Plans, Plots, and Escapes

A/N: I know Shaheen was a random addition, but she'll play a pretty big part in this story and a major part in this chapter. This chapter takes place two days after the last one.

Disclaimer: I only own Eragon in my dreams. In real life I own Luce, Ardis, Elra, Shaheen, and all the other random non-canon characters.

Luce looked around the ballroom with distaste. She supposed she would have been having more fun with if she wasn't so tired from training. Galbatorix had been wrong; she did have much to learn. She had already been put to the task of learning spells she'd never even heard of. She had beaten the usual sword instructor so he decided she should start sparring with Murtagh. That had, of course, led to her getting beaten most of the time. She wished Iormungr hadn't been stuck training with Thorn and Shruikan. She would have liked to be able to talk to her dragon. He had grown to at least twice his size in the past two weeks and five days. She was currently dancing with Lord Somebody-or-other son of Earl Somebody-or-other. She had already forgotten his name. And she had just realized he was saying something to her. Galbatorix would have been so angry if he had been there to see her and read her mind. Thank whoever he wasn't.

"Thank you, milord," she told him, hoping that was the correct answer.

"Oh, you're welcome," he replied. "It's true too."

Luce wanted to shout at him, "What the bloody hell is true?"

Instead she said, "I'm glad you think so."

"Oh, yes," he began again, blissfully aware of the fact that Luce had no idea what they were talking about.

"In fact," he continued, "I think you're one of the better partner's I've had tonight."

The song ended just then. And I was just figuring out what our conversation was about.

Luce walked away without saying anything. At least no one here knew she was the green rider. That would have made it worse. She was already taller than half the men here.

She went to the refreshments table were Ardis had just come back from dancing. She doubted either one of them would have been able to eat. They were too tightly laced for that. She poured herself something alcoholic. It was good. As she finished her glass and went to put it down, she saw that unwelcome company had showed up. It was Earl Elra Andrickai. The only good thing he had done for her was give her a horse. Sure enough he had to mention it. Elra had three passions in life: money, women, and horses.

"How's the gelding I gave you, milady," he said lecherously. Luce was rather regretting her drink. She felt ready to vomit. He was in his late fifties and looked every year of it.

He looked at Ardis and his look became even worse. Luce could smell alcohol on him from where she stood. Did he really have to be drunk? Poor Ardis. Luce knew that she would have to get her sister out of Uru'baen and to the Varden before Ardis was married off to someone old and disgusting or forced to be the rider of the Varden's egg if Galbatorix got it. She knew that if the egg didn't hatch soon, Galbatorix would probably get his greedy hands on it.

"Ah, a beauty if I ever saw one," Elra remarked as he looked at Ardis, "She's just like her mother." Ardis looked extremely uncomfortable. Their mothers were an extremely delicate subject with both girls.

Elra switched his attentions back to Luce, "I brought two beautiful mares with me tonight. They're two of the best horses I've ever bred. I've got a girl named Shaheen watching them. A slave, incidentally. She's pretty good. Only had to beat her once. She didn't lock a stallion's door properly, and he kicked his way. He mated with one of my finest mares. She a bit delicate for him, but it worked out well enough in the end. She's pretty good with a knife too. But she's not a very interesting topic.

"How is the horse I gave you? He might be a gelding, but he's as fiery as you are." The aged nympho laughed at his own joke. Ardis made a rather strained noise that could be taken as a polite laugh. Luce, who never laughed at his jokes because they just weren't worth laughing at, made an almost hysterical sound. Ardis stared at her quite uncomfortably. Murtagh stopped talking to Lady What's-her-name, and they both looked at her like she was insane. She wasn't. She had just come up with a plan to get Ardis out of Uru'baen and get revenge on Elra at the same time. It was just too funny.

Luce, what is wrong? Murtagh and Ardis both asked her at the same time.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just came up with the perfect plan to get Ardis out of Uru'baen, she told them. Murtagh didn't think he'd seen her so happy since they were eleven, and she'd realized she was taller. That changed just before she and Ardis went off to Lady Alera's when she was sixteen. Murtagh didn't see her again until after he was forced to return to Uru'baen. Something about her changed. He'd never been able to put his finger on it; though, he was sure Thorn would have been able to think up something if he had been there.

Come out on the balcony with me both of you, Luce told them. All three somehow managed to leave the ballroom without anyone seeing them. Elra had found a new young woman to harass.

What is your plan? Murtagh asked.

I can get Ardis a horse tonight. I just need you to take her out of the city on Thorn. I would use Iormungr, but he can't fly to people. I want it done tonight because that's the only time we'll have for it, Luce explained.

Murtagh hesitated before responding. A moment later, Thorn and Iormungr appeared beside the balcony. Thankfully, Shruikan was not with them.

Playing the gallant knight, human? Thorn asked jokingly. He then began to sing what was possibly the world's most nauseating love ballad.

Iormungr fluttered his oversized wings and said, Look, Luce. I can fly. Luce looked happy and nervous. She couldn't wait until the emerald dragon was ready to fly, but she wasn't sure about the heights.

You know, dragon, you are one of the worst singers in the world? Murtagh told him. Thorn began to hum it instead. The tune was almost as nauseating as the words. Murtagh rolled his eyes.

