Free Riders

Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.

Chapter 35: Flight of the Riders

"Urgals?" Blaster asked. "How can you tell?"

"That flag bears the personal crest of an Urgal chieftan," Murtagh said, pointing at the standard ahead of the column. "He's a ruthless brute, given his violent fits and insanity."

"I take it you've met him," Blaster said.

"Met him once, briefly," Murtagh said. He thought for a moment. "I still have scars from that encounter." He regained some of his seriousness. "Anyway, these Urgals might not have been sent for us, but I'm sure we've been seen by now and that they will follow us. Their chieftain isn't the type to let a dragon escape his grasp. Especially if he's heard about what happened in Gil'ead."

"Then, we must flee," Blaster said, covering the fire with dirt. "I know you don't want to go to the Varden, but we have to take Arya and Char to them before they die. So, here's a compromise: I know you don't want to, but come with us until we reach the lake Kóstha-mérna, then go your own way." Murtagh hesitated, which gave Blaster time to say, "Leave now, in full view of the column, and the Urgals will follow you. It wouldn't be right to have you face them alone."

"Very well," Murtagh said. He began to saddle up. "But, once we are near the Varden, I will leave."

"Of course," Blaster said. They all saddled up, secured the girls to Sara, then left.

Which way shall we fly? Sara asked.

East, along the range, Blaster replied. As Sara caught an updraft, a nasty thought came to his mind. The Urgals might have been sent to attack the Varden. We must warn them.

They guided the horses past obstacles that were half-visible in the darkness. They continued even as the night hid the Urgals behind them. Every so often, they would alternate who slept until morning. Blaster meditated, gathering as much energy as his body could hold from the stars above. He continually used the energy to replenish that of the horses. It allowed them to take a considerable lead, but none of them could guess how long their lead could be maintained, though the horses were less exhausted.

They continued into the day, even after Sara mentioned that she needed sustenance, as she hadn't eaten in days. She dropped off Arya and Char so that they wouldn't be in danger. Blaster had lashed Char and Arya to Phillip's saddle, trying to give as much energy to the horse as he thought he could get away with.

About an hour after they had left, Sara had finished her meal. Blaster was glad, as he was a little nervous when she was away. They were stopped at a pool to allow the horses to drink, setting Arya and Char on the ground. Blaster had disappeared behind a tree. He became startled when he heard the rasp of a sword being unsheathed.

Having finished what he wanted to do, and telling Alice that Char had said "Hi," he emerged from the trees with Cratona at the ready. It was only Murtagh, and his sword was as ready as Blaster's. He pointed to a hill ahead of them, where a tall, brown-cloaked man sat on a sorrel horse, a mace in his hand. Behind him were twenty horsemen. No one moved.

"Could they be the Varden?" Murtagh asked.

"They're still tens of leagues away," Blaster said as unbuttoned his pistols, letting them hang loosely in their holsters. "They might be a patrol or a raiding group from them."

"Assuming they aren't bandits," Murtagh said. He swung onto Tornac and readied his own bow.

"Should we try to outrun them?" Blaster asked. He draped a blanket over Arya and Char. Blaster hoped the horsemen wouldn't know that Arya was an elf.

"Our horses are tired," Murtagh said. "They are fine war-horses, but not sprinters. The horses they have look like they are meant for running. We could probably get half a mile before they catch us. Besides, they might have something important to say." He paused. "Better tell Sara to get back here and fast."

Blaster explained the situation, then warned, Do not show yourself unless absolutely necessary. True, we aren't in the Empire, but I don't want them to know about you unless it is unavoidable. I will be fine, plus I have magic. That should help greatly.

I will be there as soon as I can, Sara said. As their connection closed enough so that they could still listen, Blaster looked at the band of men still on the hill. Blaster's free hand hovered over his pistol.

"If they threaten us, I can frighten them away with magic," Blaster said. "If that doesn't work, we have Sara. I wonder how they'd react to a Rider. They must have been told stories about their powers. It could be enough to avoid a fight."

"Don't count on it," Murtagh said. "If it does come down to a fight, we may just have to kill enough of them to convince them we aren't worth the effort."

"I don't like that idea," Blaster said, "but it might be the only other option we will have to stay alive."

The leader signaled with his mace, and the horsemen began cantering towards them. Some shook javelins over their heads, whooping loudly as they neared. Four had arrows trained on them, though Blaster had his eyes trained on their archers. Their weapons were stained and rust-covered, reminding Blaster of a blade similar to Cratona's old form.

The leader swirled his mace in the air, and his men responded, yelling and whooping as they encircled the duo. As soon as they were thoroughly surrounded, Blaster fished his way into the mind of the leader as he reigned in his horse and examined them critically.

"Well, these are better than the usual dregs we find!" he exclaimed with raised eyebrows. "At least we got healthy ones this time. And we didn't even have to shoot them. Greig will be pleased." The men chuckled. Blaster's emotionless expression was betrayed when it became suddenly hard.

Sara, get here now, Blaster said. We may have issues.

"Now, as for you two," the leader said, looking at Murtagh and Blaster, "if you would be so kind as you drop your weapons, you'll avoid being turned into living quivers by my men." The archers grinned suggestively, the men laughed again.

Murtagh shifted his sword, but it was nothing compared to the movement of Blaster unholstering his pistol, turning off the safety in the process. "Who are you and what do you want?" Murtagh asked. "We are free men traveling through this land. You have no right to stop us."

"Oh, I have every right," the man said, contemptuously. "And as for my name, slaves do not address their masters in that manner, unless they want to be beaten."

Blaster's hard expression got harder. He remembered the slave auctions in Dras-Leona. He pulled back the hammer on his pistol as the leader seemed to get angrier.

