Torn Between Two
Chapter 8
Eragon stared at the rising sun, admiring the blood red rays as they pierced the black sky. He'd been up since Reilyn had left, thinking and packing up the rest of their things. He'd noticed how Reilyn hadn't been sleeping well and he didn't like it at all.
She's been distracted lately, he thought, putting his sword on his belt.
Of course, so have I, he smiled as he found her sword and bow.
"Master Eragon?" a very young voice whispered behind him.
"Yes?" Eragon turned to the open tent door to see a young boy.
"If you're all packed up," he bowed, "we'll have the tent taken down and your things put on the carts."
"That would be fantastic," he smiled and ruffled the boys hair as he walked by, "thank you."
"You're quite welcome, Master Eragon!" he smiled at the teen.
"If anyone asks for me, I'm with Saphira and Reilyn."
"Yes sir!"
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He stood and watched Reilyn as she slept.
She's always been so daring, he thought, smiling when he saw her using Saphira's claws as a pillow.
"Rei," he whispered, kneeling down.
"Eragon?" she asked groggily.
"Yeah, c'mon the dawn's here," he touched her shoulder.
"What?!" she tried to sit up, but Saphira's head pinned her down.
"Relax," he giggled, "I've packed everything. They're tearing down the tent right now."
"Oh," she exhaled, collapsing back onto the dragon's claws.
"I've brought your sword and bow. Quiver too."
"Thank you."
"Who's taking the first turn?" he asked, unable to hide his fear and excitement.
"I guess I will," she pushed on Saphira's head, "then I'll just stay through with you for yours. Saphira! Get up!" He watched Reilyn struggle beneath the dragon, amused.
"Saphira!" she strained.
With one fluid movement, the blue dragon rose her head, but pinned the teen down again with her paw.
Don't you know any better than to wake a sleeping dragon? Saphira asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Not when said sleeping dragon is preventing me from getting up!" she shot back, smiling and squirming.
Saphira tightened her claws on the girls body.
Maybe I should teach you.
"OW! Saphira!" Reilyn gasped. "Not so tight! Your claws. . .!"
Saphira released the girl quickly, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget my strength.
"It's all right."
"Reilyn, you're bleeding!" Eragon gasped, moving to her.
"So I am," she winced as she pulled at her shirt, trying to see the damage the beast had done.
"Here, let me look," Eragon offered, taking her hands away from the wounds.
"Fine," she mumbled, "tell me how bad it is." She put her hands above her head to give him light and so he could pull her shirt up.
Reilyn, Saphira said softly, I'm-.
"Sorry, I know," she said to his dragon.
"Hold still!" he commanded, not wanting to hurt her.
He gently observed the crescent, curving wounds, lightly tracing his fingers on her sides. The wounds weren't very deep, if he had to guess he'd say only to his second knuckle (not that he put his fingers in the cuts).
"Do they hurt?" he whispered.
"Not really," she gave him a grin, "I've had plenty worse wounds."
"Should I heal them? I mean with all the traveling we have to do and all."
"Leave them for now. If they start to really get to me or they begin to hinder me in anyway, then you'll be the first to know."
"I'm going to bandage you at least," he said, pulling her shirt back down.
"I thought as much," she laughed, sitting up. He extended his hand and when she grabbed it, he helped her to her feet.
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Murtagh eyed Dogon cautiously. The man had been enraged when informed about the accompaniment of Reilyn and Eragon, but still did as he was told. Murtagh had gorged himself on the food he was given, both last night and this morning, and had put on the clean clothes.
Now, as he sat against the bars, his heart pounded against his ribs. He had just seen Eragon walk by moments ago, followed by Reilyn. The brunette took his breath away, dressed in tan colored clothes, and his blade on his hip.
But, he thought, remembering Reilyn, she seemed different somehow.
He thought back to the girl. Although, he'd paid the most attention to the brunette, he had still noted the girl. He called up her image.
Her sides! he realized. They were bleeding!
He flew to the other side of the cage, standing on his tip-toes and craning his neck in hopes to see them. He got lucky somehow, they were only yards away, talking to a blonde woman.
Elli, he remembered, her name is Elli and she's a witch.
He watched them talk for a second, then the beautiful witch gestured to Reilyn's sides. He stared as the red-head pulled up the black shirt, revealing smooth, pale skin. The wounds on her sides were still trickling blood, but they didn't seem to pain her. His eyes drifted back to her unmarked skin.
How would it feel under my fingertips? he wondered. Would the skin be cool? Like her hands had been when she touched my face?
Stop it! he shook his head. He'd been with both men and women relationship wise, but eventually women had begun to bore him. It had been at least two years since a female had appealed to him and Eragon had become the only man he wanted.
Still, he found himself wanting her close to him, like when he saved her. Biting his lip, he turned his back on them and sank to the ground.
Get yourself together! he willed himself. She's going to be traveling with you today, as well as Eragon. He paused here, putting something together.
