Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon or anything associated with the Inheritance Cycle.
Claimer: I, SussieKitten, own this plot and the story. Borrow or steal my plot, my original characters (Aksel or Eragon's kid) or story and I will report you. I also own my version of Saphira/Thorn's human appearances, and the universe and versions of the creatures I use in this story (hydras and chimeras in particular).
Warnings: Slash/Shōnen-ai – meaning mild guy x guy action. Femslash/Shōjo-ai – meaning mild girl x girl action. Swearing or strong language. Supernatural creatures – there will be mainly elves, dragons, vampires and werewolves in this. Mpreg – meaning male pregnancy people! If any of this disturbs you, click on the "back" button. I won't tolerate any flames.
A/N A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and to those that still reads this story.
A huge thanks to my beta Illyric for being there for me.
-Speech.- Eragon/Saphira and Murtagh/Thorn talking to each other mentally.
--
OBSESSION
Part Fourteen; Heartbeat
::February to March::
Thorn only woke up when he felt the magic around the house shift. He let out a soft groan and sat up.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Or rather, good evening. It's midnight," Murtagh drawled.
Thorn cursed and sat up. Twelve hours? He had been asleep for twelve fucking hours?!
"Why the hell did you let me sleep for that long?!"
"You looked so adorable when you slept. I didn't have the heart to wake you," he teased.
Thorn flipped him off. Murtagh sniggered and left the room. Thorn hurriedly put on a pair of pants and walked into the living room. Vanir crocked an eyebrow when he saw his clothes.
"Yeah, whatever. What's going on?" Thorn said and crossed his arms sourly.
"There has been no change since I left, but I still think you should leave as soon as possible," Vanir said seriously. "We don't know when she'll be back."
Thorn saw Murtagh stiffen.
"The next boat out of here leaves in the morning. We'll take that one," the hydra said and mentally started to think about what they had to pack.
Damn, it wasn't as little as he had hoped.
"Are you sure you can be packed by then?" Vanir drawled.
"Sure," Thorn pursed his lips. "You take the kitchen and we'll take our personal stuff."
Thorn turned around and stalked back into the bedroom. He only heard Vanir snort and quietly step into the kitchen. Murtagh, the damn light-footed bastard that he was, stepped in soundlessly.
Thorn found his bag under the bed and started to empty the two drawers he had before putting everything into the bag. The house was leased, he would just have to pay for the rest of the month and let the owners know they were leaving.
He finished folding the clothes when he found that something was missing. Thorn frowned. Where had he left his phone?
"Tag? Do you know where my phone is?"
Murtagh snorted.
"Why should I know?"
Thorn paused. Murtagh was a sucker for details. He should have known. Unless Murtagh wanted to make Thorn think he didn't know because he had done something with it. Thorn shook his head. He was over-thinking it. Murtagh had no one to call; it didn't make sense for him to use it.
"Right," the hydra said finally. "I'll check the living room then."
Murtagh didn't reply.
Thorn glanced around in the room to find the damn thing. Why did it have to be so small?
"Where will you be staying this time?"
Thorn stopped searching underneath the couch cushions and looked up. Vanir was putting down a small cooling bag, though his eyes were firmly fixed on the hydra.
"I'm going to try to find a place closer to the Teller residence," Thorn said and went back to search underneath the last cushion. "In case something happens, I don't want to have to run for ten minutes to get there."
Vanir let out a soft grunt.
"With all the commuting I've been doing, I've thought of finding a temporary place until this mess is over and done with," he drawled.
Thorn paused. He set down the cushion and blinked up at the magician.
"What?" Vanir frowned.
"I'm surprised that you've thought about that, that's all," Thorn said and stood.
And it really was. Vanir hated to socialize, but Thorn had saved him once in the past and he and Murtagh were almost kindred spirits in their hate of the world, so they clicked somehow. Thorn had thought that when they went back, Vanir would drop everything and go back to his cosy cabin in Ceunon.
His face must have mirrored his thoughts, for Vanir's frown turned into a scowl.
"I'm too deep into this now. Someone needs to be here to put Murtagh under if needed be. Teller can't look after the kid and keep Murtagh in place at the same time," Vanir drawled.
"That's it?"
"What else?" Vanir asked with displeasure in his voice.
Thorn just shrugged.
"Your phone is over there, by the way," the magician gestured to Thorn's left before walking back into the kitchen.
Thorn blinked. Sometimes he really wondered if Vanir could read minds. He shook his head and was relieved when he did find his phone resting on the coffee-table, hidden just barely underneath a newspaper.
How it had gotten there, he had no idea. Then again, the last two days had been a huge mess. It was no wonder he was misplacing things. Thorn pocketed the phone and went back to packing.
::OBSESSION::
Eragon watched the chaos evolve around him. While he had been sleeping, Nasuada and Arya had apparently gotten a few things from their apartment and had moved into one of Brom's many guestrooms. Brom had already cleared out one more for Vanir. Eragon was surprised to hear that the magician was staying, especially with them, but Brom had explained that it was best for Vanir to be with them in case Formora showed up. One and a half magicians were better than just an ex-rider with magic.
