he was demon that had just ripped himself up from hell. The tattoos on the side of his neck and arms seemed to move on their own . The lines almost seemed to shift under his skin as a skeletal dragon wrapped itself around the man arms and glared out with glowing red eyes.
'What..... is he..?'
There was a light "Chink" as the man tugged on the chain that was attached to the chine he grasped in the opposite hand. The elongated curved blade gleamed like a deadly talon in the shadows.
Brom sucked in a small breath as he muttered under his breath. " The Blades of Death. Irial, the shadow demon and Dawin, the dark strike."
"You know who they are?" Eragon asked , bewildered.
The tense moment suddenly ended when a sharp "SEIZE THEM!" cut thorough the air. All at once it seemed like time had returned as the soldiers rushed forward at the rangers. Eragon tired to warn them but before the words could leave his mouth they moved.
The soldiers fell as they were hit. Dawin swung his pole-axe up and slammed it back down on the ground while he used it to launch his body forward, feet first, into a soldiers chest and then , still using the momentum, he pulled the axe behind him and struck another man. Irial whipped his weapon around above his head , using the chain to wrap around arms, legs and bodies in order to pull them in closer and gripping the handle of the chine as he slashed for close range attacks. But it was all done in flashes of seconds.
The two smaller ones of the group, the one who did not show their faces, used agility to their advantage. One of them whipped out long daggers from the depths of their clock and skillfully slashed out with them as they took down 2 men twice their size. They then jumped into the air and flipped before slamming the daggers down into another mans shoulder and then kicking his legs out from under him.
The last one fought with a sword. It was thin and slightly curved, and Eragon had the feeling he hand seen it somewhere before. The fighting style of the two unknown rangers also struck something with him. They almost seemed to be dancing around the soldiers.
The ranger with the sword then kicked out their leg and slammed the man aside before blocking a pike and disarming another.
All this time, Eragon had forgotten about the shrinking size of the gap between the gates until they shuddered to a sudden stop and a man came crashing to ground from above.
His head shot up and he saw three more rangers along the tops of the gates as they fought the soldiers who manned the controls. Seconds later another man was thrown to the ground as the two rangers on the right side ran and braced themselves against the large wheel that opened and closed the gate. The single man on the left , a blonde man, did the same on the other side. The gates shuttered as they slowed but did not stop.
"GO!" The smallest ranger, the one with the daggers, turned to Brom and Eragon and waved their arm urgently in the direction of the gates. "We'll hold them back!"
Brom nodded in thanks to them, before digging his heels into Snowfire's side and Eragon quickly followed as they bolted for the ever shirking gap between the gates, which was getting smaller by the second.
Eragon drew on his power without thinking and shouted, " Du grind huildur!"
The gate groaned as they trembled and then ground to a complete stop. Then suddenly behind them they heard a thunder of clattering hooves before three horses pulled up beside them. On their backs were the three hooded ranger , their cloaks streaming out behind them and their trench -coats flapping in the wind.
Together they shot out from the behind Dras-Leona's wall and the instant they were free, Eragon released the gates which shuttered and boomed shut. Eragon instantly swayed from the excepted fatigue but managed to keep riding. Brom watched with concern while the rangers galloped with them.
They kept with them even when reached the outskirts of Dras-Leona as the alarm trumpets sounded behind them. The stopped then they reached Saphira who was waiting by the edge of the city,hidden behind some trees. Her sapphire blue eyes burned as she eyed the rangers.
'Who are they?' She snarled.
"Who are you?" Eragon asked as he dismounted Cadoc and faced the rangers. They looked at him from their horses, but everything up the tip of their noses were still in shadow.
The one on the chestnut mare spoke quickly as their horse pawed at the ground anxiously, No doubt they could feel the danger in the air. "We are not ones you should fear, Dragon Rider. There isn't enough time to explain. Just know that we are on your side." Like everything else about them , something in the ranger's voice sounded familiar and it made Eragon mad that he couldn't remember where from. It was like he should know them and the other two.
Eragon looked at Brom for help, but the old bard just nudged his head in the direction of the anxious Saphira. "Go, rider her." He said curtly. " And this time stay in the air, no matter what happens to me."
"Head south. We'll draw them away from you for as long as we can." The ranger explained.
Then the one on the black mare sighed in an annoyed tone "And stay out of trouble, alright? Cleaning up your messes is not the easiest thing."
Brom turned Snowfire to them as Eragon quickly mounted Saphira. "So we have had guardian angels with us this entire time." His lip quirked up into an amused smirk before he tilted his head forward in respect. "Thank you. We will head south then. Ride hard and Atra du evarinya ono varda, Drottningu."
Eragon didn't quite understand what Brom had said, but the first ranger stiffened as if in surprise before pausing and hesitantly nodded their head as well, "Until next we meet."
They then turned their horses around, but the smallest ranger hesitated a bit before following. They looked over at Eragon, and he could see them bite their lip as if they were debating where they should say what they were thinking or not. They then looked at Brom. "We may not be able to draw them away for long, but we will make sure to give you enough time to put some distance down. "
With that they galloped after their companions across the land.
Brom then turned back to Eragon and Saphira, his voice serious as he grabbed Cadoc's reins and turned them south. "Fly nearby; I don't care if Saphira is seen."
Fun Facts:
Frings - after our fav side character from Tales of the Abyss. ( although he's much more grumpy here . _ . and sounds like Hunter's grandfather XD)
Anna - I was reading Tales of the Symphoina when I wrote that part. XD
Yes, we're tales of fans XP.
NOW Review!! ( and ask those questions!!!)