Thanks to the reviewers:
LadyJaime178, elfy14, sweetblonde15, LaMusica, jackysgal, luvthefluf, Megilindir, Nelarun, Canadian-Girl14, Agent047, alfalfa7, and princess-enigma
---Chapter Seven---
Fight or Flight
by: ElfLuver13
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Close call? Thorn entered his thoughts hours later. The steady pounding of the horse's hooves had nearly put Murtagh to sleep, especially when it happened to be late at night.
It was avoided. Did they see you?
They're headed in the opposite direction, back to their encampment on the Burning Plains by way of southwest of Furnost.
Then I'm assuming you are above us. Murtagh glanced up into the cloudy night sky, catching a glimpse of red scales before Thorn darted higher to remain hidden. He heard no more from the dragon and continued to maneuver the horse to Surda's border, less than a day's ride from their current position. Caitrin had fallen asleep behind him, her head resting on his shoulder and her arms less tight around his middle, although still limply clasped there.
How's the girl? Thorn's voice came back.
Asleep. Why do you ask?
Her mind is restless.
You shouldn't be delving into her thoughts, that's rude. It's bad enough you do it to me without my knowledge.
Are you still fond of her?
Murtagh ignored the question and pushed Thorn from his mind. He emptied his thoughts and put up his defenses, blocking Thorn from entering his mind again in his relaxed state. He didn't want to answer that question. Not yet, and most definitely not to Thorn.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The ceaseless pattern echoed in Caitrin's mind as it had been doing since the previous evening. Her backside was sore from the endless jolts and bumps as the horse galloped tirelessly. Unsurprisingly, Murtagh seemed unaffected. She sat up straighter in the saddle and shifted to a slightly more comfortable position. Murtagh noticed the movement and slowed the horse to a walk before finally stopping and motioning for her to dismount.
Caitrin slid off the horse easily, grateful for the solid earth and a chance to stretch her legs. They had stopped almost out in the open. The grass-covered plain covered everything to the horizon, with nothing but a few clumps of brush and the occasional hill marring the landscape. It was midday, she noticed. Murtagh had been smart and picked a place with a large tree for shade and a clear pond resting near it.
"Where are we?" She asked.
"East of Petrøvya. We should be at Surda's borders by sunset tomorrow," he answered from near the stream. He tossed her a full water skin and she thanked him silently.
"It seems we are constantly traveling," she remarked.
He smiled a bit at her observation. "One must create a crooked path to outwit an enemy. Galbatorix will be grieved because of the time it takes us, but even he can not deny the danger that accompanies a fixed path."
Caitrin watched him walk over to the horse and secure the saddle more tightly, noting that he did not look or act exhausted as he should have been after their long ride. He never seemed to be fully tired or wearied. She walked over to the other side of the horse and opened the saddlebag to retrieve what little food they had to eat. The thick stench of rotting fruit and moldy bread filled the air.
Murtagh's head appeared on the opposite side of the horse and he grimaced. "Anything that can be salvaged?"
Caitrin looked doubtful. There were two apples that looked harmless and a crust of bread without a speck on it, but everything else had gone bad. "I hope you like apples," she said, starting to hand him one.
The bushes and clump of trees nearby shook violently and startled her, causing the apple to drop to the ground and roll directly in front of Murtagh's beastly horse. It was snapped up instantly, but neither was paying attention to their lost nourishment. Their eyes were fixed on the shaking tree and moving branches. Caitrin inched her way around the back of the horse, conscious of the powerful hind hooves, and placed herself next to Murtagh. He had drawn his sword and placed a hand on her arm to tell her to stay there as he went forward.
Caitrin's hands clenched the horse's mane involuntarily, her knuckles white against the animal's coarse, brown hair. She watched as Murtagh crept towards the sound, a short grunting every so often, and held the blade out in front of him like a barrier. Caitrin gasped as something came into view.
A long grey face poked out from between the bushes, and Murtagh dropped his sword to his side immediately. He stepped forward hesitantly and made coaxing sounds, soothing and cajoling in a soft voice. Slowly, a dust-covered horse emerged, grey and long-legged. Caitrin's horse had returned.
Murtagh grabbed the reins when they were within reach. The horse threw its head up, but otherwise remained complacent. Caitrin stepped forward and stroked the horse's velvety nose, unable to contain her laughter.
Murtagh laughed with her, amused that they had thought they were endangered by a foolish and skittish horse. Laughter was not something Caitrin had heard from Murtagh often, but she decided that she liked the sound of it. She leaned against the recovered horse while he stood mere inches away, both unaware of their closeness.
"A dragon and rider? Near Furnost?" Nasuada questioned the group that had returned from scouting. If what they reported was true, the Varden needed a plan to combat them, and fast. Beside her, the rider Eragon sat with the elf Arya on his other side.
"Aelric suspects so, my lady," the captain reported. Aelric himself stood silent and aloof a few paces away. "The rider and another of Galbatorix's soldiers, a female, were spotted together at Furnost. We met the two later at a stream, and we suspect they are traveling under false disguise."
