Author's Note: Ok so here is chapter 14! A big thanks to these reviewers for reviewing! Emeraldeyedragon, whitemagicstar, and teenchic2004 (thank you, and as for the cure I didn't say if it worked or not.), shinylikeapenny, purpleangle, iceblue, silkred, shadowsouls, and BlaZE (thank you for pointing that out I shall fixes it).Anyway, so here is chapter 14, enjoy!
Green Dragon
Chapter 14: On the Road Again
"So we will enter here and here." Roran said pointing to the spots on the map.
"How many guards will be there?" Eragon asked leaning over the table to see the map.
Horst shrugged his shoulders, "Six to ten give or take."
He nodded his head, "Should be easy."
Both of the men looked blankly at him, but in their eyes he saw shock. It was easy for him to say that this would be easy, he had many weapons, magic and not to mention Saphira. They only had their weapons.
"Don't be to cocky, that was only a guess, there could be more." Horst said.
He started to rub his chin in thought, "True, knowing the Ra'zac's there will be more."
"Do you think that they are expecting us to come and rescue her?" Roran asked.
He frowned, "In some was yes they are, but they don't know when. I think that they would have thought that we would have attacked sooner then this."
"So they could make this a trap?" Horst said.
"Maybe, they won't take any chances of her and us escaping them."
Roran sighed in frustration, Eragon had to try not to smirk, "What did you expect? That they wouldn't be guarding her and that we could just walk in and get her?
Roran gave him a look of annoyance, "No, I just sighed because that just reminds me that we could fail."
"Oh, right, sorry." He mumbled.
"That is all right, I will just take it as stress relief." He said calmly.
"Right, now that we have all the plans and supplies ready, we shall leave for Helgrind really soon." Horst said.
"Sounds good to me." Eragon said.
It was mid afternoon when they finally stopped planning and going over things with Nasuada and Saphira. Eragon walked outside into the garden were Saphira slept. There was a pond surrounded by medium sized rocks. He walked over there.
It was just like any other pond, full of fishes and water plants. The only difference was his own reflection and was joined by Saphira's.
What are you thinking about? She asked.
The mission, Oromis, Glaedr, and Elemmire.
Hopefully you are thinking about the rescue the most.
Not really.
Are you thinking of Oromis and Glaedr because they are going to die soon?
Yes.
We will be back to say good bye to them.
You don't know that.
No I don't, but I am hoping that we will, you should to
He looked up at her, I know I should.
It could be a comforting thought. You are thinking of Elemmire because it has been three months now since we have seen her.
Yes, I want to make sure that she is all right.
Why don't you just scar her?
He got excited at that thought, why didn't he think of that before, That is a great idea, I think I will.
He looked at the water, he could feel the magic coming up into his palm.
"Draumr kopa."
The water rippled over, a white fog covered the top of the water, making the fish and plants underneath disappear. He saw Elemmire standing in the middle of the pond.
She looked beautiful, but he found her clothing odd. She was dress in a fine red silk dress and she wore a few jewels. He found this strange because her role was a wine server. Wasn't a servant dressed in certain cloths or like the commoners? But no, she was dressed like a handmaiden or like a noblewoman.
He watched as she turned her head, and saw a shadow come stand by her. Unfortunately the spell wouldn't let him see who this person was or they were under some spell not letting them reveal themselves in scarring them like when he wore his necklace.
I wonder whom she is talking to. Saphira asked.
I don't know I wonder why she is dressed like that if she is only a wine server.
I don't know, I guess we will find out when we all get back to Ellesmera.
If any of us get back there.
That's the way to be positive. She said sarcastically.
He sighed in response and let the image fade away. He would have liked to look at her longer, but he knew he had to let it go. If he hadn't released the magic now he knew that he would have been out here all night just watching her.
