A/N Arrrrgg! Late update I know. I'm sorry! Homework (such as cursed art) gets in the way. Anways, glad you enjoyed the anniversary chapter! Thank you!
Chapter 34- Tempers Frayed
Gimli and Legolas were all for getting Arya to the Varden as soon as possible. Murtagh however, was not so tolerant of this idea.
"Do you want to kill the horses?" he raged. "They've already endured a long five days of us pushing them to the brink of death. They're exhausted, they won't last!"
"And what else are we supposed to do?" Eragon snapped back sarcastically. "Just let Arya die? I don't know about you but I certainly couldn't live with that on my conscience! If the horses can not go on, I will with Saphira and Arya. You can stay and look after the horses. You could catch up with us in a few days time when the horses are more rested."
"Of course. Murtagh can stay with the horses, Murtagh the horse leader, all obey the almighty Eragon. The wonderful Eragon who needs saving from the Empire, he can so take care of himself!" Murtagh grunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Legolas bristled where he sat by the fire. This was not going well at all.
"What is your problem? Have I done something to offend you? Listen, if you are angry about having to save me from Gil'ead, I'm sorry but I am grateful," said Eragon spreading out his hands.
"Like I could leave Legolas to go in there to get you alone! I could not just walk away!" protested Murtagh.
"Legolas can take care of himself!" said Eragon.
"Unlike some people," Murtagh muttered in an undertone.
Unfortunately, Eragon heard. "I can take care of myself fine for your information! And do not bring Legolas and Gimli into this. This is between you and me!" Eragon was almost shouting now.
"I wasn't! if you weren't such a weakling who needs babysitting all the time, saving from every scrap he manages to get himself into, half the Empire wouldn't be searching for us, it' all your fault!" Murtagh poked Eragon in the chest.
"Don't touch me," Eragon growled.
"Or what? Weakling!" Murtagh laughed harshly and he went to shove Eragon again, but Eragon grabbed his arm and struck him in the stomach.
"I said don't touch me!" Eragon shouted over Murtagh's swearing. Murtagh then lunged at Eragon; they fell to the ground, trying to hit each other as hard as they could, try8ing to cause each other the maximum amount of pain possible.
They both scrabbled away form each other and managed to get to their feet. They went for each other again only to find they had been grabbed and held back. Gimli pinned Eragon, clutching him around the waist in an iron like grip the boy would have thought impossible for one of his stature. Legolas held Murtagh's arms behind his back in a vice like grip which surprised the young man, he had always thought the Elf so quiet and laid back.
"Hold still laddy, stop this nonsense!" Gimli grunted as Eragon tried to break free.
"Enough Murtagh," Legolas said in a harsh voice, not musical and light as Murtagh was used to. The young man stopped his struggling in the Elf's grasp, though he still remained tense.
"Let me go!" Eragon argued, trying to shrug free of Gimli's clutches.
"No. this will be settled right now. I'm surprised at the both of you," Gimli scolded.
"He started it!" Eragon protested nodding his head in Murtagh's direction.
"Enough, I am ending it! What do you think Brom would say Eragon? Fighting like orcs over a scrap of meat," said Legolas firmly. He had just touched a soft spot, and he knew it. Eragon abruptly stopped his struggling.
"This will be sorted now," interjected Gimli. "I will not tolerate this at all. So I suggest you both cut it out unless you both want to spend the entire night like this. Me and Legolas, we will not yield."
Legolas smirked.
'Eragon, you know they are both right. Can you politely ask Murtagh what troubles him? Try acting like mature adults, for that is what you both are,' said Saphira.
Eragon cleared his throat. "So, Saphira said I should ask you what is wrong."
Murtagh said nothing, trying to shrug in Legolas' grip.
"Listen, Legolas and Gimli won't let us go until we sort this out. It's three against two. So can we please talk? Then we can go on our way," Eragon reasoned.
"Fine. I don't want to go to the Varden," Murtagh snapped.
"What, you don't want to, or you can't?" Eragon prompted.
"Don't want to. I will not be a welcome sight to them. Besides, they will want things from me which I can not give them."
"What do you mean? Do they have a problem with you or something? Did you steal some thing from them, or kill someone?" Eragon asked.
"No! I was born!" Murtagh stated flatly, he shrugged his shoulders. Legolas let him go now they had both calmed down. The Elf nodded to Gimli who released Eragon.
