Chapter 20-Throe
Eragon stared at Lenora with an odd expression. "What do you mean, 'there's going to be a murder?'"
"I saw it in the dream. It was so incredibly clear; it was as if I were there, watching it unfold," Lenora responded, the mist that formed in the crisp air as she spoke reflected in the moonlight. Eridor had lifted his wing off of her once he had felt the effects of the dream in his own mind, and asked Eragon to wake his rider when he had been unable to converse with her due to the mental barriers she reinforced while she slept.
You know better than most that a rider's dreams can become reality Eragon. Perhaps you should ask if you can view the memory of the dream? Saphira suggested.
Eragon repeated the request to the rider. Despite her groggy state from just waking, Lenora's expression took on a look of offense. Where she allowed this emotion to show on her features, she kept hidden that of anxiety, knowing that, even with the great strength of a dragon to fortify her mental walls, Eragon had the larger of the two dragons and could easily search through her memories once inside where Lenora would have no control over the memories he could witness. Despite all he had revealed to her, she refused to place that much trust in him. "That is more than a small request Eragon." Having grown in not only size, but wisdom as well, Eridor had observed the years worth of memories Lenora could not keep contained from a partner of the soul itself, and knew at once why she attempted to deny the offer.
"Why should you be so nervous as to broaden your mind and allow me to see the dream? We could then much more easily determine if it were a premonition or simply a trick of the mind," he stated logically. She tried to think quickly as to what to say that would not seem suspicious but allow her to remain on their good side.
I know you do not wish for your origins to be revealed Lenora, but this could be a matter of life and death. For all we know, this could be a rider's premonition and we are the ones to solve the mystery shrouded in the dream, Eridor reminded her.
I realize there is a certain importance associated with this, but there are other ways to explain to him what I saw. I could just tell him, she said, attempting to avoid such a predicament.
Explaining would not reveal the details I glimpsed when the dream transferred to me after you opened your mind again. They are bound to figure out the truth in a matter of time. However, if you are so concerned, ask Eragon if you can project the memory to him instead of subjecting yourself to his mind.
That would be the only option I see available under the circumstances, Lenora said before turning to Eragon. "Is there a way I could project the dream into your mind?" At his hesitation, she quickly redeemed herself. "I've been under the mutiny of many a cruel mind in my time with the Empire. I would feel more comfortable if I were able to transfer my memories into your mind instead of open myself to yours." It would appear our fellow Shur'tugal doesn't yet trust us, Saphira remarked. Almost as if she were hiding something…
Aye, Eragon replied. She has been more than a little dubious in her time with us. I sense that she holds back information whenever we converse.
Either way, we need to see the memory. As much information as she has provided us with thus far, it would be unwise to trust her completely in such a vulnerable position. I shall shield your mind from everything but the memory. If I sense an attempted breach in the barriers, we should resort to magic for she does not yet know how to shield herself from spells, Saphira responded, sensing an dire importance coming from Eridor's mind.
"Alright, I will open my mind and allow you to plant the dream inside my barriers. You must try to remember every detail of the dream and reconstruct that when you project it otherwise vital information could be lost in the transfer," he said, watching Lenora closely in order to determine whether there were other motives in place. She nodded and closed her eyes in preparation. Seeing nothing to further his suspicion, he did the same and opened his mind to Saphira first. She immediately began constructing mental walls of diamond surrounding everything but the outermost reaches of Eragon's receptive mind which he then reinforced with layers of hard stone.
When they had reached an unspoken completion, Eragon told Lenora aloud that he was ready. Given an ample amount of time to organize her memory, Lenora's mental probe entered his mind. She noticed the extra security they had both created and thought to herself that they were no more trusting of her than she was of them.
Though her entrance had been subtle, Eragon could feel her probe was heavily defended with cruel emerald barbs and something that could cause immense destruction with a few deliberate thrusts of the mind. He was grateful of his close connection with Saphira and their abilities to link themselves so intimately within each other's minds. Without taking more time than necessary, the probe began to shudder and the thorns parted.
