Reviews! Yeaaaah!
Du Weldenvarden Farcai: Thank you!
in these chains: Yep. No Thorn here, some more next chapter. Thorn comes really natural because he's a bit of me when I'm feeling snippy :)
Erulastiel: They're always good inside. It's just Galbatorix that's an ass.
Trinity Anya: Hey, haven't seen you in a while! Thanks!
Mistress-of-Misery: No, you do a great review! Keeping Murtagh in character is a bit of a struggle for me…but underneath all the warrior-ness he's just really a human.
Shutting up now…
(WARNING: LOTS OF X'S IN THIS CHAPTER)
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4/1/101
Murtagh returned to the castle that night in a cheerful mood. He and Thorn parted amiably, and he even whistled a tune or two as he walked.
A tiny, flickering light near the stables caught his eye. Grimacing, he changed course abruptly. A lantern left untended could cause a stable fire. While he didn't particularly mourn the loss of coins in Galbatorix's coffers, the horses in the stables were fine, magnificent creatures that didn't deserve to burn.
Murtagh reached out one hand for the handle, then stopped abruptly. There were voices, indistinct. Female voices. He edged closer, listening carefully.
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From birth, Tria Aitalin had been an amazingly brash girl, the source of constant headaches for her father and constant tears for her mother. As soon as she was sixteen, Tria left home. She was tired of the "let's have a talk" that cropped up about every other day, as her parents sat her down and tried to bash in a little of what it meant to be a woman to her. The talks were boring. Marriage was boring. Being a woman was boring, at least her parents' ideas of a woman. When she grew up, she left. And that was that.
Sixteen. Young, headstrong, with not a penny or care in the world. She was free.
Nobody could say life was boring now. Tria assumed the identity of a dutiful maid in the day and a shadowy lurker of the alleys in Uru'baen at night. It was there that she first met Milek, who introduced her to Gurdok, who in turn introduced her to Heii. From the moment she met Heii, Tria knew instantly she was in love.
Well, sort of, anyway.
Heii became her mentor. He wasn't growing any younger at forty years old, but was still fit enough to get involved in something deep and dirty that he called Peregrine. Tria followed him out of a deep, childlike devotion and a growing curiosity, a hunger for what he was showing her each day. Peregrine became an obsession, a terrible fixation. What was Peregrine? What did it involve? And more importantly—who was she?
It wasn't too hard to ferret out the answers one by one. Using what Tria liked to call "subtle influences", she kicked her way to the top. Having Heii for a teacher didn't hurt, nor did her ability to wield magic, fair strong magic too. The day was drawing closer; everything was set, prepared, and raring to go.
Then Heii was captured, betrayed by a nameless ghost in the sewers. Two weeks after his disappearance, he was publicly tortured, and a while after that, crucified over the city as an example to all "most evil traitors". Tria found herself tackling Peregrine alone, stepping to fill shoes a tad too large for her. One could not do this alone.
A friend of a friend told a friend who told her about Blackfire. The girl was young, beyond suspicion, too meek to be involved in anything, or so it apparently seemed. Best of all, she worked in the palace—easy to reach, easy to convert. Most importantly, easy to eliminate.
A contact of hers who kept in touch with Blackfire had told her that the girl might possibly—possibly—help Peregrine fly. "A hidden flame," she had called it.
Tria was skeptical. She had met Blackfire before, but the girl didn't seem particularly special. Or did she?
Well, maybe. After musing it over for quite a while, Tria decided to give it a try. She pulled a few strings here and there and set up a clandestine meeting in the stables. One never knew these days what a person could do.
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Salem jumped at the sound of a voice behind her. "Blackfire," whispered a voice, calm and authoritative. "You've kept your word."
She laughed nervously, turning around. "Well, I didn't really have much choice, did I?" Salem said almost hysterically. "I mean, it was either that or miss out on all the fun! Talinia, is that right?"
"Lower your voice," the woman said sharply, eyes glinting from under her hood. "You don't know who might be hearing."
"Of course. Right. Well, I've decided and my answer is no. I have a life, I don't want to lose it, and, and, you can go do Peregrine and I won't say a word but I won't do it and that's my final word. Yes. That's it. I, I, I don't—"
Talinia observed her calmly, waiting for Salem to run out of words. "You're afraid," she said simply.
Salem bristled at the implied insult. "I'm not a coward," she snapped. "I'm just not stupid. And I don't want to die."
"Well," Talinia said. "You have a choice. Very simply put, you can die now or later. You cannot stand up to his torturers, Blackfire. Heii was tortured publicly and privately, torn apart in and out. You will not be able to endure that without saying a single word. If you will not aid us, you are a loose end. And loose ends are eliminated."
"Are you blackmailing me?" Salem snapped, fingers curling into fists, her fear suddenly washed away under her anger. "Saying that if I don't help you, you'll kill me? Why couldn't I help you the way I was going to before, instead of sticking my neck on the chopping block by refusing? I won't stand this!"
"You called it blackmail. Not I." Talinia paused for a long second before continuing. "However…if you swear yourself to us, we will bind you with certain words that will make sure you do not have to endure torture. You will simply die. But the risk of that is low," she added hastily. "Once Peregrine is completed, we will take you out of the city immediately. You would be safe."
"My sister?" Salem demanded sharply. "My father?"
"We will make sure no link can be traced to you, Blackfire," Talinia answered softly. "And no link, thus, to them."
Salem's face was a study in frustration as she paced. "Well, I don't know."
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Tria was unimpressed by Blackfire at first. She seemed rather cowardly…but then, something snapped in the girl and she was arguing fiercely, a glimmer of spirit poking through.
Interesting.
