Battle on Vroengard; Battle on Surda
I'M 15 ON SUNDAY! WOOT!
Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. Thank you.
If the blade had been drawn, Murtagh knew he would have dropped Zar'roc. He didn't know why that voice still frightened him. Perhaps it was because it was so like his. He didn't know why his father, who had been so long dead, still frightened him.
"I said, 'Give me back my sword,'" Morzan repeated.
He won't give it to you, Thorn told Morzan.
The creature turned its face to the ruby dragon. The second voice spoke alone this time.
"So the red rider has risen again. Red dragon, I am the only who deserves the title of his dragon," Baen said.
"And I am the only one who deserves to be called red rider," Morzan added. He drew a long, skeletal, black sword. It looked like something from the grave. It probably was.
"So, Murtagh, what will it be?" Morzan asked silkily.
"You died," Murtagh hissed. Morzan looked as though he had been struck. "Zar'roc is my inheritance. You deserve nothing from me."
"You deserve nothing from me," Morzan argued.
Eragon drew Mor'ranr and went to strike Morzan. The latter blocked it and turned to face him.
"You are not my son, I see," Morzan whispered. "Selena was wise to send you away. I would have killed you and her both. It matters little, really. I will simply kill you now." Eragon and Morzan crossed their blades. They stood ready to fight.
"Stay away from him!" Murtagh yelled. Both the combatants turned. "This is my battle." Eragon nodded.
"You never did have much common sense, boy," Morzan spat. "You are afraid of me. I can see it in your eyes. I can even smell it. Let the one who does not fear me fight me."
Murtagh drew Zar'roc with inhuman speed. He attacked Morzan rapidly. The latter jumped out of the way.
"I do not fear you," Murtagh said.
"Your anger makes you unwary," Morzan remarked.
Murtagh shook his head. "If it does, it's your fault."
They stood there for several minutes, each waiting for the other to take the first blow.
"Do you fear me so much that you will not strike?" Morzan asked quietly.
Murtagh didn't answer. Don't let him get to you, Thorn told him.
"You know you can't win against a human and a dragon combined," Morzan continued.
"Brom beat you and a dragon. I have a dragon. You killed his," Murtagh replied.
Morzan's eyes narrowed in anger. He looked ready to strike but decided against it.
"What was Siloa's daughter's name again? I don't really remember her. Tell me: was she any good?" Morzan asked.
"You have sunk low. She's my age, you know," Murtagh remarked.
Morzan struck at that moment. Murtagh was barely able to block the blade. He swung Zar'roc around once. He and Morzan stood facing each other.
"Coward," Morzan spat again. "I can't believe you're my son." He flew into the air as Murtagh swung it around his legs. Morzan/Baen then flew down. Murtagh threw himself upon the earth to protect his head.
"So, you die on the ground," Morzan hissed as he pressed his sword against Murtagh's neck.
No, you die with your back turned on your enemy, came Thorn voice. The dragon's claw took off his head in one stroke.
Murtagh rolled out of the way as Morzan/Baen fell to the ground, dead for a second time.
Elva climbed of Saphira's saddle. She looked at both brothers.
"There's work to be done," the girl said staidly. Murtagh walked to the rock of Kuthian.
"You alone can pass through it, Walker. You must take us both with you," Elva explained. She turned to Eragon and said, "You must open it for the dead."
Murtagh swung Elva onto his back. Eragon put his hand on his shoulder. Thorn and Saphira walked through first.
Glaedr told me about the Vault, Saphira said. Dragons can pass through it, but they cannot bring another with them.
Murtagh followed them, bringing Eragon and Elva with him. They all immediately felt a change in the air. A deathly cold took hold of them all.
"Where are the dead?" Eragon asked.
"I don't know," Murtagh said. He stopped suddenly. "Wait. They are ahead."
Murtagh felt the ground collapse beneath him after he took two more steps. Eragon and Elva fell with him.
They all landed on the ground. Only Elva, who had been on Murtagh's back, was unbruise.d
"Where are Thorn and Saphira?" Eragon asked as he stood and looked around.
Here, human, Thorn spoke up. They all turned and looked to see the red and blue dragons standing there. Beside them was an old man.
"Brom!" Eragon shouted.
"Don't touch the dead or separate yourself from the Walker," Brom warned. "You might end up dead yourself."
Eragon obeyed and kept his hand on Murtagh's shoulder. He still didn't know how he'd managed to do that while falling. He stared at Brom for a moment.
"You're my father," was all he could think of to say.
"Who told you?" he asked.
"Bonstan sent a scroll to the Varden," Eragon replied.
