Disclaimer: Don't own Eragon.
Alright, quickly written chapter! Enjoy!
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A shout in the hallway jerked Alycie out of her dreamless slumber. For a moment she could not remember where she was, lying perfectly still, facing the wall. Then the memories of the night came flooding back to her and she relaxed, suddenly aware of the strong, muscled arms that held her around the waist. Behind her, Murtagh moved, lifting his head and kissing her on the cheek.
"Good morning, my love," he said into her ear. Alycie rolled over to face him, feeling her heart nearly melt with passion at the sight of him. She opened her mouth to say something, smiled and closed it, and, instead, leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He brought a hand to her face, caressing it.
Another shout sounded from the hallway, followed by running footsteps. A scream echoed from far away. Murtagh and Alycie pulled apart, looking at the door. Murtagh turned to her, his face serious.
"Stay here," he said, climbing out of the bed. He slipped his pants on, walking to the door. Alycie reached over the side of the bed, grabbing her clothes and pulling them up under the sheets, pulling them on in a hurry, her eyes on the door. Murtagh raised a fist and banged three times on it. "Aye!" he called. "What's going on out there!?"
The sound of the latch moving startled Murtagh and he stepped back. Alycie pulled the tunic on quickly and tugged the sheets over her body, holding her breath. She heard the door open.
"What's going on?" asked Murtagh.
"Urgals!" said the man. "They're attacking Farthen Dûr! Ajihad has ordered that Argetlam, Arya, and the soldiers collapse the tunnels to protect Tronjheim. The women and children are evacu--" He looked past Murtagh. "'Oo you got in there?" Murtagh furrowed his brow.
"I don't know what you're--" The soldier pushed past him, followed by the dwarf, who abruptly drew his sword and held the point to Murtagh's neck. The man walked to the bed where Alycie lay under the sheets. He pulled the cloth back.
"You!" he exclaimed. He turned to Murtagh. "Oh when Ajihad hears about this you'll be--"
"Don't blame him!" said Alycie quickly, getting out of the bed. She looked at the dwarf guard. "He didn't do anything. I came down here and broke in. Take the blade away." The dwarf didn't change his expression, but he lowered the spear somewhat. "He hasn't done anything wrong, therefore he deserves no punishment," said Alycie.
"They've been searching for you all morning," said the man. "Ferros is at the end of his wits. Blavon, could you guard him on your own while I take her to Ajihad?" The dwarf nodded, lowering the spear the rest of the way. The man took Alycie's arm in his strong grip, leading her towards the door. She glanced back over her shoulder at Murtagh, mouthing three words before they entered the hallway. The dwarf followed them, locking the door and taking his position dutifully.
Alycie found herself being led along the familiar path to Ajihad's study. When they reached the ground floor of Tronjheim, however, a figure disassociated himself from the crowd, running over. He wore armor and a helmet, but Alycie knew with a feeling of sinking guilt who it was.
"Alycie!" exclaimed Ferros when he reached them. He sounded relieved and exasperated all at once. "Where have you been!? I've been searching all over the city for you!"
"I--"
"She was in the cell," said the soldier. "Stole in there in the dead of night while we was all sleeping. She done went and gave herself the liberty of lifting the keys off me and letting herself in like any passing visitor."
"You nearly cost me my rank, low even as it was!" said Ferros angrily. Alycie shrank back, her hair dropping to hide her meek face. The soldier grew sympathetic.
"Now, Ferros, she acted rashly," he said. "But don't go too aggressive on her. We're to fight the Urgals, not each other." Ferros took a deep breath, straightening and nodding.
"Right. I'll take her to Ajihad, Lem. You can go back."
"Thankee lad," said Lem, turning and walking back towards the staircase.
"Come on," said Ferros with a sigh, grabbing hold of Alycie's wrist and leading her along down the side hallway. They walked quickly down the winding corridors, stopping at the large cedar doors of Ajihad's study. Ferros raised a hand and rapped his knuckles on the wood. He was granted entrance.
"Ah, she is found," said the ebony-skinned leader, looking up as they walked inside.
"She was in Murtagh's cell," said Ferros tonelessly. Ajihad narrowed his eyes, looking from him to Alycie.
