Chapter Twenty-Five: Risks
Midnight brought silence to the Varden camp. Everyone was enjoying their slumber knowing that the guards on watch would alert them to anything dangerous. The silence of the camp was only disturbed by the sound of patrolling footsteps of the night guard that watched over their sleeping friends; but in the middle of the sleeping army was a large pavilion, whose entrance was guarded by the Nighthawks, Lady Nasuada's personal guard. Inside the pavilion on a bed behind a parting Nasuada starred up at the canvas ceiling above her, unable to join her people in peaceful slumber, though heaven knows she needed it.
But Nasuada simply couldn't empty her mind and lately her mind had been focused entirely on one thing or, more accurately, one person. Since Thorn had joined the Varden Nasuada had spent as much time as possible with the ruby dragon, and at first she told herself that she did it to give some comfort for the clearly distressed dragon; but as time went on Nasuada began to realise that there was a very different reason she spent so much time with Thorn. He was Murtagh's dragon and as such he was as close as Nasuada could get to Murtagh without actually being with him. Murtagh had been all she could think about since Oromis had joined the Varden and talked about freeing him.
Nasuada lay there reflecting on what Oromis had told her that morning, about his trip to The Colosseum to see Proximo and Murtagh. Oromis had said Murtagh was angry with the Varden and had seemed broken. Oromis had been miserable as he had spoken and Nasuada could understand why. Oromis wanted to protect Murtagh and finding him hurt and in pain had caused the elf distress. Along with Eragon, they had tried to think of what to do next but Eragon seemed to think that Murtagh was too stubborn to ask for help but Nasuada disagreed and she knew Oromis did too.
Thinking about what had gone wrong, Nasuada had become certain that Murtagh's words in that cell to Oromis were not the words of a stubborn person but a person who had been abused and hurt so much that he now harboured anger towards a world that had shown him little kindness. Oromis' visit presented Murtagh with an opportunity to vent his anger at the world on someone who wouldn't hurt him for doing so and he had taken it. The more she thought about it the more convinced she was that if she tried talking to Murtagh now that he had vented some of that anger, he would be more receptive to what she had to say. Plus it would give her the chance to see him again.
The hard part Nasuada knew would be convincing the others to let her go to The Colosseum but even if the others refused to help her, she knew that she would go anyway. Murtagh may not have been as stubborn as Eragon believed but Nasuada certainly was.
The following morning Nasuada called Eragon, Saphira, Thorn, Jormunder, Arya, Roran, Queen Islanzadi, Kings Orik and Orrin and Oromis and Glaedr to her pavilion, Elva and Angela also arrived along with the leader of the Urgals. Once everyone was seated around the large table she had for meetings like these, Nasuada took a few deep breaths and gently told them all her plan that she had formed when she should have been sleeping. The occupants of the pavilion listened in astonished silence as their leader spoke, when she had finished it was King Orrin that broke the stunned silence,
"You're mad! You can't just walk into Uru'baen; you'd be arrested as soon as you stepped through the gate!"
"I agree, Nasuada, this plan is madness", said Eragon. Murmurs of agreement followed his words but just as Nasuada was about to defend her plan, someone else did it for her.
"Actually, I don't think it's mad at all, in fact I think its genius", said Elva calmly, her eyes fixed on Nasuada, who gave her a grateful smile.
"I'm surprised you can tell the difference", scoffed King Orrin, but Elva didn't show any signs of having heard the King of Surda and continued,
"Think about it, who's going to look for Nasuada in Uru'baen, when everyone believes she won't go anywhere without her army?"
"The guards at the gate would surely…" Jormunder began but it was Oromis, who cut him off,
"The guards at the gate are waiting for Nasuada to arrive with her army, not all alone. Elva is right no one would think to look for Nasuada entering the capital on her own because as Orrin and Eragon said its madness." Oromis gave Nasuada an encouraging and approving smile and the others disbelieving looks, turned thoughtful. Looking around desperately Jormunder said,
"You can't all actually be considering this, are you, it's a crazy idea!"
