Standing on the branches of the great Oak tree Arya watched the wave of dust swell steadily towards her at a walk. The land was flat, lush grass graced its surface and a river reflected the sapphire sky as it wound its way across the land. Scanning ahead to the path the Empire soldiers, who looked to number over eighty, would eventually cross she saw a small camp hidden behind a small hill, the only rise in terrain. The soldiers would be unable to see them and they would be completely unaware of the soldiers approach until it was to late. The soldiers were obviously from the Varden and there appeared to be commotion in the camp, so she spoke a few words in the ancient language feeling a small decrease in her energy.
Her vision doubled she could see Urgals and normal soldiers. The Urgals who out numbered the humans 3 to one had surrounded two figures fighting each other, one was human and the other was Urgal. The humans desperately threw themselves against the Urgals trying to get to their comrade. The Urgals stood tall and threw them off, not harming them but keeping them from getting to their duelling comrade. The human had brown shaggy hair, his back had large red lines criss-crossing his skin and when he turned around she could see his grey eyes. She stiffened in surprise. It was Roran.
Shifting into a more comfortable position she resumed watching Roran apparently fighting. The Urgal had the upper hand and appeared to be playing with him. Begging to feel uneasy she stood up and took a step off the tree branch. Holding her blade so it wouldn't get caught in the braches Arya fell down through the canopy, nimbly leaping from branch to branch when her path was obscured. Landing softly on the ground she smiled and began to jog towards the Varden warriors.
When she arrived at the edge of the woods she stopped short. All the men were gone, their supplies and tents were all left behind. The entire camp was in a shambles, pots and pans strewn all over the grass. Sliding out of her crouch she slowly and cautiously walked over into the campsite, every sense alert.
Tendrils of smoke rose into the sky from various small fires starting on tents and supplies. Stepping over cutlery and cooking tools Arya quenched the flames hungrily lapping at the grass before her. Feeling more cautious she strengthened her mental barriers until they were nigh impenetrable. Moving through the smoke she heard footsteps and moved silently towards them reaching for her blade.
Peering throught the smoke she saw black armour and the symbol of Galbatorix on their helms and breastplates. Her eyes widened as she counted more men emerging through the smoke. Stepping back she slowly backed away. Cursing on the inside she realised they were on both sides of her as well as in front of her. Relying on scenes honed over years of evading Empire soldiers she quickly ran through the smoke as silent as a butterflies whisper.
Suddenly she slid to a halt, there was a figure lying on the ground on front of her. Her blade slid silently out of its sheath as she stepped over it and prodded the naked torso with her foot. His head was caked with blood and his legs were bent at a wrong angle, a gold ring on his hand glowed faintly sapphire. The ground shuddered as the empire soldiers moved closer. "There is nothing here, looks like they left in a hurry" a soldier called back to his superiors. "Silence you incompetent oaf!" snarled back the commander. "This would be the perfect place for a trap if there were people here, Sir" there was a stony silence as the commander considered this. "I am well aware of that you fool, yet I can shake the feeling there is someone here." He paused then continued, "Bring the five mages!"
Arya flinched and retreated a few steps, then glancing at Roran she stopped. If she left now know one would ever know she was here. Roran wasn't her responsibility and besides she wasn't in any condition to battle five human mages, not in her current mental state. An image of Eragon flashed unbidden to her mind. It was he walking into the cell and catching her as she fell unconscious to the floor. "Barzûl!" She swore under her breath. Deciding not to risk healing Roran yet she whispered a few words over him then she stepped forward and began to prepare herself for an excursion she would most likely not survive.
Creeping forward she slid behind the closest soldier to her and Roran. It was the one who had foolishly announced their presence. Clamping her hand across his mouth she drew her blade across his throat and slowly lowered him to the grass careful to avoid the clanging of his armour. Stepping to the right she waited for his companion to turn around before she ran him through. His eyes bulged as he tried to draw a breath and then she caught him as he fell.
Circling back around she came upon another soldier poking Roran with his heavily boot foot. "I think I…." He trailed off as she appeared out of the smoke and thrust her blade under and up his neck. His gasping and moaning as he chocked on his blood alerted the soldiers to her presence.
"Enemy attack! Battle formation!" roared the commander. "And get me those mages!" he snapped. Leaving Roran for the moment she circled the soldiers relying on her instincts to find and avoid them. Knowing her presence had been revealed she decided on speed rather than stealth and took down as many soldiers as she could. Soldiers cried out from everywhere as she stalked them through the smoke and killed them next to their companions.