You're incorrigible, dragon, Murtagh remarked dryly. The ruby dragon stopped humming. Murtagh breathed a sigh of relief.

I only stopped because the song's over, Thorn told him.

Oh, Murtagh said. He didn't think he'd ever been so glad to hear the end of a song.

Luce and Ardis stared at them. They hadn't heard Thorn and Murtagh's conversation. Neither one of them asked what it had been about. Luce looked expectedly at him for his answer.

I'll do it, he answered. Luce looked even happier than earlier. Ardis was equally thrilled. The both flung their arms around his neck, and Murtagh almost fell over. Ardis let go and ran back into the ballroom. It took a while for Luce and Murtagh to realize this. When they did, Luce let go.

Thank you, she said awkwardly.

I figured you were grateful, Murtagh said, rubbing his neck.

Sorry about that, she apologized.

Its okay, he told her. I guess we'd better figure out how to back into the ballroom unseen.

Yeah, she replied.

Dance with me? He asked.

At least you're taller, and I know you're name, she replied.

That is a definite benefit, Murtagh agreed. They laughed and walked in.

Three hours later

What in the world have I gotten myself into? Shaheen thought to herself as she made her way through the back alleys of Uru'baen, leading Isadora and Ambrianna behind her. She was so glad they were well behaved. She'd have alerted half the watch by now if she had brought a horse like Bentar of Shekano. They were possibly the worst behaved stallions in the world. Bentar had actually kicked his way out of the stall and gotten her a beating. He wasn't her favorite horse.

Speaking of thins that weren't her favorite, Shaheen thought of the green rider. She had just met her tonight. Ilsa had been right about her gender. It hadn't been a pleasant encounter. The green rider actually bribed her with freedom and money to take her little sister out of Uru'baen and to Surda. All without being noticed by the authorities, of course. The said sister would be given to her by the red rider since the green rider's dragon would not be able to fly to people out of the capital. She had brought old tack for the horses so that they would be less conspicuous and had suggested that Shaheen and Ardis disguise themselves as boys so that they would be harder to find.

Shaheen had asked her what would happen if she refused. The rider had said that she would either be forced to kill her or wipe her memory. She had even gone as far as to hint that if she took the latter option, Shaheen's memory would never be the same.

Faced with the prospect of freedom, money, her life, and her fully-functioning memory, Shaheen had accepted. Nothing had gone wrong so far, but the entire operation still had death written all over it in bright red ink.

She finally reached the gates. Trembling only slightly, she removed the passes the green rider had given. It was some farce about her selling the horses for Earl Andrickai. To Shaheen's immense surprise, he let her through the gate. She climbed on Isadora and rode away from the city. Ambriana cantered beside. At least the horses hadn't lost their minds.

Shaheen waited for about ten minutes before a ruby red dragon dropped out of the sky. It landed in front of her. One of the best looking men she'd ever seen climbed off of its back. A small, compact girl of about fifteen climbed off after him.

"Are you Shaheen?" the red rider asked.

Shaheen nodded.

"This is Ardis," the rider told her pointing to the girl. "She can use a bow and such but isn't too good with a sword. Luce says your former master said that you could use knives and such. Is that true?"

Why hadn't Luce the green rider asked her these questions? The answer was yes. She had had to learn combat skills to defend the temple. She had been fairly decent with them, but she still couldn't shoot a bow and arrow to save her life. She guessed it was part of her natural clumsiness. Shaheen nodded again.

"Take care of Ardis," the rider said, speaking of the girl as though she were a favorite sister. Shaheen nodded a third time.

"The green rider already told me that," she replied.

"I suppose she threatened you," the rider chuckled. Shaheen could've sworn a similar sound came from the dragon.

"Don't think too badly of her," the rider continued. "She just wants her sister to be safe." Shaheen would've been prepared to bet anything that she detected an affection that was more than brotherly in the rider's tone as he discussed Luce. Shaheen couldn't imagine what he saw in her. The green rider had to be almost as tall as he was; her shoulders were wider than most women's; her chest was small; and her face was too fox-like. Shaheen had noticed a quality about her that made up for lack of beauty. Perhaps that was what he saw in her. If he saw anything, that is. Shaheen thought she must've been imagining things.

When Shaheen looked up from her wonderings, she saw that the red rider had gone and that Ardis was looking at her curiously.

"Which horse is mine?" she asked.

"The chesnut one. Her name's Ambriana," Shaheen told her.

"My sister said that we could disguise ourselves as boys. It would make us less likely to be recognized," Ardis continued.

"True," Shaheen answered.

"I'll call myself Art, and you can call yourself whatever you want," the small girl continued. She didn't seem to have the capacity to stop talking.

"I'll call myself Sanchez," Shaheen replied, half to herself, half to Ardis. Sanchez was her older brother. He had been sold to a man named Claudius Tabor. She missed him terribly. She and Ardis then began the task of disguising themselves as boys.

How did you like this chapter? The story is finally going somewhere, I hope. Please review. I want to know what color everyone thinks the Varden's egg should be. I can't decide. I know what the name's gonna be though.