Nasuada considered the report. It was likely they were headed for the encampment, and they would probably pass through Surda. They would need to send people to alert Surda of the rider, and possibly send reinforcements. The Varden knew how dangerous a dragon and his rider could be, especially this dragon and rider.
"Do you know how they are disguising themselves?" she asked. She noticed that next to her, Eragon's hands were clenched in fists, and he was shaking. "Are you all right?" she asked him quietly.
He answered with a slight nod.
"We believe they are posing as runaways, two lovers."
She nodded and dismissed him. This was one of the worst things that had happened since the loss of their informant in Uru'baen. She hoped Eragon would put aside his personal thoughts and biases and ready himself to face his new opponent, again.
He pulled her closer, feeling her respond to him. She continued kissing him, and had flashbacks of the incident in Furnost. This was different. He was gentle, unlike the rough side she had seen in the alleyway. She actually liked it.
Not fond of her, eh?
Murtagh pulled back suddenly, moving away from her and searching the skies furiously.
"What's wrong?" she asked, thinking she had done something to displease him. He didn't answer.
Where are you! Show yourself. I swear, I will-
What?
If you ever interrupt me again like that, I will make sure you have no contact with me for a week!
Caitrin watched as his face twisted into anger, his features raging. He had only ever had a distant look when he conversed with his dragon, not this. A blush began to spread itself up her neck and into her face as she realized what had happened.
That's impossible, and you know it.
You're wasting my time with quarreling, Thorn.
And you're wasting your time with the girl. We're even.
Murtagh made a disgusted sound and handed the reins of the grey horse to Caitrin. She mounted and it felt strangely bare not to have someone sitting in front of her. He gave her a slightly apologetic look, then wheeled his horse around and set off at a gallop. Caitrin followed him across the barren plain.
"You owe me for that!"
"I do not!"
The Captain of Surda's guard rolled his eyes as he listened to two underlings quarrel while on duty. They were all idiots; either unfit or unwilling to defend their noble country. The Captain feared the latter. He had enough on his mind besides having to worry about his men deserting him. They had just received news that two of the Empire's best were headed towards Surda, in disguise. He had alerted the border guards, and ordered them to send word when two people were spotted with the given description.
"Shut it, you two! And back to work!" he yelled at the two imbecile soldiers. They straightened immediately, unaware that they had been watched. The Captain retreated to his quarters to mull the current situation over.
"See that? Over there?" Murtagh said over his shoulder. In the distance, towers stood out plainly against the rising sun. After riding through the night they had finally reached Surda, even a bit earlier than expected. Their horses plodded along, resting after an almost constant run.
"Do you think we'll have any trouble getting in?" Caitrin asked, pulling her horse up even with Murtagh.
He looked at her with a tense expression on his face. "Whatever you do, don't change the story. Even if they have received information of our disguise, if we keep it together they might let loose on security or even believe us," he explained. "We ran away from Furnost, from your father Daget. My name is Trey, and you are Reyna. Got it?"
Caitrin nodded numbly. She was used to her own tactics of breaking in, but she had come to trust Murtagh. He was a dragon rider, she had to give him that.
"Try and look innocent, at least. Our clothing might be a little hard to explain." He glanced at their traveling clothes. "Especially since you're not wearing anything that resembles a dress... but we'll deal with that if it becomes necessary."
They continued in silence, approaching the towers and high walls carefully. Caitrin hoped Murtagh knew what he was doing, they couldn't afford to be captured, and she highly doubted Galbatorix would send help to bail them out. He would expect them to dig themselves out of their own hole.
As they neared the borders, the sun now visible in the early morning, men could be seen on top of the walls. They moved in groups, marching back and forth with weapons drawn and ready. It was an imposing sight, and one that did not comfort her at all.
Murtagh gave one last glance back at her, almost as a way to ask if she truly was ready. Caitrin nodded, pulling her horse closer to Murtagh's. A man on the wall above noticed them, shouting to someone below to open the gates. An armored man walked out of the slightly opened doors, tan and dark haired.
"State your business in Surda," the man said harshly. His eyes stared at them ceaselessly, trying to intimidate them.
"We seek a safe haven," Murtagh began. Caitrin hardly recognized his voice, it seemed he had gone into character and now sounded like a scared youth. "Please, you do not know what we've gone through. It's taken us days to get here from Furnost."
The man's eyes flashed. He shouted to someone above in a foreign language and five hooded figures dropped down in between them and the man. Murtagh held his hands up in surrender, and Caitrin did the same.
"Dismount and acquiesce to our interrogations and you may be able to save yourselves. If you resist, you will be killed."
As if to prove his statement, a line of archers pulled back their bows above. Murtagh and Caitrin dismounted and handed the reins of the horses over to other soldiers. He pulled her close to him, willing her to follow his lead. She clung to him, half in character, and half out of fear. The hooded men closed in on them and began to separate the two.
"No!" Caitrin shouted, clinging to the front of Murtagh's shirt. The man was able to tear her away by brute force, and the men holding Murtagh held him tighter as he tried to pull Caitrin back to him.
"I'll see you, don't worry, I'll see you," he said, appearing to reassure her as she was dragged away before him into the walls of Surda.