It took them a week for them to get everything ready before they were ready to leave. For the mission they had Eragon, Saphira, Albriech, and another member of the Du Vrangr Gata named Yeanoi. Yeanoi was also a powerful sorceress and had helped plan most of Nasuada's security. Horst wouldn't be going with them because he was still needed here in Surda.
They were all standing outside of Nasuada house and were saying their good byes. They had five horses saddle up, Albriech, Roran, and Yeanoi were riding and one of the horses was for the supplies. The other horse would be for Eragon when they would ride through the city. Everything was ready and they were about to leave when a messenger came riding up to them.
"Oh not now." Nasuada muttered, her voice was full of anger.
"Why, what is wrong?" Eragon asked.
"That is one of the Kings messengers. He is probably here because of you and Saphira." Yeanoi said, her mouth tighten.
"What could he want with me right now? He couldn't have picked a better time for this. We are suppose to be leaving." He said, looking at Nasuada talking to the messenger.
Do you think the King will make us give our allegiance to him? Saphira asked eyeing the messenger.
I don't know, but I can't handle giving my allegiance to another person. We're already with Nasuada and the elves, not to mention we may be with the dwarves too.
That is right, we can't be with everyone. We should only pledge ourselves to one group of races. We have given ours to the elves of Ellesmera, men to Nasuada, and Orik to the dwarves. Personally I think we should have only pledge ourselves to one person only, or to ourselves, be our own rulers.
That would be nice, to be our own masters. But what would we do after the final battle is over and we won? It's good to show whose side we are on and that we will follow them.
Yes, but if we win wouldn't it be better if we could do anything we wanted? To not have to do duties that would get in the way of our plans? She said sounding a little irritated.
I don't know, let us talk about this later, they are coming over here.
All right, but we talk later.
He nodded his head and turned towards Nasuada and the messenger as they walked up to them. He could tell that Nasuada wasn't pleased about what the messenger had said because her face was controlled in frustration.
"Eragon, you and Saphira will be heading to the castle to meet the King right now." She said coming up to them.
"But we are ready to leave, he can't go now." Albriech said sounding annoyed.
"Why is the King asking for him now? Why couldn't he have done this a better time? He must have known that the Rider and his dragon were here? So why now?" Yeanoi asked impatiently.
"Because his majesty was to busy to meet with them." Nasuada said through clenched teeth.
Yeanoi snorted, "More like playing with his instruments." She muttered.
"His majesty wishes to see the Rider and his dragon immanently. This meeting should only take about half an hour or so." The messenger said.
He looked down at Nasuada and then at Saphira who shrugged her big shoulder. "All right, but we better make this fast, this will make us more off schedule."
Ten minutes later Eragon found himself in a large room that even Saphira could fit in. It had to be one of the oddest rooms he had ever been in before, it even came up to the level of Angela rooms.
It was filled with many vials, beakers, measuring tools, weights, scales, and many more unusual objects. Many of the beakers held different colored liquids that were still, bubbling, foaming, letting of multicolor steam, or turning to vapor. He frowned, maybe Beren was right about the King being insane.
Just at that moment the doors opened, the King walked in with two men following at a distance. He wondered why they were following behind and he wondered what was the King doing. At the moment the King was holding a vial containing a dark blue liquid in one hand and the other held another vial containing a pale pink liquid.
"Now I wonder what would happen if I put these two together." He heard the King mumble.
He watch the King tip the blue liquid into the pink, the men behind him stopped walking and stood a few good feet away from him. Just as the liquids touched each other there came a loud bang. Eragon jumped at the sound and Saphira let out a small roar of surprise. Black smoke rose for the vial and over the King. The men came running up to him to make sure that the King was fine, both men had annoyed looks on their faces.
"Yes, yes I'm all right." He heard the King cough from the smoke. He walked forward out of the smoke to walk towards Eragon, his face was splattered with black.
"Your majesty." Eragon bowed.
"Yes, Eragon and Saphira, it is a pleasure to meet you both finally. I'm King Orrin. Sorry that it took so long to meet you, been very busy." He said grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket and rubbing the black away.
