CHAPTER EIGHT: THE SHADE

A Shade with long crimson hair and red eyes watched with satisfaction from his view point a far distance off from were the battle was taking place. Soon he would join the wretched Urgals to place at the top of the pile of dead bodies a spear with a young infant on it.

He turned his thought away from the scene below and brought it to ones that gave him pleasure other than that of battle. A young girl about the age of sixteen that with her father had watch grow from infant to teenager over the years. He was attracted to her not only by her innocent beauty but her spirit intrigued him.

The spirit was free of bonds to the world and only lingered with its master because it was attached to her by the kindness the young girl showed. Another interesting fact was she was part of a bargain he had made in previous years concerning power and if he agreed to it she was his no questions asked.

He decided that he would go the long way to the town as to linger away from the tools of war. As he walked he was as silent as death itself ever watching for a movement or a flash of something blue. His thoughts never leaving the girl he ever searched for the one that would make him 'complete' weither she liked it or not.

He came to the edge of a clearing and he heard a femine voice say something unaware of his pressence. He peered through the branches to see a girl about age sixteen with pale skin and golden hair. She was observing something and guessed she was hunting. When she looked up he got a good look at her face and to his great pleasure it was the girl he had been ever searching for.

Perfect now the hunter has become the hunted. He thought as he planned to make things happen.

Essora decsided that she would go hunting to get dinner for the three of them seemings Saphira and Vrael were off hunting. She told Eragon and Brom what she was doing putting her quiver full of arrows across her shoulder and putting a dagger at her waist, then she picked up her bow and headed out.

Essora found what she was looking for not far from the camp. They were fresh rabbit tracks and she followed them further away from the camp soon multiple tracks joined the ones she was following and she couldn't believe her luck.

She walked into a clearing catious as to not scare away any of the prey she was hunting. She came to a hole in the ground and silently crept to it. She found three large rabbits asleep inside the hole.

"Now I have you," she said as she slowly pulled her dagger out. But before she could strike the rabbits she was shoved to the ground sending her dagger far from her her arrows spilling and her sword pinned to the ground so she couold not reach it. She puffed her stray hair from her eyes the best she could without using her hands to wish she hadn't because right on top of her was a Shade.

Essora was bound and carried to the outside of a village. The Shade strapped her to a black horse (how very fitting) and left twelve Urgal gaurds to make sure she did not escape. He had given her something to dull her magic and she was unable to contact Vrael or anyone for that matter.

After a few minutes the Shade returned telling the Urgals to set watch in the village giving them orders to kill anyone who passed through. Then he saddled the horse and left.

Oh great if I ever escape I will never go hunting again in unkown territory. She thought as she uncomfortably jostled here and there thankful that she hadn't fell off yet. After an hour he turned to look at her probably to make sure she was still there. She glared at him showing she was not at all happy. He seemed to shrug it off.

"You know this is very uncomfertable don't you?" she asked her captor.

"Which would you prefer up her in front of me or back there stapped to the horse?" he asked looking at her mockingly.

"I would prefer it if you would let me go. I don't even know you. And I'm not a criminal."

"No your part of a bargain that I made."

"And who is this person that made this bargain?"

"Your father."

"My father is dead. He died when I was one, falling off the top of a water fall. So your lying."

"What if I told you, you were Galbatorixs daughter and rightfull heir to the throne?"

"I wouldn't belive you."

"Fair enough," and he was silent.

She lay there thinking of way to escape but all of the ones that would work reqiured magic and the ones that didn't were no good. She finally gave up and set herself to finding out who this Shade was and who he worked for (she is very slow at catching hints).

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Ha. No. Should I be beacuse if I am I'm not?" she said getting worried as her situation caught up with her.

"Lets just say enjoy your remaining days of freedom before we reach our destination."

They were silent again and she was overcome by her wearyness from being strapped in this perdicament and she drifted off into a useless sleep. When she woke up it was dark and the only reason she had woke was because the Shade was unstrapping her. She was placed on her feet and they failed her due to the lack of blood flow. He let her walk to get it going again before telling her she was riding up front.

He helped her up onto the horse leaving her hands bound as he got up behind her. After he was situated he spurred the horse into a gallope. She became sick as the secenery passed her by as only a blurr of shadows. The rest of the trip was spent in a daze for days on end without stop. They finally reached the city of Gi'lead and they made their way to a large building in the center of the town.

She must have passed out because when she woke she was in a room clean and in a fresh night gown of a floaty white fabric. She felt the best she had in days since she had been taken captive by the Shade and her mind was no longer groggy also she could use her magic freely. She ate what was on the tray of food then she changed into a light blue dress that was unadorned. She walked to the door to open it to only find out that it was locked. How could she have been so stupid. She was a prisoner but why wasn't she in the dungeon? She sat down on the bed fear gripping her heart.