Eragon had to admit that he didn't like the thought of Murtagh being in the same city as him again. Especially now that he had Ren. If Murtagh somehow found out about Ren, Eragon didn't know what he would do.
His gaze shifted from the soft, but urgent conversation between Brom, Nasuada and Arya to Saphira. Saphira had been quiet when he had woken up. She had brushed off his questions, and that only worried Eragon more. What was going on?
It was around six in the evening that Saphira got the call. The whole room seemed to freeze as she picked up.
"Where are you?"
Eragon bit the nail on his right thumb. Saphira nodded her head and started to twirl a lock of hair around her index finger.
"When will you get here?" she was silent while she listened to Thorn reply. "Do you know where you'll stay?"
Eragon wasn't sure if Saphira's slight frown was a good thing or not. Most likely it wasn't.
"Call me when you get settled. Bye."
"So?" Brom asked when she put the phone down.
"They're on the bus from Teirm to Carvahall now," the hydra sighed. "Thorn isn't sure where they'll stay, but Vanir apparently has a few places they can check out. They'll be in Carvahall around midnight."
Brom nodded sombrely.
Eragon looked away. They were coming. He looked down and stroked Ren's cheek. The toddler was awake and was sucking on his thumb.
"I guess I'll be hiding in my room again," Eragon said softly.
"From whom?"
Eragon wasn't sure who had asked the question, but didn't care.
"From Formora, or whatever her name was, and Murtagh," he replied and looked up.
Saphira shifted in her seat. He sent her a confused look. Saphira just smiled. He became even more confused when Saphira and Brom exchanged looks. He was definitely missing something.
"There's no need for you to hide. As long as you don't step outside, you should be safe," Brom said finally.
Something was seriously off. They wanted him to walk around with Ren when Murtagh was going to be separated by nothing more than a piece of fragile and highly breakable glass?
"What's going on?" he asked with a frown.
"...Murtagh's showing improvement," Saphira said softly. "We think he's past the homicidal stage."
"Otherwise we wouldn't have let him come, obviously," Brom said gruffly.
That couldn't be all.
"What aren't you telling me?" Eragon asked suspiciously.
"Nothing," Brom crocked an eyebrow.
But he wasn't looking at his ex-teacher. Saphira looked up and for a second he saw the flicker of guilt in her eyes.
"...Okay," he muttered.
He would find out the truth later.
::OBSESSION::
They arrived at the cottage just a few minutes past midnight. Thorn had arranged the place over the phone while they had been driving from Teirm to Carvahall. The rental agency had left the keys in the mailbox.
Murtagh could almost not believe that they were going to live legit during the sure-to-be long stay in Carvahall. Granted, he knew they had lived legit on Vroengard, but this was different. They hadn't lived legit since his adolescence had kicked in.
Vanir helped them carry in what little they had. Murtagh already knew that Vanir was going to stay with the others, or 'the bait' as Murtagh liked to call them. But it was indeed truly strange for him to think of Vanir as social. Vanir was anything but social. But there he was; ready and willing to live with almost-strangers just to save one or two people from being maimed by a crazed vampire. It was almost enough to make him wonder if there was something else keeping the magician in the city.
Or maybe it was someone else. Murtagh laughed to himself.
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Thorn asked grumpily.
Murtagh could hardly blame him. The hydra had been up for twenty-four hours already.
"Nothing," Murtagh smirked.
Thorn muttered curses under his breath as he stumbled into the bedroom. They were yet again forced to share rooms, but Murtagh had stopped caring long ago. The only thing that bothered him was the fact that Thorn could wake up while he was having a nightmare. He didn't like to feel vulnerable, particularly when he had an audience.
"Are you going to be good?" Vanir asked sourly.
Murtagh draped himself over the couch. It smelled mouldy. Typical.
"Of course I will. You think so little of me," the smirk widened.
"At least let me get to the manor before you decide to pop in and cause chaos," Vanir sighed.
"Thorn's already phoning his girlfriend to let her know we're here. There's no element of surprise to take advantage of," Murtagh shrugged.
Vanir rolled his eyes.
"Whatever, freak. I'll stop by in a few days," he said, turned around and walked right out of the cottage.
Murtagh tsk'ed softly. He let out a soft yawn before looking around in the room. It looked like a mix between the house at Vroengard and the shack they had taken refuge in during their last visit.
Murtagh lay down and closed his eyes. He couldn't feel a protective shield around the cottage, meaning that Vanir had either forgotten or had already talked to Thorn about leaving it down. It meant that he was free to roam wherever he wished. Thorn had probably hoped he'd only roam when he needed to save Teller and Co's asses, but even Murtagh liked to have fun every once in a while. Of course, the fact that Formora could be close by, maybe even too close by, put a huge damper on his good mood.
The vampire crossed his arms under his head and took a deep breath. He supposed Vanir would have some sort of guard schedule for him when he came back. Murtagh was expected to be the faithful guard dog and look after the nice good people. Murtagh snorted. Granted, he wanted to be there, for more reasons than just one, but something else was bugging him.
Protecting Eragon could be the last thing he did. And so he wanted to make sure he'd live what was rest of his life without any regrets.