A soft tingling filled the air around her and Arya quickly made her way to Roran as fast as she could, picking up some human blades and weapons along the way. The mages were chanting and magic flowed heavy on the air. As the smoke lifted the soldiers all turned to find her standing over Roran in a protective and defensive stance a pile of weapons before her and a sword that dripped blood. The mages looked at her and then around them at the bodies of the soldiers. "Elf" the one in the centre hissed and then he and his brothers assaulted her mind. Retreating deep into her mind she resisted and prepared herself for a fight until the death. "Kill her," screamed the commander.
Striding forward she threw the first soldier to reach her over her head and back into his friends. Twisting she narrowly avoided a blade arching towards her and kicked him in the face. Slashing, stabbing and blocking she slowly created a circle of bodies around her. Pointing at the earth she cried "Deloi rïsa!" The soldiers in the front row cringed as the earth slowly rose until it was level with their eyes "Deloi gánga fram" the rock shot forward and buried itself into their foreheads after a moments pause in which the magicians wards halted its course. Arya gasped for so few men, her energy had been severely depleted.
"Attack all at once! She cannot hold us all off especially if she is protecting that man." ordered the commander who was safely in the middle of the ring. "Bring me her head!" As the men slowly moved to surround her he asked. "Your man girlie? Sorry if he is because he is going to be dead very shortly."
She usually didn't engage in banter with her opponents, preferring to save her breath but this time she answered. "Oh no. He's not mine, just the cousin of the Dragon Rider that is on his way with his dragon to kill you all. One of the last remaining family he has left, by the way. He is very protective of those he cares about." She paused and smiled at the pale faces of the commander and the mages. Please let it work. "Kill her quickly and then capture the man, we can hold him for ransom. King Galbatorix will be very pleased." Arya swallowed as the men moved closer, there was no way she could fight them all and win, while trying to protect Roran. She shoved her sword into the blood stained earth and threw all her power into one powerful and destructive word. "Brisingr!"
Emerald fire roared out of her hands and cloaked the soldiers, engulfing them in green flames. Arya closed her eyes as she swayed on her feet, her energy was all gone and she rested her hands on the pommel of her sword, ready to die having repaid her debt. When she was dead, the spells she had placed on Roran would transport him immediately to the Varden using his own energy and that of the dead soldiers. Suddenly out of nowhere energy slammed itself into her body, streaming in through her hands, it burst out of her to continue feeding the spell. The mages and hundred soldiers had no chance as the wall of fire enclosed them, they were obliterated and turned to ash within seconds, and they didn't even have the change to scream.
The power coursing through her was astounding the amount was massive. Her entire body hummed and quivered with pleasure as her shaking limbs were restored and her energy was replaced. She threw her head back and laughed, the energy was pure and white. Cutting off the energy to the fire she marvelled at the power surrounding her and bathing her in a silver light. Speaking in the ancient language she drew water out of the air until it formed a ball in her palms. Using the silver energy she changed the water into a glittering crystal diamond until it was about the size of one of her eyes. The energy flowed unbidden into the diamond and filled it until it seemed it would shatter under the amount.
She sighed as the last of the power left her and resolved to keep it secret, as her energy had expanded thrice the amount with less than the normal amount of energy need to do such a thing. Using her own magic she placed the diamond in her bloodied pommel and disguised it with magic.
A low mumbling caused her to look at Roran, who was moaning into the grass in a pool of blood. Probing towards him she felt for the extent of his injuries and winced. His legs were broken in many places, some of his ribs were sticking out and one of his arms was fractured. He also had a major concussion after what appeared to be a blow to the head. These injuries however, were the least of his problems, as Arya looked into him further she saw that one of his lungs had been pierced and the other had collapsed. Roran was slowly drowning on his own blood. Sighing she got to work fixing his lungs first with the spells of healing she had learned and memorised as a child. Next she fixed his ribs, feeling satisfied as they snapped back into place with a crunch. After healing his legs she moved to his head but decided to leave him asleep rather then have him see her.
It was while she was healing his arm that she noticed his ring; the glowing sapphire light was steadily growing brighter. Eragon and Saphira were coming. No! He cannot now where I am, no one can know. Getting to her feet she ran towards the forest and disappeared under the leaves and branches. No one would know, she left neither footprints, nor trace of her magic as she had used the silver power to heal Roran and it would have also erased any traces of her original magic.
Katrina gasped as the gold band on her hand suddenly began to glow and throb. Getting to her feet she excused herself and made her way out of the villages' tent where she was making bread. She shielded her eyes as the sunlight hit her and almost walked into someone. "Wash it wer ye gone!" the man snarled and stumbled on clutching his bottle close to his chest. Katrina frowned after him and headed towards Nasuada's command pavilion acknowledging people she recognised as she passed them.