"They won't welcome you because you were born? I don't believe that!" Eragon scoffed.
"Well believe it. I have done nothing to the Varden, yet they will most probably clap me in irons upon sight!" Murtagh's eyes glistened. "My very existence is a legitimate enough reason for them to do that!" he sighed. "It you must know, my father-"
"Look!" Legolas suddenly cut across. "Urgals! A league or so away. But, I do not understand. They are not Urgals. Thy are far large. More like Uruk Hai…" he trailed off gazing out into the distance where a column of figures marched eastwards. "A standard bearer rides before them in a black chariot, he holds aloft a crimson banner!"
"I know that banner!" Murtagh said. "That flag bears the symbol of the Urgal chieftain. I've met him, he is a ruthless brute. I still have the scars from that encounter. You say they are big? Bigger than the Urgals you have seen?" Murtagh questioned. When Legolas nodded the affirmative, Murtagh cursed. "Those are Kull! Elite of the Urgals! Not one of them is below eight feet tall, they can run for days without sleep and still be ready for battle. It can take up to five men to kill one!"
"Why does that sounds all too familiar? " Legolas sighed.
He looked to Gimli who rolled his eyes.
"Uruks," they said in accord.
"I loath the day I will have to face them again. mindless beasts," Gimli grumbled.
Legolas smiled.
Murtagh however, was still feeling argumentative. "I will not go to the Varden, whatever you all decide in the end," he stated folding his arms.
"Listen," Legolas said as he kicked out the fire and slung his quiver onto his back. "Eragon says that the lake Kóstha-mérna lies in our path. Come with us thus far. Afterwards, you may go your own way. If you turn the other way now, you will face that line of Urgals. Then what will you do, alone and very much outnumbered?"
Murtagh sighed and shrugged, resigning himself to Legolas' request, "Fine. But only until Lake Kóstha-mérna, then I must leave you. For I refuse to step foot near the Varden."
"Very well. But now we must fly!" Legolas sat Gimli on Loshîth, then leapt up in front. "Noro lim Loshîth! Avorn mellon nin!" He cried and the horse took off fast followed by Snowfire and Tornac. They intended to put as much distance as they possibly could between themselves and the Urgals.
-:0:-
By morning they had thankfully left the Urgals behind. Though whether they could maintain their lead, only time would tell. They pushed the horses until they literally were ready to drop. Saphira had gone hunting since she had not eaten in days, leaving Arya behind.
They had stopped at a pond to let the horses drink and rest a while before they went on again. Eragon suddenly heard Gimli grunt behind him and a blade unsheathed. He spun around, Zar'roc at the ready. Legolas had his bow in hand, an arrow ready while Gimli gripped his axe and Murtagh held his sword aloft.
"What the-"
"We are watched," Legolas said quietly nodding to the hill Eragon currently had his back to.
He pivoted around to look up at the hill ahead of them. A man cloaked in brown sat a top a horse, mace in hand and behind his was a group of about twenty horsemen.
"Bandits!" Murtagh cursed.
"You're sire they are not Varden? They are many leagues away, but couldn't this be a scouting party or something?" asked Eragon.
"No, they are bandits all right, judging by their garb anyway. Their horses are slight and fast, we would not be able to out run them. Our horses are tired and not built for such a chase," said Murtagh.
"Oh great," Eragon hurriedly contacted Saphira and told her to hurry back. "So, if we can't out run them, and assuming I can't scare them away with magic and if there is the remotest possibility they are not fazed by Saphira, then what do we do?"
"That's simply. Kill as many as possible, that's what lad! Get their numbers down!" said Gimli.
Their leader sung his mace in the air, signally for his men to charge. Javelins glinted in the sunlight as they rode down the hill and the men cheered savagely. A few of them trained arrows on the company as they came to form a circle around them, weapons pointed at the four of them who each held their weapons ready.
The leader eyed their horses. "Better then the other ones we pick up. Fine ones these. Easy to take too! Didn't have to shoot them, Grieg will be pleased. That white one with no saddle looks to be wild though. Ha ha, never mind eh, we'll soon break it!" he smirked then turned to the company. "As for you four, kindly drop your weapons and you may avoid been turned into living quivers by my men."
The archers of the group grinned maliciously.