::OBSESSION::
Saphira fingered the curtain as she stared aimlessly out of the window. It was close to one in the morning, but she wasn't tired. How could she sleep when all she could think about was this vicious bitch that was after Eragon and Ren? Every fibre in her being screamed to go out there and hunt her down, but she knew she had to stay. Eragon needed her more.
She sighed. There was another reason she couldn't sleep. Murtagh. He and Thorn were back in Carvahall, and even though she knew it was a good thing in the long run, she was worried. Murtagh strange request worried her. He would demand an answer from her soon, and Saphira honestly didn't know what to say. On one hand, how could she deny him his request? But then again, how could she go behind everyone she loved by doing him that favour?
"Why are you up this late?" a tired voice asked her.
Saphira turned around. A very tired Aksel met her eyes. She smiled amusedly.
"I could ask you the same."
"My 'Vanir senses' are tingling," he drawled, apparently awake enough to use quotation marks despite the late hour.
"Oh, so he's near?" Saphira pulled the curtain back in place.
Aksel nodded as he stifled a yawn.
"And when I saw that you were awake, I thought I'd stop by," he said and sat down.
"Not because you wanted to welcome our guest, hm?" she smirked.
Aksel scowled at her, though the blush ruined it.
"Hey, how are you handling this?" Saphira asked with a soft frown. "Murtagh being back and all that..."
"Well, Vanir said he doesn't want to kill me anymore, so..." the blond shrugged awkwardly.
"That doesn't mean that you automatically have to like his presence," Saphira murmured.
"Hell no! I hate it," the chimera shuddered. "He can go and fuck himself for all I care! But...you know, Ren and this whole mess..."
"It's best to have him near."
Aksel nodded.
"Murtagh's not going to court Eragon," Saphira blurted out, not quite sure what had driven her do to just that.
The blond looked thoroughly surprised.
"But he was all 'he's mine, bitches'," Aksel blinked.
"Apparently that's just how far he wants to take the bond," the hydra sighed. "He's signed up to be Eragon's protector, but nothing else."
"That so doesn't make sense."
"In Murtagh's world it does."
Saphira grinned softly. Either someone had let him in without her noticing it, or he had gotten a key before he had gone back to Murtagh and Thorn, for he had entered noiselessly. And the shocked look on Aksel's face would stay on her mind forever.
"Vanir," she said softly.
The magician nodded back. Aksel waved awkwardly. Saphira was tempted to giggle.
"What did you mean by that?" she asked.
Vanir sighed. Beside her, Aksel shifted.
"I'm sure Thorn filled you in on my repressed-procreation theory, which I believe to be the main reason," Vanir drawled. "Then there's the thing that Murtagh doesn't believe he'll make it out of this alive."
"Eh?!"
Saphira shook her head. Aksel never knew how to be subtle. The fact that he was half elf was therefore quite ironic.
"He killed his father when Morzan was at his weakest," Vanir explained. "Kialandi was apparently a lucky shot. He surprised her. Formora is going to be ready for him. Murtagh isn't sure he'll survive his encounter with her. All he's sure of is that if he's going down, then he's going to take her down with him."
Saphira bit her lip. Suddenly Murtagh's request made a lot more sense.
"He hasn't told me this, but it's glaringly obvious," the magician snorted.
"When Thorn said Murtagh wasn't going to court Eragon, I just assumed it was because Murtagh didn't care for him."
Vanir crocked an eyebrow.
"Right now he doesn't, if you exclude his will to fuck him senseless."
Aksel choked. Saphira was tempted to do the same.
"So it's purely sexual to Murtagh?" Saphira asked a little hesitantly.
"Like I said, right now it is," Vanir tsk'ed. "But if Murtagh let himself, he would fall for the kid."
"And it will take a miracle for Eragon to do the same," she sighed.
"I dunno," Aksel muttered.
"What?" she turned to stare at him in shock.
"I mean, he obviously doesn't want Murtagh anywhere near him and Ren, but...he's feeling guilty. You know, for keeping Ren from Murtagh," the chimera shrugged. "I'm just sayin' that if Murtagh showed him a kinder side, maybe..."
"Murtagh doesn't have a kinder side," Vanir drawled.
"He didn't kill me," Aksel objected. "And he didn't kill Eragon either, even though he's had plenty of chances."
"You're defending him?" Saphira blinked.
"I guess so." Aksel grinned sheepishly. "Never thought I'd do it, but...yeah, I guess I am."
Vanir crossed his arms and crocked an eyebrow. Saphira enjoyed the soft blush that brought to Aksel's cheeks.
"I mean, they guy's willing to take down a crazy chick for Eragon's sake. That's gotta give him some points," the blond narrowed his eyes.
"He has wanted to take her down for quite some time," Vanir shrugged.
"I get it. You wanna keep our heads out of the sky, or else he might bite us in the ass when we least expect it."
Saphira watched them interact, feeling more than a little amused. Even though she had something to say herself, she wasn't willing to betray Murtagh like that. He had swallowed his pride enough to ask her of a favour, and even if she wasn't sure if she was going to help him or not, Saphira wasn't going to tell anyone.