"Which is exactly why it might just work; no one expects the unexpected", said Roran. Jormunder looked about to say something when Nasuada stopped him by gently putting a hand on his arm.
"I know you're concerned for my wellbeing, and you want to protect me, but you have to trust me, the way I trust you. I need you to trust me to do what I believe is right. I can do this and I need to know that you believe me, like my father did. He trusted my judgement and I need you to do the same. Please, this is important to me and the Varden as a whole, just believe in me to do something actively useful for once please", said Nasuada, with sincerity and looking Jormunder straight in the eye as she spoke.
"I do trust you and I do believe in you, Nasuada, I always have", Jormunder said quietly, but he raised no more objections.
"You're going to do this no matter what we say aren't you?" asked Arya, looking amused and slightly exasperated. Nasuada simply smiled in response but it was a smile that said yes.
Do you fully understand and accept the risks that come with your plan, Lady Nasuada? Asked Glaedr, Nasuada merely nodded.
"Very well then, if you insist on going ahead with this madness, what can we do to help you in this mad scheme of yours?" asked Queen Islanzadi with a resigned sigh.
Nasuada's smile got bigger, she had won.
By the time they had finished planning, night was falling and it was agreed that Nasuada would go through with her idea the next time Murtagh fought. As her friends filed out of the pavilion after wishing her a goodnight, she noticed that Orik was lingering behind and she got the impression that he had something to say to her, privately. He had been quite all through the meeting, choosing to sit in silence. Nasuada had tried to discern how he felt about her plan but his face had shown no expression or emotion throughout.
Within five minutes they were alone and Orik, still sat in his chair, finally spoke,
"Why are you doing this, Nasuada?" His voice was soft but emotionless.
"I'm doing this to give the Varden a chance of destroying the King. An inside man would give us a massive advantage."
"Are you sure that is why you wish to do this? Are you sure that is the only reason you wish to do this?" Orik asked, putting emphasise on the word only and still using that same soft voice.
"If you have something to say King Orik, I would appreciate it if you just got straight to the point, I have things to do", said Nasuada, irritably, not at all liking where this line of questioning was going.
"Very well, I believe you are doing this because you have feelings for that traitor and you wish to rescue him!" growled Orik, sounding furious and finally looking at Nasuada, rather than down at the table. Nasuada looked back at the dwarf for a few minutes, and though she never lost her calm exterior, internally she was furious.
"You're right, King Orik, I do have feelings for Murtagh and I do wish to rescue him but that is not the only reason I wish to do this. His help really would be invaluable to the Varden's cause and already has. It is thanks to Murtagh that Oromis and Glaedr are still alive and with the Varden, bringing priceless knowledge and help. Thorn has also been an invaluable help, and I would remind you he is Murtagh's dragon", Nasuada said, calmly but with anger creeping into her voice as she spoke.
Yes he is said a deep voice. Both Nasuada and Orik jumped, neither had noticed Thorn still lying in the entrance for the dragons and staring furiously at Orik, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
You say Nasuada wants to rescue Murtagh simply because she has feelings for him and yet, you don't want Murtagh rescued simply because you are angry that he killed your predecessor, but perhaps you would have been happy had he not killed the Dwarf King and killed Nasuada instead. You are being a hypocrite, dwarf and I don't like hypocrites. If Nasuada wants to rescue Murtagh then she has every right to do so, for her plan risks no one's life but her own.
Orik was silent for a moment before stalking out of the pavilion with a sound of annoyance. He wasn't stupid enough to argue with a fire-breathing dragon, which Thorn considered a little disappointing as that dwarf was really starting to annoy him and he would have liked a reason to either eat him or fry him. Nasuada, on the other hand, watched Orik leave with faint amusement before turning to the ruby dragon.
"Thank you, Thorn; I appreciate what you just said."
You are welcome, Nasuada. I didn't like the way he was talking to you; he should show more respect.
Nasuada smiled and after wishing Thorn good night she climbed into bed and, inevitably, thought of Murtagh. Softly speaking into the darkness, she said,
"Good night Murtagh, I'll be seeing you soon. I promise." And with that, for the first time in months, Lady Nasuada drifted off into a dreamless sleep.