"Throw down your swords and surrender!" It was a tense moment as the slavers stared at them with cold eyes. None of them lowered their weapons. There was a rustling and one of the men cursed. Blaster turned around quickly and found that one of the slavers had pulled the blanket off Arya. Another had removed the one covering Char.

"Torkenbrand, this one's an elf!" the man near Arya shouted.

"Got another one here," the one near Char said. "She appears human."

"Well 'ow much are they worth?" someone asked as the leader spurred his horse over to Snowfire.

Torkenbrand was quiet for a moment, then spread his hands. "For the human, not a whole lot. For the elf, at the very least? Fortunes upon fortunes. The Empire will pay a mountain of gold for her!"

"I dunno," the man over by Char said. "I'd like to take this one home myself."

Sara, attack, Blaster said as the slavers yelled with excitement. Let those who escape go. He shot Murtagh a quick signal as he felt his dragon fold her wings and plummet from the sky, high above them. Murtagh took the cue and smashed his elbow into a slaver's face, knocking the man from the saddle. He jabbed his heels into Tornac, who jumped forward, twirled around, and reared. Murtagh brandished his sword as Tornac fell back on all fours, driving his forehooves into the back of the dismounted slaver, who screamed.

Several loud bangs filled the air as several more slavers fell out of their saddles. Blaster had raised his pistol and fired upon three of the archers as well as the man who had uncovered Char. Blaster jumped over the slavers and landed right by his silver dragon as she landed heavily and bellowed.

"Behold, for I am a Rider," Blaster said as he sheathed his sword and pulled out his other pistol. "Basically," he said, pausing dramatically, "run!"

The men shouted incoherently and scrambled over each other and their fallen comrades as they attempted to escape. In the confusion, Torkenbrand took a javelin to the temple and tumbled to the ground, obviously stunned. The men ran, leaving their fallen leader behind, casting fearful looks at the two dragons as they went.

Blaster walked over to the man who he had shot over by Char. He holstered the full pistol, and transferred his other pistol to his other hand. Surprisingly, his shot had hit the man in the gut, since he was aiming for the heart. He aimed his pistol at the man's head.

"You picked the wrong day to mess with this woman's future husband," Blaster said. He pulled the trigger, killing the man instantly. He then heard the thump of another body hit the ground. He turned and saw Murtagh wiping his blade on the back of Torkenbrand's shirt. The slaver had been decapitated. "Why did you kill him?"

"Why are you so upset?" Murtagh asked.

"I'm not," Blaster said. "It was a little hasty, but still."

"He was dangerous," Murtagh said. "He wasn't going to get far with his buddies running off. I didn't want the Urgals to find him and learn about Arya."

"Good idea, but let's not get carried away next time," Blaster said.

"I'm only trying to stay alive," Murtagh said. "No stranger's life is more important than my own. You must be willing to protect yourself and that which you cherish, no matter what the cost."

"I guess he just learned that the hard way," Blaster said, indicating to the man he had just shot.

"You too?" Murtagh asked.

"He threatened to take my fiancé away from me, unwillingly," Blaster said. "He paid the consequences. It is a dirty job, I know, but I do what I can to protect myself and the one I love."

"I don't enjoy it either," Murtagh grumbled. "All my life, I have been threatened! All of my waking hours have been spent avoiding one danger or another. Sleep doesn't come easy for I fear I will not live to see the dawn. The only time I felt secure was in my mother's womb, though even then I wasn't safe. If you were in my shoes, you would have learned the same lesson I have: Don't take any chances." He gestured to Torkenbrand. "He was a risk, so I eliminated that risk. I will not repent, and I won't plague myself over something that is over and done."

"I agree," Blaster said. "It's too late to turn back the clock and change what has happened here. I do not condone such acts, and this one was rather hasty, but, you did what you felt was right. Not that I have much to say in defense anyway. But that's all water under the bridge now. We should get out of here before those Urgals catch up, or those slavers come back with much more men."

After securing Arya and Char to Sara, Blaster mounted up, following Murtagh and Tornac, leaving the bodies behind in the bloodstained dust. They rode faster than they would have thought was impossible a week ago. The leagues melted away as if wings had been attached to their steeds. They turned south between two outstretched arms of the Beors shaped like pincers about to close. The tips were easily a day's travel apart, but the size of the mountains made that estimate look too easy.

When they stopped for the day, Murtagh ate dinner in silence, refusing to look up from his food. When they were done, Blaster said, "I'll take the first watch. Get some rest. We will continue in the morning." Murtagh merely nodded and lay down on his bed roll.

Blaster spoke to Sara. Like I said, Murtagh's actions were hasty, but what's done is done.

I agree, Sara said. What you did was hasty as well, but your future wife was threatened. Plus, with the Urgals at our backs, we can do nothing but continue forward. We couldn't let them have information about us.

Well, we have to get to the Varden, Blaster said. We could be measuring the remaining lives of Arya and Char by hours or minutes if we don't hurry. I might have to get into my form in order to increase my magical power and transfer energy to the horses. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Let's get some rest and talk again in the morning.

Sara curled up next to Blaster, and the two leaned against each other. Blaster went into his meditative state and began to absorb as much energy as he could gather from the stars above him in preparation for the coming days while keeping his mind open to the energies of the Urgals.

Will they reach the Varden in time? Will the Urgals catch up? Can it be that Galbatorix is trying to wipe out his opposition? Find out next time in Free Riders.

Yes, he can absorb the energies from the distant stars to replenish his own and that of others if necessary, but usually only at night, when everyone else is asleep. Therefore, he has a higher energy reserve than pretty much everyone else in this world. However, I do not plan on him using such high energy reserves until the final battle due to circumstances beyond his control. Can't make the last battle too easy or he will destroy Galbatorix with just the bat of an eyelash. Please R&R.