"I seriously don't get that dude," Aksel was saying as Saphira tuned back in on the conversation. "I mean, he almost...you know...me because of 'Agon, and he still thinks he just wants to bang his brains out?"
"We already established that, Aksel," Saphira said softly.
"I mean, he wants to bang them out all the time," Aksel snorted. "Derr."
"Never assume, Aksel," the hydra sighed.
"I'm just sayin'..." he pouted.
"It's never that easy with Murtagh," Vanir said gruffly.
"Maybe that's just what he wants ya to believe," Aksel lifted both of his eyebrows.
"And here I thought you didn't want to talk about him," Saphira murmured.
"Well, with Eragon and all that jazz, I kinda have to get used to it," the chimera shrugged. "No time like the present, yeah?"
"Hn," Vanir suddenly frowned. "That reminds me, I need to figure out when he's going to stand guard. During the night would probably be best. That's most likely when she'll strike, too."
"Have you been installed in your room, yet?" Saphira asked, feeling a little ashamed that she had forgotten to ask earlier.
"Yes. Arya let me in and gracefully helped me," Vanir snorted.
Saphira laughed. Gracefully, right. She looked over at Aksel and paused. The blond looked awfully pale. It took a second before it clicked. Ah, he was afraid that Arya might have let something 'accidentally slip'. She looked at him and shook her head. Arya would never do that.
Aksel shrugged sheepishly. Then again, with the female elf, you never knew for sure.
"She'll doubtfully attack tonight. And with all the travelling you've been doing, you should go to sleep," Saphira said kindly.
Vanir nodded. His gaze flickered to Aksel before he turned around and left. Saphira spent the next few minutes trying to smother her giggles as Aksel stalked out of the room in a huff, though the blush was still lighting up his face quite nicely.
::OBSESSION::
Eragon was scowling as he fed Ren. When he had gotten up that morning, he had nearly gotten a heart-attack. He had walked into the kitchen and had set down the baby basket, Ren cooing slightly inside of it. When he had then walked to get a bottle of milk out of the fridge, he had seen a dark figure at the kitchen-table and had jolted. The bottle had fallen from his hand, but before he could scream 'vampire', Arya had glided in and said hello to Vanir.
Vanir. Damn dark haired magician. Eragon's scowl deepened. Arya had spent the following ten minutes laughing quietly at him. He could have survived that, hadn't Aksel stumbled in and asked what was going on. It was now an hour later and Aksel still wouldn't stop laughing.
"Leave him alone, Aksel," Saphira sighed. "We should have reacted if Eragon had run up and kissed Vanir on the mouth because he thought it was our favourite vampire. Jumping is the right way for him to react."
Eragon gave Saphira a relieved smile. She winked back.
Aksel smothered his last chuckle and shrugged. Saphira narrowed her eyes at him minutely. Apparently that had meant something else, because Aksel suddenly zipped his mouth shut and looked away. Eragon didn't know what to think of his friends anymore. He didn't know who wasn't keeping anything from him anymore.
"Where are they stationed?" Brom asked gruffly.
Eragon put down the bottle and lifted Ren up to lay against his chest, Ren's head over his shoulder. Then Eragon started to rock him softly.
Vanir seemed to wake up from his slight trance. Eragon blinked when he noticed that Vanir's eyes faded from aqua to ice-blue. The magician must have been doing something magical.
"About five minutes away on foot," Vanir replied. "That's approximately sixty seconds away if they run."
The brunet shuddered. That was a double-edged blade if he had ever heard of one.
Brom nodded gravely. Eragon met Saphira's eyes. He couldn't blame her for looking alarmed and happy at once.
"And when will he be...patrolling?" Brom asked, obviously feeling a little hesitant about what word to use.
"From six PM to six AM," Vanir crossed his arms. "I clarified it with them by phone earlier this morning. He'll be starting tonight."
"He'll be here every night?" Saphira frowned.
Arya did not look pleased. Nasuada laid a hand on her arms and murmured something in the elf's ear. Arya murmured something back, but didn't look comforted at all.
"He insists upon it," the magician drawled.
Eragon hugged Ren closer to him. The baby finally burped, and Eragon swiftly wiped his mouth before putting him down into his basket.
"So he'll just be here until this other demon is gone?" Arya asked sourly.
Eragon felt himself stiffen. He wasn't quite sure why.
"Arya," Nasuada scolded.
"It's what he is!"
"Just cos he attacked me, sis? Give him a chance," Aksel said uncharacteristically sombre.
"Who are you and what have done with my brother?" Arya breathed.
"He's growin' up, I suppose. Just, just give him a chance."
Eragon sat down so he could keep an eye on his son and one on the conversation.
"What's going on?" Arya asked, her mouth looking uncharacteristically thin. "Is this because of -?"
"No!" Aksel interrupted. "No. I just think that there's more to this."
"Brom, what's going on here?" the female elf nearly hissed. "What don't I know? What doesn't Eragon know?!"
Eragon stiffened. He had tried not to partake in the conversation, and to suddenly feel everyone's eyes on him made him feel uncomfortable.
Brom cleared his throat. Eragon felt himself sag in relief when everyone turned their attention to the old man.
"Murtagh is past the homicidal stage, as Eragon should already know," Brom folded his hands before he continued. "What he doesn't know is that Murtagh is way past that stage."