Murtagh shifted his sword and spoke up. "We are free men who travel these lands. You have no right to command us. Or rob us!"
"Men? Oh yes I see the sons of men. A boy and a young man. But what id this? A Dwarf, and an Elf!" said the leader.
Legolas bristled as a murmur went around the men.
"Well, well, well!" said the leader Torkenbrand. "Our lucky day boys! The Empire will pay us mountains of gold for an Elf!"
"Sir, look at this! There's another one over here. A She-Elf!" said one f the men who had gone rummaging through their things and found Arya hidden under a blanket next to the saddle bags.
"Another Elf! The Empire will pay us double! Maybe triple!" said Torkenbrand excitedly.
Legolas hardened his gaze. Steely blue eyes glaring daggers at the leader.
"Put down your weapons slave," he stressed the word with an air of authority. "Or my men will be forced to do it for you! And if you do not cooperate your friends will feel the icy cut of my blade!"
"You would die before your strokes fell!" Legolas yelled notching an arrow. He was not going to tolerate this adan, or his terminology. Pulling the string taught, without a second thought, he loosed it and it found its mark buried in the man's chest. He gave a gasp as the air was knocked out of him and he fell limply off his horse.
Then Saphira came swooping down towards them, men began to scatter in fear. Legolas loosed more arrows, bringing men down left right and centre. Murtagh smashed one of the men in the face with his elbow and took up his sword. Tornac also proved helpful. Kicking and lashing out at those who had tried to harm his master.
A few men escaped, at a command from Eragon. The others lay dead. Legolas carelessly pulled his arrows out of the dead men, checking with an expert eye which could be used again until he could make new ones, and which ones were beyond repair.
Only one man remained. One of the archers who had grinned at the threats of Torkenbrand. He had been struck down by Tornac's powerful kick as he had tried to get at Murtagh. The man struggled to his knees, blood streaming from his temple.
"You killed Torkenbrand! You killed my friend! You will pay!" he shouted hysterically. He was a young man, not much older than Murtagh perhaps. Young and in this instance very foolish.
"Arg, be quiet boy!" Gimli growled.
"No! I will not be silenced!" he got to his feet with speed impossible for a man concussed.
Slyly pulling a dagger from his boot as he stood, he lunged for Gimli who had his back turned, attending to Arya. But before the man could harm the Dwarf, he fell back, an arrow protruding from his neck.
Eragon jumped. Legolas stood tall and proud, bow in hand, fiery anger lit his fair face. It seemed to the boy that he was lit by a bright inner light he had noticed was present only at night when the Elf seemed to glow softly.
"Le na dínen adan," Legolas breathed, seething with rage.
Eragon had not seen this side of Legolas before, not like this anyway. He didn't like the Legolas in war-mode. It frightened him.
But he also felt angry towards the Elf. If he had not shot the leader, all hell would perhaps not have broke loose and more lives could have been spared.
'Eragon, what is wrong?' Saphira asked him quietly. 'You are distancing yourself from the others. Why?'
Eragon did not answer until Saphira pressed him again. then he answered her timidly. 'I have never seen Legolas that angry before. Because that man threatened Gimli, and all of us. So he just shot him. No questions asked. If he hadn't, more lives could have been spared; I would have let those men walk away.'
Saphira broke their connection abruptly. Legolas turned from lashing Arya to Saphira. He came over to Eragon, leaving Murtagh to take care of the She-Elf.
"Saphira said you are troubled," he said softly. The fire in him had gone now and he was calm.
Eragon lowered his eyes. "You didn't have to kill that man," he mumbled almost inaudibly.
"He would have in turn killed Gimli if I had not shot him," came Legolas' reply.
"No, not him. the leader. If you hadn't shot him, I think more lives could have been saved," said Eragon.
"That 'leader' wanted to throw all of us into slavery, and sell me and Arya to the Empire. You heard him. I am sorry if you think ill of me for my decision, but I judged him to be a threat to us. That is what it is like in battle Eragon, if you have a chance to defeat your enemy you take it," Legolas explained gently.
"I suppose you are right. I just still think the lives of those men could have been saved… somehow," Eragon said.
"They forfeited their lives when they chose to become bandits," said Legolas.
"Yes… but the man who tried to attack Gimli, I know I should not, but I feel kind of sorry for him. He was only young, perhaps around Murtagh's age," Eragon continued.