She was halted by the guards immediately and was asked her business being there. "Let her in please Captain" came Nasuada's voice form inside. The guards bowed and opened the doors. Eragon, Nasuada, King Orion, Jörmundur and various other men whom she didn't know all stopped talking and turned to look at her.
Katrina, what is it? Eragon asked gently his voice echoing inside her head. "My ring it its" Eragon turned to Nasuada" I have to go, I promised my cousin I would come when he needed help. I-"
"Go Eragon. Leave now and contact me when you get to him, I want to know what happened to the assault group I sent out with him." Eragon gaped at her, his jaw hanging. Nasuada's eyes narrowed. "Your cousin isn't going to be alive any longer if you stand there staring at me" Eragon gaped still staring at her. "But I thought- " Nasuada sighed and said. "Arya and Blödhgarm obviously didn't tell you. When you get back Ill tell you what we discussed, okay. Now please, I don't want to be responsible for holding you up." Eragon bowed and walked out dragging Katrina with him. Once they were away from the guards and Eragon had placed a spell around them to ward from listeners he said "The reason your ring is pounding is because Roran is in trouble, he might even be dying so I have lo leave right now. Stay with Nasuada and Ill talk to you when I talk to her." He turned and ran off leaving Katrina behind staring after him worriedly.
The clang and cries of battle slowly leaked through the mist surrounding his mind. He tried to get up but couldn't, Katrina he though and attempted to jerked his body straight. Gasping he fell back, once again into the lake of coal. Katrina, our unborn child… by sheer force of will he kept his heart beating and kept pulling air into his caving lungs, silently screaming in his head.
A warm tingling swelled through his body and forced the pains away. He drew big deep lungful after lungful of bloodstained air into his healed lungs. Soft warm fingers pressed against his head and the dizziness washed away. He could smell smoke and blood and the smell of burned meat. It was to overpowering so he cautiously sat up, and as he did so he saw a black clothed figure turn look at him before vanishing into the undergrowth. He stared after the person with unblinking eyes, even when he heard the air shuddering thud thud that announced his cousin's presence he still stared after the person wondering if what he had seen was real.
Eragon and Saphira drifted high among the clouds intently peering at the ground, searching for Roran and his troops. Seeing a group of soldiers Saphira pulled into a straight dive and landed with a thud in front of them. The humans and Urgals stopped arguing and turned to look at Eragon and Saphira with fear in their eyes. Eragon began to panic, as he didn't see his cousin among the men. Seeing the magician Carn who he recognised he asked. "Where is my cousin?" desperation leaking into his voice. Carn gulped but bravely stepped forward. "S-Shadeslayer. I we, um." He turned and pointed back the way they had come from. "We were attacked by Thorn and we panicked and ran. Your cousin was fighting an Urgal and then when Thorn attacked we all ran, It was only after we found Snowfire rider less that we realised he wasn't with us. We were just debating what to do when you turned up My Lord." He bowed and took a step back and the men with him nodded their agreement .One of the Urgals spoke. "I was the Urgal Firesword," he rumbled stepping forward in front of the humans. "Stronghammer and I had had a fight before in which he had won. I challenged him again and had won when Thorn appeared out of nowhere. Like everyone I ran. I don't know what happened to Stronghammer after that."
Eragon felt a flash of anger and was about to yell at the soldiers when Saphira quickly spoke. Little one .She said in a soothing tone it is not their fault. Don't get angry, we may still arrive in time to save your cousin. Your right, Saphira. Where would I be without you? Saphira hummed and nudged her riders' leg with her nose. "You are to go straight to the Varden and report today's happenings to Lady Nasuada." Eragon told the men as Saphira leapt into the sky and speed like a blue arrow towards where they hoped Roran was.
Flying high above the grassy plains Saphira noticed a bare barren patch that was darkened by ash and smoke. Eragon Saphira said and flew faster towards it. What happened here? Eragon asked. There is nothing, absolutely nothing. He said as they flew low over the blood stained earth. "Saphira there!" Eragon cried seeing Roran sitting by himself on a near lone patch of lush, rich grass. "Roran!" Eragon cried in relief running up to his blood stained cousin. "Are you okay?" Roran slowly got to his feet, his eyes locked on the woods to the right. "I'm fine. But I don't know how I am alive. I was dieing Eragon, I know I was." Saphira came up behind Eragon and stared down at Roran. Name who has hurt you and I will rip them to threads and bring you their ears as trophies. She growled menacingly seeing and smelling the blood on him. "Someone healed me and saved me. There were soldiers, about one hundred of them and Thorn, but now they are gone." He finally looked at Eragon, fear in his eyes. Then he looked past him to the barren plain and his eyes widened. "This was all grass and its not anymore, its gone." He said in a daze. Eragon glanced at Saphira wondering if his cousin had had a serious blow to the head and was still reeling in the after affects. He glanced at Roran's feet; there was an oval patch of grass right where Roran had been laying. Looking at his own feet Eragon saw that he stood in two grass prints.