"You were not to leave the vicinity of your guard, Alycie," he said sternly. "But now is not the time. We are preparing for battle. How have your magic skills grown?"
"I can do some, but not anything big," said Alycie.
"Can you fight?" asked Ajihad.
"Ferros would be a better judge than I," said Alycie. Ajihad's eyes flicked to the guard.
"She is...sufficient," said Ferros. Alycie glanced at him quickly.
"I would normally suggest you evacuate the city along with the women and children," said Ajihad. "But as you have not yet repaid our hospitality, fight your hardest in battle to do so."
"I will try," said Alycie, inclining her head.
"No, you will do," said Ajihad. "Take her to the armory."
"Yes, sir," said Ferros, bowing. He turned and led Alycie out of the study back into the corridor.
They walked without a word back through the atrium, past the crowds of people leaving with their belongings slung over their backs with crying babies in their arms. Out of the hallway into Farthen Dûr they walked, finding battalions of men arranged in rows making up blocks gleaming silver in the early light. Ferros led Alycie into a nearby tent. Inside was piled wagons and wagons of different armor.
"Pick out what fits," he said indifferently, "and put it on. Now...can I trust you to stay here while I get your sword?" He looked at her sternly. Alycie nodded. He continued to stare, unconvinced.
"Swear it," he said.
"I swear on my life I won't leave until you get back," said Alycie. Ferros hesitated, but turned to walk out. "Ferros, wait." He stopped. Alycie walked over to him and turned him around, looking him in the eye. "I'm sorry." Ferros shrugged.
"It doesn't matter," he said. Alycie wasn't convinced.
"I'm sorry...I truly am," she said. Ferros looked at her for a moment. Finally, he nodded.
"It's the past," he said. "It's alright." Alycie leaned up and pecked him on the cheek quickly.
"You're a good friend," she said. Ferros lifted a hand to his face in a daze. Alycie laughed. "Go get my sword," she said, pushing him out of the door of the tent. He staggered slightly, but walked out, his hand still on his cheek.
Alycie began her long dig through the piles of armor, dragging out a leather backed chain mail shirt. It fell below her knees and nearly toppled her from the weight, but she ignored it, pulling out some greaves and bracers and strapping them to her limbs, following with mail gloves on her hands. She pulled the dagger out of her boot and quickly severed the tangled ends of her grown-out hair so that it hung short on her shoulders once again, piling it up on top of her head and pulling a tough leather cap on top of it. She took a mail coif and dropped it heavily onto her head, topping it all off with an old, metal helmet resembling Ferros'. She turned and the mail shirt swung loudly like a long skirt.
"You need this," said Ferros' voice, making her jump. Alycie saw her sword and belt in his hands, held out towards her. She stepped forward and took them, strapping the belt around her waist and buckling it. It kept the mail in place. She pulled a tough leather shirt over the mail and tested the weight. It was very heavy. Moving would be trouble.
"How can you stand this?" she asked, taking a few testy steps back and forth. Ferros smirked.
"Why? Is it too heavy for you?" he asked. Alycie looked up at him with raised eyebrows.
"Well how am I supposed to bloody lift a sword in all this?" she exclaimed, pulling at the mail on her arms.
"You'll get used to it in an hour or so," said Ferros reassuringly. "Come."
They walked out of the tent and up to an officer. Ferros had a quick word with him before leading Alycie along the street towards a battalion of men a ways off in the distance. They were hammering sharpened saplings into the ground at the mouth of a collapsed tunnel. They reached the pile of rubble from the destroyed tunnel and began to dig, making a hole for the saplings.
Alycie felt sweat pour off of her skin as she struggled to move heavy rocks, feeling the metal armor take its toll on her muscles. Ferros acted as if he were wearing merely cloth, shoveling the gravel out of the hole with enthusiasm, if nothing else. Eventually they were called to take a break while others took over and they walked to the edge of the gravel mound, sitting heavily and gratefully accepting the wineskin as it was passed their way.
The trenches were soon finished and the other soldiers joined them, sitting and staring up at the buildings, whose roofs blazed with fires boiling pitch to pour onto the Urgals. Alycie looked around and spotted Saphira, clad in magnificent armor, sitting a ways in the distance. She and Ferros stood, walking over to them.