"I met Selena in while she was spying for Morzan. It was when he had begun to make her hate him. I went to Carvahall to watch our son after I killed Morzan," Brom said.
"But why didn't you tell me?" Eragon asked.
"Selena and I thought it would be worse if Morzan found you and you knew you weren't his son than if he found you and you thought you were his son. He would have killed you if he had known," Brom explained slowly. "After his death, it seemed pointless to tell you. I simply didn't know how. I am sorry for that."
"Where are the other dead?" Murtagh interrupted.
"They are coming," Brom replied.
A group of elves and dragons slowly came from the shadows. The tallest of them put both his fingers to his lips and said, "Atra esterní ono thelduin."
Eragon replied, "Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr."
The elf finished, "Un du evarínya ono varda, Eragon. I am called Eragon as well." A white dragon settled itself beside him and looked at Saphira and Thorn. Eragon could tell that the dragon, who must have been Bid'aum, was saying something to the other two dragons, but it was apparently for their ears alone for Eragon could hear none of it.
Eragon gasped. The greatest rider who had ever lived had spoken first to honor him, a subordinate.
"I see that you have gotten my old sword," the first rider continued.
"If you want it back, I'll…" Eragon began before the first cut him off.
"It was left for you," the elf said. "I have gained a new weapon in death."
"Have they brought the bringer?" a voice interrupted again.
Murtagh let Elva climb down. She walked towards them and said, "I stand now in death without the aid of one who can walk in it and not die. I will die in a few minutes whether you use my blood or not. I am the Bringer. My blood will bring you out of death."
"You cannot use the blood of a child. It's barbaric," a female voice protested.
The ghost of a human woman stood there. It was Murtagh who gasped this time.
"Mother?" he whispered.
She nodded. "I am sorry I couldn't take you with me," she said. "I wanted to, but Morzan and Galbatorix would have stopped at nothing to find you. And Morzan made me swear in the Ancient Language I would never run away with you. It would have been worse for both of us. He didn't know about Eragon. I wanted to be able to protect you, but I died."
"It's alright, Mother," Murtagh said. He didn't know how to react. He felt himself starting to cry.
"I did as much for you as I could, Eragon. I trust Garrow and Marian raised you well. I looked to life whenever I could," Selena told Eragon. "I loved you. I saved you as I could not save Murtagh."
Eragon nodded and smiled slowly.
"Thank you," was all he could think of to say. He still could hardly believe the woman before him was his mother. He had no memories of her, yet there she was. Elva's cool voice broke the silence.
"Would it not be all the more barbaric to doom all of the Varden and Surda and so many in the Empire who will die of the king to death? The Foresworn have been resurrected. Morzan has been sent back into the void, but the other twelve are heading to Surda as we speak. My life has been worth so little. I have been cursed twice. Spare me by killing me. It is the most merciful thing you could do," the little girl said.
Another elf spoke this time. "By saying that you only make it harder for us to do what we must do. It is not easy to kill one who knows they must die and chooses to anyway. You're worth keeping alive."
Elva shook her head. "The Bringer is only worth killing."
All the elfin and human riders who had come stared at this child. Elva knelt in the center of them all.
"I need the dagger," she said. Brom handed her a weapon similar to Morzan's. Elva raised it and shoved it into her own heart. All the spirits assembled. They closed their eyes. They seemed to be feeling something wash over them.
"It is done," the elf who had protested against killing Elva said. Selena had left. She had not been meant to leave the Vault for a time. "We must go."
"Yes, Anurin," a group of elfin riders and several humans shouted.
"The time has come to avenge ourselves!" one of the ghosts yelled. All the rest cheered.
Eragon and Murtagh mounted Thorn, and Saphira flew up back to the entrance with them. All the spirits followed them.
Eragon and Murtagh dismounted from Thorn. Eragon stepped before the rock of Kuthian, which looked more solid from the inside. He spoke the same name he had spoken the day he pulled Mor'ranr from the roots of the Menoa tree. The power of it seemed even greater this time. A long crack appeared in the center of the rock, and it swung open like a set of doors. Eragon, Saphira, Thorn, Murtagh, and all the spirits of the riders and dragons of old filed through. They flew to Surda where the battle awaited.
Shaheen was preparing herself to fight when Angela stopped her.