"It is nice to meet you too." Eragon said politely, he could feel right away that this would be a waste of time.
"Now, you are probably wondering why I have asked both of you here." He said walking over to a table and looking over the vials.
"I have a hunch." He said watching him.
"Really, why don't you tell me then." He said picking up some of the vials.
"Something along the lines of that Saphira and I are the first Dragon Riders, besides Galbatorix, in over a hundred years and you would want to meet us and other reasons." He said sounding bored.
"Yes and of course there is another reason, but we will get to that later. But right now can I get you anything?" He said turning around holding another two vials.
"No, thank you. But I must be going soon, I have to go on orders from my Lady Nasuada."
"So you have sworn yourselves to her?" He said sounding interesting.
"Yes, to her, to Queen Islandiza, and no one else. We will only serve those two."
The Kings smiling face flickered with so many emotions when he said tis. In response to that he turned his back again, "Well I am afraid that I have run out of time and both of you are very busy. I would like to meet you again after you come back from your trip."
"I look forward to it." He said and walked out of the room.
"So what did he want?" Roran asked once he got back down to the house.
He rolled his eyes as he climbed on his horse, "He wanted to meet me, but I know he wanted our allegiances."
"Please tell me you didn't give it." Yeanoi asked. They started to ride away from Nasuada's building who had already left.
"Of course not, we have already give it to enough people. We don't need another person." He said, Saphira was following at a distance as to not to scare the horses.
"How did you get out of it?" Albriech asked.
He shrugged his shoulders, "Well he didn't ask us for it, but we told him right away that we weren't going to serve anymore people.
"Oh I bet he liked that, now I wish I would have come with you just to see his face." She said smirking.
"Why don't you like him? From what I saw he was a tad bit insane, but he didn't seem that bad." He asked.
"When we come to live here, the King had asked for a sorcerer to come to his palace to teach him a few things about magic. Of course I was the one that got picked." She said, her mouth twitching into a smile.
"If it is as bad as you are making it to be, why are you smiling?" Roran asked looking over at her.
"Oh I'm just remembering what I did to him before I left."
"I'm sure I don't want to know."
"Anyway, so I went to go live at the palace and I taught him the history and a bit of magic."
"You're mad that you had to teach him magic?" Eragon asked as they passed through the gates which was surrounded my many of the commoners.
"No I wasn't mad about that," She continued after they got through the gates and people, "No what made me mad is that I had thought that I was there to teach him magic. But he only real reason he needed me was to see what it would happen when you mixed magic with "science"."
"Well doesn't potions have to do with adding magic some times?" Roran glanced at her.
"Yes some of them do, but not this one, this wasn't even a potion. He wanted my magic to see if I could make water stand at the top of a cup when he turned it over." She huffed.
"What does that have to do with science?"
"I don't know, something with why doesn't it fall. I'll tell you why, because I was holding it up! That's why!" She said throwing her hands up in the air.
"Explain to me why you are mad then?"
"He practically made fun of my talent! It was humiliating! Using my magic to make water stand up!" She said glaring.
So he mostly hurt your pride, Eragon repeated Saphira's question.
"Pretty much."
They traveled all day and didn't stop until lunch time. They had traveled a few legions that day and didn't stop again until the sun started to sink behind the hills. So far they hadn't had any trouble, but they knew that it wouldn't last. The closer that they got to Helgrind, the more it would be dangerous. Galbatorix wanted everyone in their group besides Albriech and Yeanoi as far as they knew.
Eragon unsaddled his horse and took the blankets off. Albriech was getting a fire going while Roran and Yeanoi were getting wood. Saphira was watching Albriech make the fire, but he was having little success.
Her mouth twitched, You humans and trying to make your fire by yourselves. Does he not realize that I can make a fire in a second?
I'm sure he does. It's hard to forget a twenty-foot dragon sitting next to you who can make a fire.
