Pale Hope

By Namine3419

Chapter Twenty-Six: To The Spine

Reviewers: Omg, I am soooooooo sorry it took me so long to update; I've had the worst writer's block! But, well, hopefully I am cured, and you should have another chapter within three to four days. I really hope you guys are still reading this, and I'm, again, extremely sorry for taking so long. Well, if you're still reading I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review (mainly so I know that you guys haven't given up on me).

It was nightfall by the time everyone returned to the Dragon Wing. Elaina flew directly to the boat on Thorn's back, Murtagh resting between her arms. He blushed the whole way, and wouldn't look anyone in the face. As Lian went by laughing, Elaina asked him what the problem was. He wouldn't answer, but Thorn told her he was embarrassed that she had led Thorn instead of him. She laughed, and then helped him find his way below deck.

Jeod had insisted on investigating the island further, for historical purposes. The old man quickly changed his mind, however, for his face turned pale as he looked amongst the many bones that littered the desolate landscape. The crew walked about on cautious feet as they went further into the isle, making sure to avoid any life detected. The downcast sky made the mood all the more depressing, however the men still trudged through the hills and swampy areas, trying to reach the treasure-hold of a library. Eragon laughed as he watched, man by man, the historical side of the library disappear into naked bookshelves. Roran, standing beside Jeod, scratched his chin, "Won't the boat be a lot slower with all that extra weight?"

"Nonsense! That ship can hold these little novels!" A smile that seemed to brighten the whole room emitted from his face, "Just think of it; all the history of our home that Galbatorix would have us ignorant of, once again on Alagesian shores!"

"Roran might have a point," Eragon leapt from the second-story platform, landing like a cat in front of the old man, "it could slow us. I don't want to loose anymore time, and with us so close to Carvahall, Galbatorix might've already sent soldiers to patrol the nearby coasts."

Jeod cursed, "But think of the possibilities!"

"And think of the dangers; what if we are, by some chance, overtaken?" Eragon smiled sadly, "All those books would be burned or sunk with the ship."

Defeated, Jeod sighed, slouching his shoulders. Quickly, he turned around, "Put those books back, boys!" His shouting echoed through the empty halls, "We'll come back for them another day."

As the old man walked out of the room, Roran following closely behind, Eragon rolled his eyes and picked up a nearby book that had been carelessly discarded, "Maybe one won't hurt." With a smile, he rushed out after them, tucking the volume under his shirt.

Dragon Wing

Murtagh sat in his bunk, resting his back against the cool headboard, sipping on a glass of water. His strength had yet to fully be restored, but he didn't mind so much; he'd had enough adventure for a while. He smiled contently as the cool liquid slid gently down his throat, soothing the irritated skin. It had been hard for him to speak, as his voice had practically disappeared from all his screaming. His eyes slowly grew heavier and heavier, and he never realized that he'd closed his eyes. . .

"Hey!" Murtagh shot up, almost hitting his head on the bottom of Eragon's bunk. Elaina had to restrain herself from laughing, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was wondering if you were hungry; I don't want to go to the dining room alone."

He stretched, shaking his head in an attempt to shake away the sleep from his eyes, "Alright," he yawned, "have Eragon and the others returned yet?"

"Yes," she laughed, "Jeod was so disappointed that we didn't take any of the books with us." She walked over to him and helped him out of the bed, "It's a good thing Eragon brought one book with him, or else that poor old man would've been sulking for the rest of the trip."

"Was he acting," Murtagh paused, searching for the right thing to say, "strange to you? He's been avoiding me since, well," he sighed, "since I awoke."

She shrugged, "You almost died, Murtagh. That was a very frightening experience," Elaina hid her face, her voice quiet, "for all of us."

Murtagh smiled, Come now, don't be like that," he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear, "I'm fine now, so there's nothing to worry about. Now," he laughed, patting his stomach, "let's get something to eat; I'm starving." Elaina shook hear head, then followed him out the door.

It had taken a few more hours than needed to leave the isle of Doru Areaba. The ship had gotten stuck on many scattered sandbanks, the dragons having to help push the vessel free once more. Thorn had been particularly aggravated with one stubborn sand dune, and dove underneath the boat to dig the ship out. When he resurfaced, sand was stuck in between his scales, making him even more aggravated because they made him itch. Saphira rolled her eyes, trying to help him remove the annoying little particles.

The night was pleasant, though everyone knew they were nearing the end of their journey. The air grew colder, the current changed, and the ship now headed eastward instead of north. Within a few hours of the next day, they could see the tops of the foreboding mountain range that was the Spine. Eragon would watch for hours as the ship slowly grew closer and closer to the jagged peaks. Murtagh watched him for a while, and then decided to ask him what was wrong. He walked a little past him, resting crossed arms on the siding of the ship, "Are you alright?"

"Hm?" He blinked, coming out of a daze, "Oh, yes. I was just thinking." A sad smile crossed his face, "I've never seen the Spine from this angle." The wind tossed his hair, "This will be the first time I've seen my home in two years."