"Saphira! Eragon!" said Alycie, waving. They looked at her, puzzled at first. Eragon stood.
"Alycie?" he asked. "Last I heard they couldn't find you anywhere..."
"They found me," said Alycie, shrugging.
"You're not evacuating?" asked Eragon, surprised. Alycie shook her head.
"Ajihad has told me to fight to pay back the hospitality showed by the Varden," she said. Something sparked in her mind and she turned around, pulling Ferros forward quickly. "This is Ferros. He's been my gracious friend and escort," she said. "Ferros, this is Eragon." Ferros bowed respectfully.
"Argetlam," he said. Eragon clapped a hand on his shoulder, pulling him into a friendly hug.
"If you're a friend of Alycie's, then you're a friend of mine," he said. "Don't bother with the formalities." Ferros grinned.
"He's been wanting to meet you for some time," said Alycie. Ferros shot her a look and she laughed.
"Where were you when they were searching the entire city?" asked Eragon. Alycie bit her lip, shrugging.
"I was wandering around," she said. "Couldn't sleep." She immediately focused on a rock on the ground as the familiar brush touched her consciousness. A dwarf in armor interrupted the attempted purge on her mind. He sat down with a sigh, dropping his ax, and Alycie recognized him as Orik. They sat as well.
"All of the men and dwarves are on the battlefield. Tronjheim has been sealed off. Hrothgar has taken charge of the battalion to our left. Ajihad leads the one ahead of us," he said in exhaustion.
"Who commands this one?" asked Eragon.
"Jörmundur," said Orik. Saphira suddenly exhaled a puff of smoke, nudging Eragon with a claw. He turned his head sharply. Alycie turned her head as well, following his line of sight. Murtagh was walking towards him, dressed in armor as they all were, holding a shield, his sword, and Tornac's reins. Orik cursed, jumping to his feet. Murtagh quickly held up a hand.
"It's alright; Ajihad released me," he said.
"Why would he do that?" asked Orik in disbelief.
"He said this was an opportunity to prove my good intentions. Apparently, he doesn't think I would be able to do much damage even if I did turn on the Varden," said Murtagh grimly. Eragon nodded in agreement.
"How do we know you're not lying?" demanded Orik.
"Because I say so," said a deep voice Alycie recognized as Ajihad's. They turned to see him walking towards them, tall and strong, armed for war. He placed a hand on Eragon's shoulder, motioning for him to walk with him. Casting an eye over Alycie, he nodded in approval, turning and walking away with the Rider. Murtagh took a seat, setting the shield down next to him. He cast an eye around the rest of them, stopping as his gaze connected with Alycie's.
"You didn't leave with the others!?" he exclaimed suddenly. She shook her head.
"Ajihad told me to fight," she said. Murtagh turned his head away, shaking it. "I can fight!"
"Yes, but I can't, knowing I'll have to worry about protecting you," said Murtagh. Orik was watching them argue, utterly confused.
"You don't have to protect me," said Alycie. "You don't worry about protecting Eragon."
"Eragon is a Rider! He is much more skilled than you!" said Murtagh.
"I've been through nearly just as much as Eragon has," argued Alycie.
"No you haven't," said Murtagh.
"She can fight well enough, Murtagh," said Ferros suddenly. Murtagh looked at him.
"You've sparred?" he asked.
"Yes," said Ferros. "And she actually won. She's capable of taking care of herself."
"You haven't known her as long as I have," said Murtagh, staring the guard down with a piercing eye.
"Oh, so you think she can't take care of herself?" asked Ferros.
"Not in a war," said Murtagh.
"Murtagh!" said Alycie. He didn't look at her. She walked over to him, sitting next to him and leaning in so Ferros and Orik couldn't hear. "Do you love me or not?"
"Yes," said Murtagh immediately, looking at her. She stared into his eyes pleadingly.
"Then trust me," she said, kissing him. Murtagh stared at her for a long moment, then sighed, looking away. Alycie took that to mean approval.
"...Ferros, is that Alycie?" whispered Orik, pointing at Alycie. Ferros nodded. Orik mouthed an 'o' of understanding, crossing his arms.
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