His heart skipped a beat.
"What?" Arya hissed.
"Saphira informed me of the conversation that took place upon Vanir's arrival, and I find myself agreeing," the older man's eyes narrowed. "It's time that you all know what's going on, even if those people are just Arya, Nasuada and Eragon."
Eragon sucked in a breath. It hurt.
"Murtagh has sworn not to harm anyone but Formora."
Had he been standing, he would have stumbled in shock.
"He has also informed Vanir and Thorn of his intentions with Eragon, and they believe him," Brom pursed his lips. "He will not be courting you, boy."
"What?" Eragon choked.
"He thinks he won't live to see the end of this battle, therefore he won't make a formal claim on you," Vanir clarified.
Eragon couldn't believe what he was hearing. He also couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. He had been so consumed by the thought that if Murtagh found out about Ren and their bond, they'd be dead. He had never thought to wonder what would happen if he didn't want to kill them when he found out.
"So he moved from suicidal and homicidal to just suicidal?" Eragon asked meekly, not really sure why he was talking.
"Something like that," Brom nodded.
Arya sat down slowly. Eragon watched blankly as Nasuada spoke quietly to her. Arya shook her head mutely. Vanir's lips were thin as he stared at the wall. Aksel looked a little confused while Brom was watching everyone with a look of understanding.
Saphira padded over to him. She smiled sadly.
"I don't understand," Eragon whispered.
"I don't either," Arya spoke up. "I never cared about the vampire, but now I find myself wishing to know his reasons. He's giving up. Why?"
"Everyone always called him the most dangerous vampire of the present time. No one ever said he was the strongest," Brom spoke sombrely. "True, he has the genes on his side, but Formora has the element of surprise and strength on hers."
"And mating is not the same for vampires and elves," Vanir looked almost piercingly at Arya. "Elves as a specie cannot imagine not being with their other half. Vampires live to hate their mate. Of course, the ones that do come over that ridiculous state of mind want to be with their other half. Murtagh is not quite there yet, and he refuses to get there. He thinks he's going to die, so why start living now?"
"That's bullshit!" Aksel spluttered.
"Didn't you get me last night?" Vanir drawled.
"Sure I did, but not to that extent," Aksel frowned. "That's why he doesn't wanna...?"
Vanir nodded.
Saphira forced Eragon to meet her gaze.
-I'm sorry we didn't tell you earlier, but we only just found out his reasons last night.-
-But, I don't...-
-We don't completely understand either, Eragon. But in case things did go badly, we didn't want to tell you,- Saphira said sadly.
-This is what you've been keeping from me. Just this?- he asked.
Saphira nodded.
"It would have been better if you just told me," he said and stood. "I-I need to lie down."
He grabbed Ren and stumbled out of the room before anyone could stop him. He clenched his teeth together and tried to keep his feelings at bay. He couldn't understand why he was feeling so upset. It was good news, in a way.
Then why the fuck was he feeling so upset?
::OBSESSION::
The night had fallen. Eragon had only come out of his room to eat or feed Ren. Saphira hadn't stopped blaming herself since he had left.
She had lied to him, but there was nothing else she could do. No one else knew of Murtagh's phone call, and no one else could. This was her burden and hers alone. Not even Thorn could find out. And she needed to tell Murtagh her answer soon. She had finally made up her mind.
Saphira looked at the other people that were seated in the living room with her. Arya and Vanir had been locked in a quiet conversation for the past three hours. She couldn't blame Arya for being confused. Her whole world revolved around Nasuada. She couldn't understand why it wasn't the same for Murtagh.
If she had had a mate, Saphira supposed she would have been unable to understand it herself. But there was no one else that could explain it as well as Vanir could. He knew Murtagh, after all.
Nasuada was due back from work soon. Even though they had unofficially moved into Brom's house, they still had to go to work. Brom had come back a half hour ago, and had been seated by her side since. He wanted to see Murtagh when he came, for different reasons than her own. Or at least, so Saphira hoped.
Aksel had wandered off somewhere, and Saphira wasn't sure where he had ended up. Most likely he was either in his room or with Eragon.
Saphira sighed and went back to look out of the glass doors. Brom had pulled the curtains aside when he had gotten back. He literally wanted to see Murtagh arrive. Saphira stiffened when the clock struck six behind them. Arya and Vanir continued to talk quietly in Andelan, but she and Brom sat up straight.
She saw him the second he arrived. Had she blinked, she would have missed him run across the lawn and leap up to sit down on the railing. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eye before glaring back into the night.
"He has arrived," Vanir piped up suddenly.
Due to the force-field he and Brom had laid around the house earlier that day, Saphira didn't bother to question how he knew. It was obvious. The shield wasn't simply meant to keep certain people out, but to recognize them as well.
Brom stood and threw the doors open. Saphira shivered slightly as the cold air seeped into the room. She padded out after him.
"Will you hold your promise?" Brom asked roughly.
Murtagh shifted and turned his head. Saphira wasn't sure why his startling hazel eyes scared her so.
"I will."