"Scared?" He crossed his arms, staring at the looming peaks in the distance. They looked like shark's teeth, jetting up from the ground to devour the sky. He shook as a chill went up his own spine, "There are many stories about the Spine. None of which have a happy ending."

Some of his brother's usual happiness returned to him, and he grinned, "Those are stories, Murtagh. I've been hunting in the Spine for as long as I can remember." He clapped a hand on his shoulder, "As long as we stay together, we'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," he joked, "it would be horrible to suffer through this ocean to die in a mountain." There was a nervous note in his laugh; Eragon raised an eyebrow.

The rest of the day was nothing but preparations. They'd sent out smaller life boats to see how far the nearest shore was, making sure that there were no sandbanks or coral reefs that would damage the Dragon Wing. Garrow had pleaded with Jeod and Roran to swim ahead and help, but they'd refused. He ended up sneaking out with Thorn, only to later receive a scolding from both Saphira and his Rider (Thorn thought it was hilarious).

Katrina helped Elaina with packing up clothes, food, blankets, and all the other essentials that the tiny group would need. The red-head wiped her brow, sighing, "Can you ask Orik what he needs?"

Elaina stiffened, "Me?" She pointed a finger to her face, "You want me to ask him? Doesn't he hate me?"

"He hates Murtagh, not you," she laughed, "now, go and ask him. I'm not sure what dwarfs need to survive."

She groaned, then sombered out of the room, looking for the tiny dwarf. To tell the truth, she really only wanted to find Murtagh; he'd looked pale today. She knew she was probably driving him mad with all her worrying, but ever since she'd met him, he'd seemed to get into trouble. Elaina sighed, twittling her fingers, "Maybe I should've stayed behind. . ."

"He would've gone mad," Lian rounded a corner, a brown sack slung over his shoulder, "what're you doing?"

"Have you seen Orik?" She asked, a frustrated smile on her face, "I'm not sure where he is, and we need to know what he wants to bring."

With his free hand he scratched his chin, "Well, the last time I saw him he was down in the cellar, praying for his fallen comrades. Oh!" A bright smile spread across his face, "I remember now; I was looking for you. Arya wants to talk to you." He frowned, readjusting the bag on his shoulder, "She sounded urgent; is everything alright?"

"Um. . ." At that moment, she saw a tiny figure appear behind him. She sighed in relief, calling out, "Excuse me, Orik?!" The dwarf turned, squinting his eyes to see who it was. He laughed once when he realized who it was and waved; Elaina frowned, turning back to Lian, "I'll tell you later. I have to go now."

"Alright, keep your secrets." He smiled mischievously, "I've got things to do too."

"I'm really sorry!" She cried as she ran towards the dwarf, glad that he'd decided to wait on her.

Orik, laughing as she took in deep breaths, asked, "What is it lass? I've not known you to hold an audience with me." He rubbed his beard, eyeing her darkly, "This doesn't have anything to do with that . . . monster does it?"

"He's not a--" Elaina closed her mouth, taking a deep breath, "No, it doesn't. Katrina needs to know what you need packed."

"I'm leaving with the ship, so don't worry about it." He saw the surprise on her face, "More then half of my kindred have died on this ship; it is my responsibility to see them home." Orik laughed heartily, "And besides, if I stayed, I would've ended up killing that beast of yours anyway." He began to walk away, "Keep him on a short leash now, least he bite someone." He hurried away, avoiding Elaina's scowls.

"You better hope I don't bite someone," she mumbled, storming above deck. Anyone who came into her path shrank away quickly from her anger, afraid that her wrath would fall upon them. She reached the end of the ship, sighed, and leaned over the side of the ship. Her hair caught the wind and she pulled the locks back behind her ear. She smiled despite herself; it was a beautiful day. The sun was high into the afternoon sky, and a cool breeze wafting pleasantly by. It was the perfect type of day to go exploring in the mountains. She could see the not-so-far off land that grew closer and closer with each gust of wind. A small smile spread across her face, "Hi Thorn."

Are you getting excited? She nodded, me too. I can't wait to get out of this water, a sense of cool discomfort crossed their link, This water grows colder and closer with every stroke.

She laughed, You'll be out soon enough. It's not that far, couldn't you fly there?

I-- He hesitated, yellow eyes reflecting nervously in the shimmering water, I don't want to go alone.

Won't Saphira go with you?

She's still mad at me for taken Garrow along with the search party. He sighed, smoke puffing out of his nostrils.

Well, maybe next time you'll listen. She laughed, shielding herself as Thorn slashed her as he dove under the ship. Elaina shook her head and continued to stare out at the nearing land. A sense of foreboding suddenly crossed her heart, the same feeling that had sent chills up her spine as enemy Skimmers floated on the horizon. Someone was waiting for them, a foe much more fearsome then five shipfulls of soldiers.

Elaina grew bored, and her thoughts began to wonder. She'd really hadn't had the time to reflect on what had occurred not two days ago, and now it chewed at her like a starving dog. Her hands began to shake as she saw Murtagh's pale, sickened face tossing and turning behind her eyelids. Horrible thoughts began to assault her mind, and she shook wildly as each image passed her mind. A horrible, inescapable fear took over her, and soon she was lost in the darkness of those horrid thoughts. Sinking to the ground, Elaina buried her head into her knees, sobbing quietly. . .