Suddenly, his mind filled with the vision of the dream. Upon seeing the many jeweled pillars and artificial light from above, Eragon realized it was an image of Farthen Dûr, in the midst of a coronation from the crown he quickly glimpsed upon a podium with his keen elven eyes. The next detail he noticed, though something not unexpected, still brought a surge of pride for his friend. Orik, the dwarf who had accepted both he and Saphira from the moment they had so ungraciously entered the city of Tronjheim for the first time, stood upon the platform, opposite a row of elder dwarves in front of thousands of viewers. He was dressed handsomely himself in grand robes with ruby accents and large, bulky rings upon several fingers with dwarven runes engraved in the jewels of each. However, when the image moved back and he had a distinct view of an archer that was hidden behind the platforms of spectators, his heart jumped. A mask covered the archer's face and even Saphira's eyes couldn't make out many more details in the darkness beyond that of a lone arrow, pointed toward their friend onstage. As the weapon was loosed, the memory faded and they were left with a foreboding feeling.
When they came out of the dream, Lenora's probe had already pulled back from his mind and she sat, watching them for a reaction. As Eragon opened his eyes once again with a look of great apprehension, she couldn't resist asking.
"What is it? Do you know what it means?"
The rider hesitated, unsure of whether to tell her. Finally coming to a conclusion, he knew that more likely than not, Lenora could prove useful in their later travels and solving this certain anonymity. "Aye…the dwarf is a friend of us. We met him when we first traveled to the Varden a couple years ago. However, I do not know about this archer, and I have not received news of Orik's coronation as King. Had this already happened, we would surely know, were we in Surda or the middle of the Hadarac. I doubt the Varden will quietly tolerate any more assassinations at the hand of the Empire," Eragon replied, his tone growing more vehement as he remembered Murtagh's shameless murder of Hrothgar only a few weeks previously. Noticing this, Lenora became more curious.
"What are we going to do?" Before she had even finished the question, Eragon had stood from her side and picked up his bedroll, shoving it in the packs along with the other supplies they had laid out the night previously for food. His face held a faint look of worry but a fierce determination prevailed. Roran and Katrina had been wakened, and Roran grasped his hammer edgily when he saw Eragon's agitation.
"We travel to Farthen Dûr immediately. We cannot waste time; Orik's life could depend upon us reaching him in time. We can only hope we aren't too late."
--
They soon realized that with four people and horses and only two dragons, the trip would not be as quick as they would have liked. While they could release the horses in order to fly, Saphira was able to carry three comfortably but with supplies she was burdened and could only manage two. Eridor could still only carry one rider and supplies where out of the question. This backed them into a tight corner where they had no other option than to ride by horseback to the mountain or until Eridor experienced another growth spurt, for they were quickly approaching the stretch of desert during which their supplies would prove more vital than ever. They had dismissed the idea of splitting up to allow one of the riders to continue on as Eragon refused to leave his cousin and Katrina behind, and he knew that Lenora would not be readily accepted into the mountain without Eragon being there to support her claims.
Due to this quandary, Eragon had them racing their horses across the land, pushing them to their very limits while Saphira and Eridor were regularly sent ahead to inform them of their location in respect to the Beor Mountains. They were constantly conversing with their riders, scanning for potential shortcuts or places where they would be delayed should they choose a certain route. Despite this desperate race, Eragon still believed Lenora's training to be essential and continued teaching her words from the ancient language throughout the day. By the end of the first day, on the edge of the desert, Eragon didn't show any signs of slowing or allowing the group to rest for the night.
"Eragon, I know this is may be difficult for you, but if we push the horses much further, they will not survive, especially in this heat," Lenora said, wiping the sweat from the back of her neck with a swipe of her hand. "They can only go so long at a time at this pace. If we lose them, we will have no way to arrive in time unless we leave someone behind." As much as Eragon wished to deny her sound explanations, when he looked back at her to respond he noticed that her trained war-horse, the strongest of the mounts, was foaming at the mouth and drenched in a film of sweat. Pulling on the reins to slow his own fatigued horse, he consented.