Brom nodded and stalked back inside. Saphira met his gaze as he walked past her. She moved to close the doors when Murtagh suddenly looked at her. Later, she mouthed and closed the doors. Murtagh didn't even blink as he turned away again.
Saphira spent the next four hours staring into the distance. During this time, Arya and Vanir had somehow come to an agreement and Nasuada had dragged her to bed. Vanir had walked out shortly after them. Aksel had shown up, proclaiming that Eragon felt a little better, but that he was still confused. Saphira made a note to check up on him later. Then the chimera had wandered off again. Brom was the last to leave. He had given her a sharp look, though she wasn't sure what it meant. Then she had been alone.
Saphira took a deep breath and stood. She pulled on the thick sweater she had brought out from her room and walked out onto the terrace.
Murtagh sat in the same spot. Saphira closed the doors behind her softly. That was when she noticed how lightly dressed he was. There was no jacket to protect him from the cold, no gloves or cap to protect his fingers or ears. And yet there was no shiver. Hadn't she known better, she could have mistaken him for a statue.
"So?" he drawled.
The hydra narrowed her eyes. Murtagh grasped onto one of the pillars holding up the roof over the terrace and jumped down.
"It's not an easy thing you're asking of me," Saphira said coldly.
Murtagh slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned onto the pillar.
"I know," he said simply.
"Either I deny you one of your basic rights, or I betray my friends and family," she shook her head. "Though I understand why you asked me. Anyone else would have turned you down in a heartbeat."
Murtagh didn't even blink.
"Vanir...he told us something earlier."
"I figured he might," Murtagh tilted his head.
"You're not going to court Eragon, and yet you ask this of me?" Saphira breathed. "I don't get you."
He didn't comment.
"Do you really think that you won't survive the fight with her?" Saphira found herself asking.
Murtagh's lips thinned.
"It's a possibility."
"Is that why...?" she trailed off.
"Does it matter?" he scoffed. "Will you do it or not?"
Saphira bit her lip. She looked away, her eyes scanning the living room behind her. It was still empty.
"I..." she sighed and turned to face him head on. "I will. I don't understand your reasons or your motivation, but I will."
Something flickered in his eyes, but it was gone too fast for her to make out what it had been. He gave her a quick nod before looking back out into the night.
Saphira turned around and walked back inside. As she closed the doors, she told herself that she was doing the right thing. Even if she was betraying Eragon's wishes, she was doing the right thing. Who was she to deny a father's simple wish to hold his own child?
::OBSESSION::
Eragon had not slept well that night. He had woken up in the morning, scared to death that Murtagh had killed Ren and was coming for him next. Needless to say, he had spent ten minutes holding Ren tightly to his chest before he had been able to calm down.
It wasn't until an hour after he had woken up that he dared to walk outside. Ren's fussing also pushed him to get his ass out of the room and find some food.
"There you are," Saphira smiled at him as he entered the kitchen. "We were wondering when you were going to show yourself."
Eragon just shrugged. He got a bottle out of the fridge and put it onto the counter.
"Let me," Saphira sighed and ushered him towards the chairs. "You look like you've been through hell."
He didn't protest as Saphira found a pot, poured water into it and turned the stove on. She then leaned against the counter, narrowing her eyes calculatingly at him.
"What's up?"
Eragon held Ren against his shoulder and rubbed the toddler's back softly. Ren was hungry alright.
"Nothing. I just had a bad dream," Eragon gave a half-smile.
Saphira's eyes narrowed even further.
"Murtagh?"
He shrugged in answer. They both knew that the vampire was the only thing he had nightmares about.
"He's here for your sake," she said softly. "To protect you two."
Eragon sighed. He froze when he thought back to what she had said. You two? Saphira's eyes flew wide open when she realised what she had said too.
"He knows?" Eragon hissed.
Saphira practically jumped over the four steps that were separating them and grasped the shoulder Ren wasn't cradled against.
"He found out on his own. No one told him," she whispered urgently.
"How?!"
"The hospital records are online, and apparently he has some hacker skills," the hydra explained quietly.
"Fa-" Eragon cut himself off.
He was not going to curse in front of his own son.
"Focus, Eragon. You know he isn't going to do anything to harm you or to get close to you," the blue haired girl bit her lip.
"This is what you've been hiding from me?!" he hissed accusingly.
"We didn't want to alarm you," Saphira gazed at him sadly.
"Didn't want to -?!" he spluttered.
"You can't leave anymore, you know that. And Murtagh has no intention of ever getting close to you or Ren," somehow saying this seemed to sadden her even more. "Just don't freak out and let him protect you."
"I should go out there and beat him to pulp!"
Saphira gently took Ren from him and put him down in the baby basket. Then she walked back to the stove, turned the heater down and put the bottle into the water.
"You should have done so the second time you met him. You should do so now, even. But he's here on his own account to make sure no harm is inflicted upon you," she turned to face him again. "I'm not saying that I like him or have forgiven him, but...if he's willing to protect you when I possibly cannot, then I'm willing to let him."
Eragon stared at her in surprise. She didn't think she could face a vampire and take them down? But hadn't she always said -?
"I know that I've always said that if it came to it, I would protect you with my life," Saphira bit her lip. "I'm still willing to do that. But things have changed. You have a mate now. Therefore my job is to be his backup."