Eragon glanced to his left, spotting a huddled mass at the far end of the ship. Squinting his eyes, he asked, "Is that Elaina?"

"What? Where?" Murtagh followed Eragon's finger and his eyes widened. He didn't say anything else, for he'd jumped down the stairs and bolted towards the girl, who was clearly very upset. He could hear her crying as he dodged sailor after sailor, jumping over loose rope at least twice. Taking two stairs at a time, Murtagh slid on his knees, stopping in front of the crying girl, "What is it?" He put a hand on her back, not really knowing how to comfort her, "What's wrong?"

Suddenly Elaina turned, and he felt small arms wrap themselves around his waist. Her head was buried into his chest, his shirt growing wet with her warm tears, "I'm so scared. . ."

"Elaina . . .?" He laughed nervously, "It's alright; Thorn and I will be with you. And if that doesn't help, Eragon and Saphira are coming too--"

"That's not it!" He grew silent, shocked by her sudden outburst. Tears were streaming down her eyes, "You were dying Murtagh; dying! And I--" She cried out in anguish, "I could do nothing to help you!" Cold fear shot through his heart as Elaina whispered her next sentence, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Murtagh. I," she looked into his eyes, "I love you."

"It's to dangerous for you to be with me."

"Have I not been through enough danger on my own to prove that I can take care of myself?"

He turned his head, "If you stay with me, you'll be imprisoned, like me."

"If they were to throw you into the pits of Hell, I'd follow you," she said stubbornly.

"I don't want you to get hurt--"

"You're afraid they'll compare you with your father!"

"I'm already like my father!" She grew quiet, Murtagh panting angrily, "Don't you understand; I don't want you to be hurt! I'm horrified that I'll go mad like my father, and by my hand cause you the same misery and pain that my own mother went through! Everyone I've ever loved has died before my eyes; I will not watch you die!"

Elaina was staring into her lap for the longest time. The sun shone in her hair, and she raised her head, smiling sweetly, "Then I will close you're eyes before I go."

He didn't know how to react to that response; for a long time he just stared at her in shock. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, he erupted in laughter. He laughed for so long and so hard that his stomach hurt afterward and tears were in his eyes. He was relieved to find that Elaina had done the same. As she replenished her air supply, Murtagh leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. She looked up, blushing, "Thank you, Elaina."

She grabbed his hand, holding it tightly, "I love you, Murtagh."

He helped her up, sighing with a grin on his face, "And I you, damn it." They laughed as they walked, hand-in-hand, below deck, only to meet a fuming Katrina and her shouts of laziness and forgetting to help.

Shoreline, Alagesian Boarder

Murtagh felt as light as air. The smile on his face had yet to diminish, even though he was grown closer and closer to his imprisonment. He watched the mountains that loomed before him, smiling at them tauntingly. He was in love now, and he dared those mountains to try and harm he and his friends. Murtagh could hear the ships crew helping Eragon and their small party get their supplies together, while Jeod could be heard complaining that there wasn't enough men. A low, mellow voice crossed his ears, and Murtagh sighed as he saw Eragon trying to reassure the old man. He laughed once, then walked back to the beach.

Eragon was laughing nervously as Jeod continued, "This is suicide! You can't expect me to believe that you, three men and three women can cross the Spine, alone."

"Arya's an elf," he said, scratching the back of his head.

"I'll give you that, but what about poor Katrina? She's pregnant for goodness' sake!" He turned, about to storm off but saw that Murtagh was behind him, "Oh, hello my boy."

"You don't have to worry, old man," Murtagh smiled wider, "yes, we have four men coming along, but three out of that four have dragons, and the last one is a very skilled fighter. The women will be fine; nothing will get to them between Roran, Eragon, and I, plus the dragons." He motioned to the three dragons that sat along the shoreline, playing in the ebb and flow of the ocean waters, "And if Katrina needs to rest, then I'll let her ride Thorn, since Garrow is still to small."

Eragon smiled; he knew they'd one. Something had happened to his brother, for he saw that old spark in his eye that had lived in him when they raced to the Varden, so long ago. He looked to Jeod, "Well? Satisfied?"

The old man looked as though the actual though was really bouncing around behind his eyes. Sighing with frustration, Jeod threw his hands in the air and laughed, "Fine! You two win," he was walking away, halfway to the tiny scouting boats, when he yelled, "I swear, you two are just like your mother!"

As he walked away, Murtagh cursed, "I hope no one else heard that."

"Agreed," Eragon didn't mind Jeod or Nasuada knowing; they had a right to know, but if the entire crew found out that he and Murtagh were brothers, then the Varden would fall threat of becoming discouraged and untrusting, even more than they already were. He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly, "So, are you ready for more mountain climbing?"

He shook his head, a small chuckle escaping him, "At least there are no Urgals."

"With our luck," Eragon began to walk towards Arya, who was trying to find her bags, "there will be an entire army of them waiting for us." He heard Murtagh laugh, but he didn't laugh at his joke; there luck really was horrible.