"You're pregnant. You don't fight when you're pregnant," was all the herbalist said. She refused to listen to any arguments. Shaheen had been reluctant to ask Sanchez to intercede on her behalf. She knew that he would be loathe to let her fight in a dangerous battle, and Angela would no doubt tell him about her pregnancy. She wasn't sure how her older brother would react, but she knew it wouldn't be good. She was so happy to see him after seven years, and so was he. She didn't want to ruin that now. And as angry as she was at Roran, she didn't think he needed any trouble at this point. He had rescued his fiancée, and she had heard he was to replace Galbatorix as king. It had been decided that she would stay with the rest of the women and children. A small part of her was relieved to not have to go through such a terrible battle.
When she got down to the women's shelter, she saw a group of women who looked like villagers sitting in a circle.
"So, Birgit, have you decided to abandon your grudge against Roran?" a copper-haired woman was saying. "You simply cannot kill him. He would hate to kill you, and you can't kill him now. Carvahall needs him. Alagaësia needs him."
The woman who was called Birgit at last said, "Were he not to become king and were you not his fiancée, I might not make this exception. I will though."
The younger woman, who Shaheen realized was Katrina, hugged Birgit.
"What's your name?" a blond woman holding a baby of about four or five months inquired politely.
"Shaheen," she replied.
"Are you the one who went with Eragon, Roran, and that new rider to Ellesméra?" Katrina asked.
"Her name's Ardis, and yes," Shaheen answered. She knew she wasn't even beginning to show, but she was still afraid someone might notice. She didn't want to be asked by the father's fiancée.
"Sit with us," the blond woman said. "Do you have any men in this battle?"
"My brother is with Orrin and Vrael," she said.
"My husband and two of my sons are with the Varden," the woman replied.
"What are your names?" Shaheen asked. "I know yours," she said to Katrina. "Roran told me about you."
The women all gave their names. The blond woman was called Elain.
"Did he really?" Katrina asked after they were done.
Shaheen nodded. She didn't particularly want to talk about Roran with anyone, especially not the woman he was to marry.
"What did he say?" Katrina pressed.
"He said a lot of things. I don't really remember much of them. I do remember it was nice though," Shaheen replied.
Katrina looked happy. She didn't ask for too many more details about Roran, thankfully. Shaheen decided she liked the Carvahall women well enough after all was said and done.
The most eventful thing that happened was Elain's visit from her sons and husband. Only the older son, Albriech, noticed her and asked who she was.
Ardis was armed, armored, and speaking with Orik and several other clan chiefs. They were trying to figure out how to use her during the battle.
"She is not a typical soldier. She will fight the Foresworn. We need her to do that," Orik explained.
"But what of our protection?" another dwarf yelled.
"She can protect us," Orik replied as if it were obvious.
The other dwarves seemed to accept this.
Nasuada walked through the ranks of the Varden's soldiers. Jörmundur, Trianna, Luce, and Iormungr were with her. They all looked scared. She didn't blame them. After all, she had warned them about what was coming.
"They can't fight like this," Trianna said.
"They will, and they must," Luce replied.
"I wasn't talking to you," Trianna shot back.
Nasuada put up her hand to silence the two. To her surprise, they both stopped fighting.
"Are you frightened?" she asked the soldier nearest to her. He was young, perhaps only eighteen.
"A little, Milady," the man stammered.
"We all have reason to fear," Nasuada agreed. The man frowned at her.
"For this reason, we must fight the evil that is to come," she continued, raising her voice so all the men could hear. "For Ajihad, we must overcome our fear. For those who have died, for those who will die, for those we hold dear, for those who need us that we do not know of, we must fight."
The men gave a great shout. A horn rang from overhead. The body of a woman with wings soared over them. A stray arrow came forward and narrowly missed Nasuada. A group of soldiers was riding towards Aberon.
"They've come!" Luce shrieked. She leapt on Iormungr and went to fight the thing in the sky.
Okay, um, the people in Aberon are safe. They're in a shelter that was made for them. Sorry for the slight cliffy. I think I'm addicted to them. Let's see. I haven't gotten ten reviews for a chapter so far. Can you give me that as a birthday present? Please.
Here are the review responses.
Darth Braelon: Cool name. Thanks.
Cocoapuffaddict: I've decided who shall kill Galbatorix! Woot!
Silvershadowkittie: Thanks. Cliffys shall conquer!
PrincessBob: What confused you?
Teenchich2004: Thanks. I hope I didn't leave you hanging for too long.
Frosted-Pink: Thanks. I hoped you liked this chapter.
DragonRider2000: Mort was the guy who was killed so that his body and blood could bring back Morzan. Baen, Morzan's dragon, was the second voice.
Matt: Thanks. If you're a guy (if you're not, it's the name), do you think I wrote my male characters realistically? I'm glad you like it. I hope you liked this chapter.
Amantine: I hope this was soon enough for you. LOL.