"Alright, we stop for the night. But no one is sleeping in tomorrow; we must arrive before it is too late. Orik's life could depend on our swiftness," he said, dismounting. "As we are in the desert, there is no better place to stop than where we are now." Roran and Katrina did likewise and began unpacking their supplies, grateful for a respite from the hard riding as neither were used to constant travel. The dragons drifted down from the skies above after their riders informed them of their plans. The horses were un-tacked and Eragon conjured water from the sand for them and the dragons to drink, keeping up the steady flow of magic until both water skins had been refilled as well. After a quick meal and feeding the horses the grasses they had collected before entered the sea of sand, Eragon agreed to stay up and stand guard for the night while the rest fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
--
In the early morning hours, as the sun had barely begun to creep upon the horizon and light the sky with it's incessant burning rays, Eragon was awaken from the meditative state he had fallen into by the thrumming of wings. He quickly checked to make sure both dragons lay sleeping in the sand before him, then cast his eyes to the sky once again. Through the inky blackness only an elf's eyes could penetrate, he saw something that jarred a nerve within him. Anger welled in his soul, growing and manifesting itself in his mind as the creature drew nearer. Awoken by the overwhelming sense of rage that flowed from her rider, Saphira lifted her head. Before she could ask what bothered him, she too caught the movement in the sky and stood suddenly, readying herself to fight. Upon seeing the dragon and rider on the ground, the Lethrblaka let loose its piecing screech, waking the rest of the group.
"How did they find us?" Roran demanded, realizing at once where the sound came from, despite being unable to see anything. He held Katrina close, in whose eyes shone a look of retribution for the treatment she had endured. Roran's expression was that of protection, the willingness to give his life for his lover should the need arise.
"I know not, but there's only two of them now. As Saphira and I are the only ones who can even see them clearly at this point, we will do what we can to hold them off. In the meantime, take whatever measures you can to ensure your own survival. If they happen to get away from us or we are defeated, well, Lenora, I'm sure you and Eridor can finish them," he said while quickly strapping Saphira's saddle to her back and buckling his sword to the magnificent Beloth the Wise, which he and Saphira had been storing power in since they had left Surda. Now completely full, it would prove vital in this fight for the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka were at their strongest in the dark of night and far from water.
Lenora refused to accept such an act of self-sacrifice when there were other options. "You can't just go out and fight them until you die, Eragon. You know you are needed more than any other rider in Alagaësia. Let us help you. You've forgotten that as a rider myself, I can see as well as Eridor when we are one." Eragon turned to her with a dark look in his eyes that even she could see in the dawn. They held a look of strong vengeance that bordered unbalanced. She realized this must be a personal vendetta against the creatures for some crime they must have committed that had affected him deeply. "Lenora, this is not just a fight. These creatures killed my Uncle and I intend to make them pay with their blood," he said, tightening the last strap around Saphira's girth and climbing on her back. The Lethrblaka had approached them and flew in lazy circles above the group. The Ra'zac's hiss reached them upon the ground.
"Ssssso, the dragon hasss hatched," it commented, seeing Eridor on the ground, who growled his disapproval of the creatures. "And it issss large already. Thissss may be a better fight than we imagined, rider."
"This is between you and me, so leave them out of this," Eragon called to the human-like creature above him. "Let's finish this once and for all." At his words, Saphira launched herself from the ground with an angry roar and blew a flame at the Lethrblaka. Though they were able to dodge the attack, the light from the hot flames revealed the Ra'zac to have regrown an appendage where the arm had been severed by Saphira's tail.