Tria kept talking. Calmly, carefully, all the time reaching out with her magic to lightly brush the other's mind. It gave way easily—Blackfire evidently had had no mental defenses. That would have to change. Probing carefully, Tria delved into the girl's mind, sniffing for any trace of treachery.
There was none. Good. Tria began to withdraw herself when something caught her mental eye. There was a relationship in Blackfire's life…not good. With who?
"Talinia!"
The shout snapped Tria back into reality. "What, Blackfire?" she said, trying to disguise how shaken she felt.
Blackfire was staring at her with a fixed, strange expression. "Something happened then, didn't it," she said slowly, more to herself than anything. "What did you do, Talinia?"
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Talinia met Salem's stare calmly. "Nothing you need to be concerned about," she said. "Well?"
Salem shook her head, her mind racing. Something had happened then, and she was fairly sure Talinia had something to with it. "What did you do?" Salem repeated.
Talinia was silent for a long time before finally answering, "I was checking," she said finally. "It was necessary."
Salem gritted her teeth. "Oh…so I might stab all of you in the back, that's it."
"It is possible," Talinia said mildly. Then—"Who is the man in your life?"
"What? You—you—did you see that in my mind? That's disgusting, poking around in people's lives! You have no right, none at all!"
"I don't care," Talinia said simply. "Rights are nothing when you have the power to overcome them. Stop acting like a child, Blackfire. It was necessary. Relationships are dangerous, especially with the wrong people. Who is it, Blackfire?"
Salem's jaw tightened as she glared at Talinia. Finally, she snapped. "Reynold. Reynold Barrickson, a good man and a good friend. He's not a traitor and never will be."
"That's what you think," Talinia muttered.
"What do you mean?" Salem said sharply, taken aback by the expression on Talinia's face.
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The name Reynold meant nothing to Tria, but Barrick did. She would have to tread carefully around this particular piece of information. "Reynold…has he ever told you about his family, Blackfire?"
"No, and he doesn't need to," Blackfire declared forcefully. "I don't care if he's a bastard, or his folks are in the king's dungeons. Reynold would never hurt me."
"Maybe not intentionally," Tria said slowly. She gazed impassively at the puzzled look on Blackfire's gaze. "Information's a powerful thing, Blackfire. You're too open...too open to know."
"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Blackfire asked, eyes narrowed.
"Your mind isn't guarded," Tria said softly. "Anyone with the least smidgen of magic could find you out. You're dangerous, Blackfire. Already, you know too much."
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Salem felt a sudden, fierce rush of fear combined with anger. "So…?" she asked, her voice sharp and challenging. "You'll kill me now, is that it?"
Talinia's demeanor, cold before, now turned positively icy. "We do not kill for no reason, Blackfire," she snarled. "We are not like him."
She began pacing. "No," Talinia continued, "we will teach you to guard your mind. Already, you are aware if someone touches upon you. You must learn to guard yourself. Sufficiently."
She whirled around, eyes blazing. "She was rash to tell you as much as you know. You have to learn how to guard your mind, Blackfire! Anyone on the streets could find out about Peregrine." Talinia frowned darkly. "A little information goes a long way."
Talinia's expression grew pensive. Then, decisively, she reached into her pocket for something. "Put this on," she ordered, drawing out a crystal necklace.
Salem frowned dubiously as she took it. "I already have one."
"Do you? Well, obviously not the right one. This will provide a little protection for your mind against the amateur magic-wielder." Talinia snorted. "Which is about most of the magickers you'll find hereabouts. The exceptions, of course, include…"
"Riders?" Salem said doubtfully.
"Damn right, Riders," Talinia snarled, spitting out the words viciously. "Him, and that new one. The Red Rider. In fact, avoid dragons in general, and their counterparts."
Salem frowned. "Well, isn't that what Peregrine's all about? Dragons?"
"Maybe," Talinia said ambiguously. "Not that it concerns you in any matter."
"Well, if I'm going to participate in Peregrine—"
"You're not," Talinia said, cutting across Salem's words. "You're young, you're stupid, and basically worthless in magic. Aliya told me there was something, but quite evidently she was wrong."
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These sharp words stung, Tria observed dryly. Blackfire's eyes narrowed. "Well, then, I've wasted my time, haven't I," she hissed. "Good bye, then."
She made for the door. Tria took a step to the right, barring Blackfire's way. "Oh, and by the way," she said conversationally, "Reynold's father is a traitor. Well, not really. He's just the king's spymaster, is all. You might like to watch your step."
Blackfire spun around, eyes wide with shock. "What?"
"Oh, yes," Tria commented to the air. "King's spymaster, rather famous for sowing illegitimate children. I'd imagine Reynold's mother is some streetside slut. Barrick has six bastards; two girls and four boys, each one brought up in his care." She grinned sardonically. "Good luck with that."
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Salem had had enough. "What did you want me for?" she asked in a dangerously low voice, her fury clear and barely contained. "I joined your little group because I don't like Galbatorix any more than the average citizen, and I thought perhaps I could help. But now you insult me, and you insult the man I love. Well, damn all of you, damn your stupid tricks. If I'm a loose end, who cares? I don't." Her back stiff, she stomped out the door.
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Murtagh's eyes widened. He knew both voices, echoing faintly in his memory as if from a dream.
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End of Chapter Nine
I'm not going go to let Salem out of the picture; I like her too much. No, she has a purpose. And there is going to be romance, as there is now. Just different.
Sorry about the delay. Holidays, lousy computers, and writer's block have made my life a happy one. Next chapter will definitely have more Murtagh and Thorn. I've been neglecting them far too much lately.
This chapter might be a little confusing as it switches back and forth between Salem's and Tria's viewpoints a LOT. I won't pull another trick like that again, I promise.
To make up for my horrid lateness, I present you with Chapter Ten…