"But Saphira -" he breathed.
"Should he turn on you, I will kill him in a heartbeat," she said firmly. "But until he does that, I'm going to let him do his job."
"We're not mates!" he protested.
"Not formally, no," she shook her head. "But you are bonded. He can only feed from you, only have children with you. The only thing that's missing is for him to formally claim you. But we both know that's not going to happen."
"Only have children with me?!" Eragon choked.
Saphira smiled sadly.
"He can only have human children with you. If I were to guess, if this had been a less messed up situation, he'd only want to have kids with you. Murtagh is completely unwilling to continue his vampiric bloodline. If he wanted to be a father, you would be his only chance."
Eragon blinked. That made sense. But why was she bringing that up? Well, technically he had brought it up, but...
Saphira suddenly turned around and pulled the bottle out of the water. She let a few drops of milk fall onto her forearm and nodded.
"Here. Now feed the little tyke."
Eragon took the bottle. He lifted Ren into his arms and put the tip to his son's mouth. He smiled when Ren started to suck.
"I know you hate him," Eragon looked up at Saphira's words. "But please, just let him protect you."
Eragon sighed. He guessed he had no other choice.
::OBSESSION::
It had been two weeks, and still the bitch hadn't returned. Murtagh glared out into the dark March night. It was typical that he would be wasting his time babysitting the good guys.
Murtagh sat on his favourite spot, leaning against one of the pillars while he sat on the railing. One of his legs was perched on top of the railing while the other hung limply. He crossed his arms and shifted into a more comfortable position.
Despite it now being March, it was still snowing and cold; not that he could feel the cold. The jacket he wore was for show only. He wore boots simply because they would give him leverage should Formora decide to show up. If he got in a kick; it would send her further back, if he needed to run; he would have a better grip on the ground and get more speed.
He had to admit that it was boring to sit there for twelve hours straight. He walked around the house every hour, so he didn't sit completely still the entire time. It was boring nonetheless.
He tipped his head back and sighed. He thought back to his conversation with Saphira. He was shocked that she had agreed. She probably thought it was his dying wish or something. While it kind of was, he hated to be pitied.
His ear twitched when he heard Thorn's familiar laugh. Thorn had been spending a lot of time with Saphira, and Murtagh didn't really want to know what they were doing. Even though he knew it was too soon for them to be fucking, seeing as Thorn actually was a gentleman, he didn't want to know. They were happy with their soon-to-be mates, and that was more than he wanted to know.
Murtagh searched the rest of the house. The hydras were in the living room with the old man and someone else. It felt like a magician, but it wasn't Vanir. Strange. The female elf and her mate were in what Murtagh presumed to be their room. The chimera was with Eragon of all people. And with Eragon was Ren; their son. Vanir wasn't present. Murtagh checked the skies. A full moon looked back at him. Vanir was probably out getting a few herbs, either by collecting them himself or buying them.
-Are you bored yet?-
Murtagh groaned out loud. Why couldn't Thorn leave him alone?
-Yes, I am. Now go away.-
-Are you sure you wouldn't like some company?- Thorn drawled.
-I am very, very sure,- Murtagh replied likewise.
When the door opened two seconds later, he had to force himself not to groan and snap at Thorn.
"I wanted to check on you."
But it wasn't Thorn. Murtagh turned his head around and crocked an eyebrow at his visitor.
"I've been thinking, and I think I know when I can pull it off," Saphira said softly. "Aksel has been seeking advice from Eragon a lot, so tomorrow I offered to take Ren for a while. Brom has a late meeting at the college and Vanir said he wouldn't be back for another two days. I'll let you in when it's time."
Already?
"Thorn even has some errands to run, and Arya and Nasuada both need to work late. Tomorrow is the only day I think it'll work. I realise it's very sudden, but -"
"Tomorrow's fine," he interrupted.
Saphira closed her mouth. She nodded and her hands tightened their grip around the blanket she was carrying.
"I know you can't feel the cold, but I needed an excuse to step outside," she shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow."
He nodded. Saphira nodded back and slipped back inside.
Murtagh shifted back into his earlier position and gazed back into the night. Had there been someone there to witness it, they might have caught the hint of a smile grazing his lips before it was gone.
::OBSESSION::
Murtagh arrived at six, but did not sit down in his usual place. He rather found a spot where it could look like he was scouting when he really was watching the happenings inside the living room.
Brom was already gone, and Vanir hadn't come back yet. Thorn had arrived with Murtagh and was now talking quietly with Saphira. Arya and Nasuada, though Murtagh didn't know which female carried which name, had left the room the minute Thorn had arrived. The chimera had nearly stumbled upon the scene, but had turned on his heel and had left again.
Murtagh was getting tired of watching them, but he needed to know when it was time. He looked away when Thorn leaned down. He was not in the mood to watch them swap saliva.
He felt more than he saw Thorn leave. Murtagh knew he wouldn't be gone long and looked back. The chimera had come back and was talking nervously with Saphira. He seemed to be rubbing the back of his neck a lot. Something was obviously making him nervous, and Murtagh doubted it was because he was close by.
