…forty-nine… that's almost fifty chapters!
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LightShadow: Okay, my apologies. It's been months.
You know what… I'm apologizing to everyone.
You can thank Pentatonix that I'm here again, though. Listen to Run To You (by Pentatonix) and you might be able to guess why. ;)
Also, slight plot hole: I had put in the story about a chapter or so ago that Murtagh wasn't going on patrol, but now he's on patrol… let's just say it was another patrol, yeah? Heh…hehe… :D
Tania was worried. Ajihad was bound to return with his men soon, Murtagh along with him, and the messenger they'd sent ahead had reached Tronjheim hours ago. Eragon told her to stop worrying, and she replied that if she didn't worry, she wouldn't be human.
So she waited by the tunnel entrance with Ophelia as one of the guards, along with two well-armored dwarves and a Varden warrior, while Eragon set himself to reading the History of Dragons book that he'd found.
They had been standing there for a few hours when Ophelia stiffened. Tania could barely make her our as she lifted her head and scented the air and said, They're coming!
Excited, Tania reached out with her mind, brushing against the well-guarded thoughts of men and dwarves. And then…
Ophelia, get Eragon and Saphira's attention. They're needed here, Tania told her dragon mentally.
"They're coming," she told her companions. They all broke into grins before she added, "But there's a group of Urgals behind, waiting to surprise them. We'll pull them out and then attack, agreed?" The guards gave her surprised looks, but nodded grimly, unsheathing and gripping their weapons. Tania herself pulled out her bow, putting an arrow on the string. Soon, the pound of many pairs of jogging feet reached her ears, and the swaying light of torches hit the walls and floor of the tunnel.
Ajihad, Murtagh and the Twins appeared first. Tania and the others helped them out, and then they turned to help the others out.
Well, Ajiahd and Murtagh helped. The Twins stood back, something about searching for enemies. Scowling, Tania told Ajihad in an undertone, "There's a pack of Urgals behind you. They're waiting in the shadows until you've put your guard down."
The leader of the Varden gave her a shocked look. "You're sure?" he said quietly. At her nod, his face hardened. "Then we will not be caught by surprise, as they had planned." As the last members of their company clambered out of the tunnel, Ajihad gave the order to form ranks again and face the tunnel. Tania crouched at the entrance, drawing back her arrow and carefully seeking out the best target with her mind, trying to ignore her pounding heartbeat.
And, totally blind save for her mind, loosed into the darkness.
An inhuman howl shattered the almost cheerful atmosphere as an Urgal stumbled out of the darkness, Tania's arrow buried in his eye socket. Another arrow finished the job. Ajihad's patrol all gripped their weapons a little tighter as the rest of the beasts poured into sight, Tania's arrows almost taking a mind of their own as they rained down on them. Murtagh had joined her with his own bow, but the Urgals still managed to start to scale the rocks.
And then a roar from above as Saphira dove towards the skirmish, roasting the Urgals and filling the tunnels with azure-tinted flames. The monsters who weren't immediately turned to ash screamed agonizingly, flailing burning limbs, and the smell of burnt flesh rose up to meet them.
Tania staggered back from the fight, reeling and gagging from the stench. The others in Ajihad's company stumbled back as well, avoiding Saphira's wings as she descended to ensure that the job was well and truly finished.
They were scraped up and bruised, but they were back in the safest place Murtagh could name, with the two people he had finally allowed himself to get close to. After being checked over by Angela and announced perfectly healthy, they'd gone up to the dragonhold.
Below them, the scattered pieces of the Isidar Mithrim gleamed in the dusty sunlight filtering through Farthen Dūr's open peak. The dwarves hadn't had time and were hardly willing to move them. Murtagh had heard of plans being made for trying to put it back together, and he wasn't sure whether or not it would actually work. For all intents and purposes, the star sapphire was shattered totally and completely, and for good.
But, of course, there was magic. Murtagh was sure someone would be able to fix it. If anyone, probably Eragon.
His little brother was currently leaned against Saphira's neck, completely engrossed in the book they had found in the library. Tania was lounging between Saphira's shoulderblades with a large red-eyed cat, rubbing the cat's ears as she talked with Murtagh, who sat against Saphira's shoulder. Saphira herself was napping.
They didn't talk about anything important. Mostly it was completely random things like how best to track down and then skin a rabbit, or what way of making a small shelter was best, sharing the small things they'd learned over the years. Then they started sharing other stories; how and why Tania had come from the north, what happened when Murtagh was tracking down the Ra'zac, even drawing Eragon away from his book to socialize. They shared jokes and laughter, enjoying each other's company to the fullest.
And that is when Murtagh knew that he was well and truly home.
With family.
…months.
You're all gonna kill me, aren't you?
Ah, well. If you kill me, that means no more Shifting Dragon… unless Castiel brings me back…
*random Supernatural reference*
FF