There has been great magic used here Saphira said sniffing the ground and licking the air. "Fire has burnt everything to ash, even the people," Roran said before turning to face Eragon. "Please look into my memories, I need to know what I saw." He asked his grey eyes pleading. Eragon sighed and extended his consciousness to Roran's, entering his mind he felt for the memory he wanted. As soon as his mind brushed against Roran's he drew back in shock. Very powerful spells cloaked Roran's body and clung to him like a spiders web, light but there.
Flashes of memory hit him as he punched through the silver magic. An Urgal circling him while a ring of Urgals prevented anyone getting to him. Dodging sweeps from the Urgal. The Urgals hand at his head proclaiming himself the winner, a loud rage filled roar and screams of terror. Thorn diving over the camp and swooping towards him, feeling terrified and falling to the ground and blanking out as light flashed behind his eyes. Roran shuddered at the memory for the pain that had followed was great. Eragon hated to cause him pain but knew he had to see what had happened so he continued, digging deeper and deeper into fuzzy memories. He lay groaning into the grass, coughing up blood and saw one hundred soldiers advancing like a black shadow towards him. He tried to move and fall back to the ground trying not to scream because of the pain and then he was lying there, staring at the sky whispering the name of the people he loved before slowly closing his eyes and drowning beneath the pain.
Eragon gasped and hunched over pulling air into his lungs, moving his hands he felt over his body to reassure himself he was whole and uninjured. The relief was followed by puzzlement. Everything Roran had said was true, but Eragon didn't know anyone, apart from the obvious, who had the kind of power to obliterate an army and five mages at once without drawing on the surroundings. They could have had a big energy source stored. Saphira's bewildered voice thought. So someone stood right where I am now, he said shifting his body and they used fire to kill everything within a one hundred-metre radius? And kept them selves and Roran away from the flames? Eragon paused and thought through his words. "It was someone with power," Roran said stating Eragon and Saphira thoughts.
Shaking off bad thoughts Eragon helped Roran onto Saphira all the while feeling they were being watched. As Saphira leapt into the sky he felt Roran turn and followed his gaze, the forest faded with every powerful stroke of Saphira's majestic sapphire wings. Thinking he would have to ask Roran about it later.
Arya watched Eragon, Saphira and Roran leave from her perch atop the same ancient oak as before. So, Thorn was here… That's funny I didn't feel him she thought. Maybe it was because you were to concerned with your own thoughts and you didn't notice him. That was possible but she doubted it. The only other possible reason was that they were wrong and it had not been Thorn. But a red dragon was hard to miss, the only logical option she could think of was that it had been an illusion. Sighing she watched as Saphira carried her riders into the horizon. Thorn, she swore you are mine. She would kill him for killing Glaedr and Oromis. Murtagh too. With that final though she climbed down the tree and slunk into the shadows, her feet crunching leaves as she walked.
Best Regards, Con Dar Lioness
Authors Note:
Restrained Freedom: As a matter of fact, I can :D
As for Thorn seizing up I shall explain. He was flying upside down and he hit a thermal that caused his already fragile balance to shift. And he was unable to right himself without his tail. I thought I had something about him being unable to fly as well without his tail…..
Dautr abr du Sundavar: :D It gets better believe me.
: Mr/Mrs anonymous: Arya is my fav next to Saphira and I find the fact no one knows her story disheartening: D As for the Stag, you will be seeing it in the chapters to come, but it might we a few chapters like maybe twenty or so…..
And don't tell my friend, she once again has no idea…
As promised:
THE SPOILER"Thorn" Murtagh whispered seeing his partner-of-heart and soul crashing to the ground before him, past Arya, and then the world faded to obsidian.
Arya sat next to the fire and looked over at the fallen forms of Murtagh and Thorn. Zar'roc lay where it had fallen, next to Murtagh and Thorn lay where he had crashed to the ground, the river beyond him sparkled and glowed in the star and moonlight.
Keep Reading! P.S. Don't take the spoiler the wrong way! :D
