"We're under attack!" Exire's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet, spear in hand. Darad was already standing, a snarl rumbling within his deep chest. The camp was in turmoil. People were rushing back and forth, weapons were clashing and the sun was flashing off the uncovered armor and steel.
"Wait for me here Darad!" Exire called over his shoulder as he prepared to race into the camp. Darad snarled in reply, crouching low and searching the lands around for the site of the battle. As he did so, Exire plunged into the dashing mass of bodies of the camp, ignoring the cringing feeling building up inside of him as he pushed through the constricting crowd. Finally, he caught sight of the red pavilion.
After shoving through a few more people, he reached it. As he moved to enter, two men, two dwarves, and two urgals blocked his way. Exire prepared to push past them to, when a voice from inside said,
"Let him pass!" It was Nasuada. Exire glared at the two urgals as he entered the tent backwards. Turning on his heel, he turned to face Nasuada, who was now wearing battle armor.
"Where is the fight?" He asked bluntly, ignoring any formalities that might have required him to act with respect. Nasuada didn't look up at him as she answered, adjusting a metal vambrace.
"Out by the river banks. But no need to worry, Saphira and Eragon are there already."
"They could probably use an extra set of talons." Exire said, turning as if to leave. "Darad and I will be there soon."
"No, wait."
"What?" Exire said impatiently, his muscles itching for a fight. Nasuada was now facing him, sheathing a thin dagger at her waist.
"I do not want you and Darad to fight." she said, holding up a hand in an attempt to fend off the coming interruption. It didn't work
"What?" Exclaimed Exire. "You're going to keep us back?"
"No, you can fight, but I want Darad to stay hidden. You two are our secret weapon. If you go into battle, you could be mistaken for a sorcerer or a mercenary. But if Darad goes, Galbatorix will soon learn of your existence. We want to keep him in the dark." She explained.
Exire was about to protest, when he saw the sense behind Nasuada's argument.
"Fine." he muttered. "But I am joining the fight." With that, he turned sharply on his heel and marched out of the tent, once more joining the flow of people. As he ran to the battle, he told Darad of what he had heard. Exire winced as he heard Darad's bellow of frustration at being made to stay behind.
There is nothing I can do about it. Exire grumbled as he continued. We don't want to get on Nasuada's bad side. Don't worry, ill be fine.
You had better be. Snarled Darad. Then he fell silent, seething with anger as he watched through Exire's eyes as he ran.
Suddenly, Exire skidded to a stop. A horse, pure white, was standing tethered to a post. Thanking the gods for his good luck, Exire ran for it. AS he ran, he buried one tip of his spear in the ground, pole vaulting onto the horses bare back. Whipping out his dagger, he slashed the halter rope and urged the horse off at a canter, using his knees to guide it as he resheathed his dagger and gripped his spear all the tighter.
Soon, he was clear of the crowd and was now racing over the flat to where he saw warriors battling by the river bed. He urged the horse on to greater speeds when he saw Eragon fighting from the back of Saphira, who was blasting the enemies around her with her fiery breath, as well as tearing at them with her ivory talons.
Finally, Exire reached them. His 'borrowed' horse surged through the ranks of the Varden until he reached the frontline. Once there, he drew his sword and, with a battle cry, began his dance of death. A man rushed his left, but was met by a spear point, buried in his stomach. Then Exire struck out to the left, cutting down a second. The horse reared, whinnying as he did so, and struck out with his flaying hooves. Eragon heard the noise since there were no mounted warriors. Turning, he saw Exire astride non other then, Roran's horse Snowfire.
"Exire!" He shouted. Exire looked up, saw Eragon, and then slipped off the horses back, sending it off then cut down all that stood between him and the rider. When he reached Saphira's side, he was met by a strange sight. A warrior staggered towards him, laughing, with a gash in his stomach, what should have been a fatal blow.
"You have to kill the brain!" Eragon shouted, clinging to Saphira's back as she reared up, crushing two men as she came down on her paws heavily, roaring. "It's some sort of spell!" Exire nodded, then, shifting his grip on the sword, he rammed the hilt into the side of the man's head, crushing his skull. The man fell, dead at last. Whirling about, Exire fended off two more of his earlier victims, one of which was bearing a hoof print in his chest. Finishing them off, Exire then raised his silvered hand and barked,
"Yular!" The three armed men who had been charging at him suddenly collapsed. Eragon glanced at him, before he was forced to return his attention to the man before him. Suddenly, the air was filled with the thrumming of hooves. A large group of mounted warriors bearing the symbol of the empire came crashing through the struggling mass of warriors. They trampled all in their path, no matter what side they belonged to.
The horsemen separated Exire from Saphira, and he barley managed to avoid the flailing hooves of a jet black warhorse. Rolling to one side, he came up on his knee, planting on end of his spear in the ground and holding up the other. As he did, a horse came bearing down on him. The horse whinnied in terror at the sight of the gleaming spearhead and tried to stop itself, but it couldn't. Just as it was about to impale itself on the raised spear, a fighting man stumbled backwards, falling on Exire who in turn, fell to one side. The horse saw its chance.
Rearing, it kicked out at him, an iron shod hoof striking his side. Exire cried out, feeling the shock of the pain. Then there was a second strike, same place and he felt the cracking of ribs. A third, a forth, and finally, a blow to the chest. That was when it happened.
Exire, trapped under the body of the fallen warrior who was undoubtly dead, and bloodied from the angered horse, felt a surge of light in his mind, blinding him and causing him to yell. The light seared through his limbs, pouring through him. As it did so, he opened his eyes. Everything seemed to slow. The horse had reared to bring its hooves down smashing on his face, but now it was barely moving at all. The fight around him was the same. Even Saphira was barely moving. Slowly, no longer feeling the pain in his side and chest, Exire got to his feet.
Taking advantage of the moment, he drew the mounted soldier's sword from his sheath, cutting off his head and shoving the horse over. Seizing the opportunity handed to him, Exire began wrecking havoc left and right, cutting down warriors on either side. As he did so, he sensed that they were beginning to move faster. At one point, he saw a sword begin to enter a Varden soldier's body. Quickly, Exire reached the enemy, running him through and pulling the sword tip from the other man's body. Then he heard what sounded like the beginning of a roar. Turning, he saw Saphira rearing, recoiling as two pike wielding men ran towards her astride their battle horses.
They were moving faster now. To fast. Exire picked up his spear from where it had fallen. He attempted to disassemble it with magic, but it didn't work. Time was moving faster. Thinking fast, he broke his spear over his knee, throwing one half after the other at the pikers. His throws were true. Exire had now fallen to his knees, gasping. He felt so tired, and his body burned as if he had been trampled, which he had. His eyes had closed and he had fallen to the ground as the two missiles he had thrown struck their mark. Time resumed, but the fight had ended.
Galbatorix's men stared in horror at their suddenly slain comrades, then at the now encouraged Varden. Then they ran. A cheer rung out as the enemy fled, followed by a column of blue flame, a parting gift from Saphira. Eragon, sword held high, cheering loudly, suddenly fell silent, when he saw Exire.