Then why am I not doing it?
Maybe he likes the satisfaction of accomplishing something himself?
Oh yes, if he likes the satisfaction of being stupid and barbaric.
Play nice. He said looking over at Albriech.
"Oh bloody hell why won't you start?" He heard him mumble. There came a spark but it died once it hit the wood.
"Would you like some help?" He asked smirking.
Albriech looked up at him, "Yes please."
Now you can do it.
Saphira's smirk grew as she gave one tiny breath and flames shot out of her mouth and onto the wood. The flames rose and then fell back down into a comfortable fire.
Albriech sighed in relief, "Thank you."
At that moment Roran and Yeanoi came back, both of their arms full of wood.
"Oh good, you've got the fire going." Roran said dumping the logs by the fire.
"Thank toadstools too, it's getting quite cold out." Yeanoi said also dumping the wood.
"It is getting cold out, winter is getting closer." Eragon said sitting down by Saphira.
"Really? Has it been that long since we left Carvahall?" Albriech asked.
"It must be. It seems so long ago since we left." Roran said sitting down by the fire. He placed his hands out in front of him to warm them.
"I haven't been home for a long time either." Eragon said leaning against Saphira.
"That's right, the last time that you were home was when father died." He said looking over at him.
"You're right. We've changed a lot." Eragon muttered.
"We have. You've become a Dragon Rider, Albriech and I are warriors, we've moved, I'm engaged to a woman who is in prison and so is her father, you are in love with a half elf, and not to mention so many other things." Roran said smiling.
"You make it sound like it's a picnic in the woods." Yeanoi said.
"It pretty much is." Roran joked.
Albriech threw a rock at him, "No it hasn't."
He ducked, "I'm joking."
"Well you shouldn't joke about it. Have you forgotten why we are here? What happened?" He asked harshly.
"Of course not, how could I?" He asked.
Eragon looked away from them, but continued to listen to them bicker. Guilt was starting to come back to him. He knew that it was his fault that his entire village had to move and suffer. Because of him they had lost everything.
"Stop you two," Yeanoi said silencing them with a spell, "Fighting won't get either of you anywhere. So please just drop it, and I will release the spell, understand?"
Both of them nodded their head, she released the magic. Both of them looked at each other and apologized quickly. Eragon looked back at them, his mouth tight. Hopefully after the final battle everything will go back to normal and a better live situation. He also hoped that they would all forgive him once this was all over.
They rose early in the morning and started to ride again. The argument from last night was forgotten as they rode sleepily away from their campsite.
As they moved north, the landscape around them started to change. The grassy land was slowly turning into brownish yellow of dirt and sand. On their fifth day of riding the grassy plains were gone and were now replaced by sand.
As they rode closer to Helgrind, more people and soldiers were appearing. This caused them a lot of trouble of hiding since Saphira was so big. But somehow they managed to not get caught.
Even though the roads had become more dangerous, hardly any places to hide, and so much more obstacles, they were now only a day's ride away from Helgrind.
Eragon held three rocks in his hand. The rocks were bouncing slightly in his hand from the horse. He muttered a spell and the rocks started to levitate. They then started to move around in circles.
"Bored?" Yeanoi asked him.
"Just a bit."
She smiled, "I'm like that too, whenever I am bored I start playing around with magic."
"I wish I could use magic, that way I wouldn't be bored." Albriech said gloomily.
"Magic isn't as easy as it seems and especially isn't used for entertain." Eragon said grabbing the rocks.
"Yes but still." Albriech said shrugging his shoulder.
Eragon smiled, he started looked around. All he could see was a bunch of sand and a few trees. He adjusted his eyes where he could see objects more clearly. A city popped up in front of him, his stomach turned over.
"Eragon, what's wrong?" Roran asked.
"We're at Helgrind ."
Author's Note: Ok so there was chapter 14, I hope you liked it. Anyway, please review!