"That is fine Eragon. It is not weak to show compassion," Legolas reassured.
"And the way you just took his life, snuffed out like a candle just like that," Eragon clicked his fingers. "He was practically defenceless…"
"He had a knife Eragon. That is not exactly classed as been defenceless," Legolas said wryly.
Eragon turned sharply to face the Elf, narrowing his eyes. "But tell me, if he had not had a knife, if he had been defenceless, would you still have killed him?"
Legolas paused to think for a minute. Then eventually he sighed. "I know you desire the truth. Though I do not think you will like it one bit."
"I don't have to like it. Just tell me," Eragon demanded.
"Fine. Yes, I would have taken his life. The reason: he was still a threat. The rest of his troop had left and he had no way of getting back to them with no steed or provisions. He would most likely have been picked up by the Urgals and sold us out in revenge if not to try to save his own skin. Either way, the Urgals would have killed him, that you can be sure of. I showed him mercy Eragon. And also removed a threat to our lives," Legolas stated simply.
"I knew you would say that."
With that, Eragon stood up and mounted Snowfire, glancing back to make sure the others were ready, he rode away from the bodies that littered the ground. The others followed behind him.
-:0:-
They rode fast and the leagues melted away before them, turning south between two out stretched arms of the Beor Mountains. All was very tense between the company. Intoxicatingly so.
A/N Lalalala….
Ooh, things are getting tense in Alagaësia aren't they? Anyways, slightly longer chapter than the last and I apologise again for the late update. Still, expect another on Sunday unless any unseen events get in the way….
Oh yeah, I have a massive favour to ask you guys. If anyone by any chance possesses a copy of the deluxe edition of Eragon with the first chapter of Eldest in it, could possibly take some time to type it up for me? I haven't been able to find it in any bookshops here and I would be so very grateful if someone could! So, if you do and are willing to take a little bit of time to type it up, please could you email me and send it to me? If not, then thank you all anyway for remaining my ever loyal and lovely reviewers! Thanks!
Reviewers
TrekkieGreenieShannaraElfOfMe- Thanks for sending my those maps. Sounds like an excellent plan! Yeah you're right, Ulmo would definitely NOT trust us. Don't suppose Manwë would be too pleased either if he did. So, Mount Gunabad will be the strong hold then right? Sounds good to me! And judging by those maps you sent me, we'll have fairly easy access to the lands around it. And we are fairly close to the goblin town I see, so yeah that could be handy for recruiting and stuff! Well, carry on masterminding the great Taking Over ME Plan. Sounds as though it will work so far to me! Yeah, mwhahahaha! Retarded words. Fun!
Tim, Digidestined of Loyalty- I know. I've been reading ahead. I haven't read the end parts for like a whole year! But I think it will be so much fun writing what's coming up. I can be reading and now I'll be having all these ideas. It will be the same with Eldest I think, I'll constantly be thinking how I can incorporate Legolas and Gimli into it as well as little references to Middle earth. I can't wait! Have you seen the front cover to Eldest on Shur'tugal? It looks brilliant, though I think I like the one for Eragon best! Nooo! I know, only a few more chapters. I think more than five though (I'm hoping more than five anyway!) thanks!
LestatLover1784- Heya! Mwhahaha, thank you my friend! Yeah, that's probably why I always take ages to type; people keep bothering me or looking over my shoulder, that just seriously annoys me! Bloodthirsty Unicorns? I like Unicorns! But hey, it could be a Unicorn that's gone bad, maybe can't deal with the stresses of being the new subject for Hagrid's care of magical creatures' class! Ok then, that was random!
Cylliel- Thank you so much! Yep, definitely looking forward to the whole Legolas/Arya thing and Gimli in Fathen Dur. Glad you're enjoying the story!
Moonyasha- You have Legolas, Will, Elladan, Elrohir, Frodo and Sam LOCKED in your closest? Hehehe, cool! Make sure you keep the door locked tight shut. The twins can be crafty! Yay! off to find the Varden! To the Varden we will go, to the Varden we will go, hi ho my daddyo to the Varden we will go!
Zammy- Thanks!
Kait1991- Hey, I'm boosting book sales for Eragon! Yay! Yeah, it's a great book though. And I'm so lad you like it! Thanks!
Well, thanks you guys!
Laters
Lolly pop