"Amazing, isss it not?" the creature taunted, flexing its new muscles. "The King wassss ssso kind assss to regenerate it for me jusssst for thissss purpossse. You are not the only onesss who want revenge, rider." Suddenly, the foot-long blade shot from the creature's arm as its mount dove toward them. Saphira moved to the side so that when Eragon's sword came in contact with the blade, the metal screeched along the length of the blade as it was whisked past harmlessly. The Lethrblaka wheeled around and came at them again, brandishing both blades this time, clicking angrily. Though each side had something to fight for, both the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka had recently lost two of their companions at the hands of the opposition and thus fought fiercely to reclaim their pride. Eragon found that despite the years he had spent loathing these creatures due to their actions, it was true that they actually cared for others of their kind. The rider would have respected their valiant attempts to avenge their fallen companions deaths had they not done the same to him previously.
The creatures came again at them, and as the blades clashed together, the Lethrblaka lashed toward Saphira with its enormous foul beak. Though the fetid breath of the Ra'zac had affected him as a human, Eragon found that it no longer had quite the effect now that he was half-elf. Saphira lurched to the side to avoid a nasty bite, raking her claws against the Lethrblaka where the scars of her previous attacks shone faintly in the growing light. The creature stayed out of reach, two deadly battles between riders and mounts ensuing further. Due to the insistence of each side, the battle was long and closely matched. While the Empire's minions had time to recover and had raw instinct and tactics to defend and fight with, Eragon and Saphira had a size advantage and a more intimate bond that allowed them to counteract any attacks with swift ease and grace. The fight from the ground looked almost like a choreographed dance. However, as the darkness began to seep away with the encroaching dawn, the Ra'zac and Lethrblaka knew the were becoming more disadvantaged. After Eragon lunged toward the creatures without finding purchase with his blade embedded in their flesh, the Lethrblaka used its most effective tactic and once again, Eragon was hindered by his sensitive hearing as his ears felt as if they were on fire from the screech that met them. Saphira began twisting in the air, she too affected by the sound. Although the sound had already manifested itself in her head as a deep and throbbing headache, Lenora knew she had to take action as the Ra'zac took the opportunity and made an advance toward the incapacitated dragon and rider.
Eridor, we must help them! she yelled to her dragon mentally. She knew the sound hurt him as well, but in a desperate time, they had to do what was necessary. Before her, she saw the dragon crouch, holding his head against the ground in an effort to dispel the sound from his own ears. She rose from the ground unsteadily and limped over to him, using his front leg to mount and swing over his back. You can do this Eridor. They are going to die if we don't.
Hold on then, he responded forcibly. It seemed that the noise affected him more than his rider due to his enhanced hearing. He lifted his wings and leaped from the ground, swaying slightly. As she unsheathed her blade, Lenora looked down and could make out the forms of Roran and Katrina on the ground but her gaze broke as Eridor roared and tried to attack the Lethrblaka, ending up brushing past them but Lenora felt the clang of the Ra'zac's blade on her own.
Eridor, can you get around them? I just need to clean shot to the front, she said before realizing the pain that came from his head. She saw tiny drops falling to the earth and noticed the blood that fell from her dragon's ears. Eridor, are you alright? Have you been hurt?
Nay, he said, but that noise affects me greatly. I know not whether I can fly much longer. Lenora's jaw set; she knew what she was about to do was risky but she also knew that without it, they could very well lose to the creatures.
"Tuatha du nuesta," temper the noise, she said carefully, remembering the words Eragon had taught her that day. Instead of the fatigue that normally accompanied the use of magic, Lenora experienced something quite different. Raw agony erupted from her leg and spread through her body like never before. Pain, worse than that from the incident that caused her limp, entered her mind and flooded her thoughts, blinding her and blocking out all sound. As she grasped her leg, she didn't hear the roar from her dragon as he felt some of the pain reach him through their link. Nothing existed but anguish and she couldn't stop the screams that escaped her in a void of tormenting pain that surpassed any suffering Galbatorix had ever put her through before. Then, the blackness stole her from the agony and she knew no more, unable to see whether or not she had made the difference she needed in the fight.
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Review threats are back! laughs evilly No update until I receive at least 7 reviews for this chapter. Ancient language disclaimer: I made up the word for noise, but the others are Paolini's. Thanks to lulu, amber, padfootROX and fresh blood for the reviews and please, if you have an account, sign in so I can reply directly to your reviews and questions.