He groaned inwardly at the thought of possibly traveling with both at the same time.
Please, he pleaded with nothing, don't let that happen.
"Traitor!" a gruff voice barked. "We'll be leaving shortly. Put these on." Dogon threw a pair of worn walking boots between the bars.
Murtagh nodded and pulled his own boots off, trading them for comfortable walking ones. Taking a risk, he glanced back over his shoulder. She had been bandaged up already and was pulling her shirt back down, but he caught one last glimpse of her pale skin and almost died.
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Elli had impressed Reilyn when they asked her about bandages. The young, blonde witch had packed several aide kits, just for this sort of problem.
"That was some good thinking, Elli!" Reilyn beamed.
Elli smiled and nodded, pulling out a kit from her pack. Before handing the bandages over, the blonde witch gestured for Reilyn to lift her shirt.
"Elli," she began, gently pulling her shirt up, "exactly how old are you?"
The beautiful witch looked at her with twinkling emerald eyes.
"A lot older than you!" she laughed.
"Really? You don't look more than twenty-three!"
"That's because twenty-three is my favorite number," she giggled. "What happened to cause such wounds?"
"Playing too rough with Saphira," Reilyn replied, watching the blonde look at her wounds.
"Mmmm," she gently touched Reilyn's sides, "Eragon, please let me wrap her, you shouldn't be tending to a woman's wounds in such places."
"Oh, uh. . .," Eragon blushed, "of course. I'll be waiting for you." He turned and left, his burning face turned downward.
"You didn't have to send him away like that Elli," Reilyn scolded, "he's fine."
"I know," green eyes met brown, "but for one, someone's staring and two: people are starting to talk."
"Who's watching? And what are people saying?!" her anger rose immediately.
People have been whispering behind those smiles and bows since the day I've come here, Thinking I'm not a real warrior because I'm a girl! I prove myself time and time again in battle, and still they doubt me! They sneer at me, when they think I don't know! she mused.
"Reilyn?" Elli's voice brought her back.
"I'm sorry," she looked at Elli, "what did you say?"
"My, and you asked the question," she shook her head. "I was saying that Murtagh is. . . Errr. . . was the one watching us."
"What?" she looked over her right shoulder. Murtagh was sitting with his back to them, pulling off his boots and reaching for the pair she had ordered be taken to him.
Had he really been watching? she worried.
"Aye," Elli said, as she finished with the bandages. "I wouldn't think of it too much. It's what others are saying that would ruffle my fur."
"What are they saying now?" Reilyn growled, already promising herself that if she found who was saying it, they'd never speak again.
"That you and Eragon are getting," Elli motioned for Reilyn to pull her shirt down, "well, close."
Reilyn pulled her shirt down and was suddenly aware that she felt watched. Repressing the curiosity to turn and see who it was, she focused her attention on the blonde.
"Close? In what way?" she had to bite her tongue against what she really wanted to say.
"Do the bandages feel all right? They're not too tight or anything?"
She knows you know, she told herself, and is avoiding the subject.
"No, they're just perfect. Thank you, Elli!" she bowed to the girl, knowing she was an elder and showed respect.
"Stop that!" Elli giggled, blushing deep.
"Only being respectful," Reilyn said before leaving.
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Eragon waved Reilyn over when he saw her black outfit among the sea of color. They were close to departure time and he wanted to make sure she was really okay.
"Eragon!" she said, loudly, smiling and opening her arms wide.
"Rei!" he said, just as loud, opening his arms to receive her.
"I'm all fixed up, thanks to Elli," she said, hugging him.
"Glad to hear it," he squeezed her to him, "really glad to hear it."
"Eragon, your hearts pounding!" she pulled back to look at him. "Why?"
"Does that really require my explaining?" he asked.
It had been the glimpse of Murtagh that had made his heart thud in his chest. The boys raven black hair that hung carelessly around his face, and the way his pale skin contrasted with his black clothes, making him seem all the paler.
If only I could touch him, Eragon wished, feel his skin beneath my hands, his lips on mine. . . Just once again, one more time. . .
"Daydreaming?" Reilyn asked, playfully flicking his ear lobes.
"No," he lied, "just thinking."
"Mmm," she kept playing with his ear lobes, "you're a horrid liar."
"Cut it out," he said, pretending annoyance.
"What? Making fun of you? Or playing with your ears?"
"All of the above," he smiled, pulling her hands away. "You should probably. . ."
"Get going?" she finished for him.
"Yeah," he whispered.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Fine," he lied, "don't let the guards be too mean to him."
"Eragon," she murmured into his neck, "I already promised, remember?"
"Contact me when you'd like to-," he didn't know how to finish.
"I'll let you know when it's your turn," she said, smiling into his skin.
"Thank you."
"Calm down, Er, you're gonna drop dead if you don't."
He laughed out loud and nuzzled against her neck, he still felt tense all over, but he felt a small amount better.