Murtagh felt Eragon come closer, and he obviously had Ren with him, judging by the smaller beating heart next to Eragon's. He slipped out of view.
It had been ages since Murtagh had seen Eragon. Even when he had started to guard the house, he hadn't laid eyes on the brunet. It wasn't that he was afraid of Eragon, far from it. He just didn't want to look at him. Nothing was going to happen between them, and he was giving into the bond enough by asking to hold their son. That was as far as he was going to go. Eragon hated him, he hated Eragon...it all added up.
He was so lost in his own thoughts that he nearly jumped when someone spoke his name. He looked up.
"Are you coming?" Saphira murmured.
Murtagh nodded. She held the door open for him as he slipped inside.
It felt really weird to be inside Brom Teller's home. It felt weird to be inside a home, period. The places he had lived in before couldn't be called homes; they were temporary sleeping locations. Vanir's house was just a house, a place where the magician worked and slept in. That didn't feel like a home either. Teller's place did, even if he too had lived alone most of his life.
He thought he heard Saphira speak, but couldn't hear what she was saying. His eyes were drinking in the room. He could see the kitchen and the two doors that separated the two 'wings' of the house. The door to Murtagh's right was only partially closed.
Murtagh turned back to look at the female hydra when his eyes caught look of something else. He froze. It was a painting of his father. What was that doing in Teller's home? In his living room of all places?
Maybe his theory of what had gone on between his father and Teller hadn't been so far off?
"Murtagh!"
He blinked. He looked at her and crocked an eyebrow.
"We don't have much time," Saphira said sternly. "Do you want to do this or not?"
Murtagh just nodded his head. Saphira narrowed her eyes and bent down. Murtagh hadn't even noticed they had moved over to the couches. The painting was staring straight at him from the other side of the room. For a split second he wondered if Teller had a painting of him too.
"Here he is."
Murtagh shook himself back to the present. He looked back at Saphira and froze for the second time that day. There, in Saphira's arms, lay his son. The dream flashed before his eyes. The same dark brown eyes, Eragon's eyes, and the few strands of dark hair that Murtagh knew would grow long and slightly curly. It was the same boy.
"Hold out your arms," Saphira instructed.
Murtagh did so.
"No, like you're cradling something," she shook her head.
Murtagh did as told. He felt like a bloody idiot when he did it too. Saphira nodded and motioned for him to lift his arms slightly. He scowled, but complied. Then she smiled and laid the baby in his arms.
Murtagh blinked. Ren was awake and was staring up at him unblinkingly. He had thought children at his age couldn't focus their eyes that well. The toddler blinked and made a gurgling sound. Apparently this was a good thing, because Saphira let out a relieved breath.
"You need to support his head more."
The vampire glared at her, but did as told. Ren smacked his mouth and made another gurgling sound. Murtagh looked down and to his surprise could feel his glare softening. It was a very unsettling feeling.
"I think he likes you," Saphira murmured.
"Hn."
While that was a relief, it didn't exactly sit well with him. Ren was going to grow up without his father, so in theory it would have been better if the toddler had hated him. It would have been easier to walk away.
Murtagh snorted. He made it sound like he was abandoning the kid when he was just going out to possibly die. Alright, so maybe it was the same. But that didn't explain why it felt weird. It almost felt like he didn't want to leave, which was ridiculous. He didn't want a family, and he certainly didn't want kids. He was relieved that Eragon wanted nothing to do with him.
He winced at a sudden tugging sensation. He glared down and found himself staring into Ren's eyes. The toddler had gotten a good grip on his hair and was tugging at it. Murtagh scowled.
"He likes to do that," Saphira commented.
"Well, he can stop doing it now," Murtagh's scowl deepened.
Saphira smiled sheepishly. Murtagh uncurled Ren's fingers from his hair and gave him back to Saphira. Then everything fell apart.
"What's he doing here?!"
Murtagh closed his eyes and cursed.
A/N Ok, show of hands; how many of you hate me and/or want to kill me for giving you two cliffies in a row? :sweatdrop:
But give me some praise, eh? I actually updated rather quickly this time around. That's mostly because if I had waited for the month to pass, I wouldn't be able to update. You see, I'm going to England in a few short days. So if any of you guys are from England or even London, this is your chance to run out into London's streets and get a glimpse of the ever elusive creature called SK. Like my profile says, I will be there from the 20th to the 24th of November. Just run around and shout "SK!". I'm sure people will stare at you, but remember, if you see a girl running in the other direction, then you have spotted me. Hehe.
Anyway, back to the subject.
When I come home, I'll be fretting over my upcoming exams. If you had to have my exams, you'd fret too, seriously. :shudders: So don't expect an update from me before the 10th of December. Then my exams will be over and I'll hopefully have regained some of my sanity. If I'm up for it, I'll post in late November. This is a big if, so don't count on it. But if I do post then, it won't be for Obsession. I have a new story that I've been meaning to post for some time, even though it's incomplete, and a little treat for if you are a fan of a klutzy Eragon. But like I said, this is a big if. So bear with me and don't kill me if I don't post anything before, say, the 14th of December. I still love you guys.
Anyway, thank you for reading. That's all for now.