5. Fight and Flight
A red dragon, more beautiful and more crimson than any blood she'd ever shed by own hand, stood in front of them like a great creature from a fantasy.
It wasn't the dragon that had her interest though. It was the knight in crimson armor that grabbed her attention so suddenly. He was tall and muscular even under the armor. He took off his helmet and she could see the definite handsome qualities in his face. Yet she sensed something else about him. Something she couldn't place right off the bat, but he seemed… dangerous; like the UC scientists who use to do experiments of the T-Virus on themselves in order to become stronger.
K-Mart decided to stay towards the back. She had a feeling, his arrival on the very day she was here, wasn't a coincidence.
He looked among the crowd that had gathered and studied the buildings. Then his eye caught on the motorcycle parked in front of the pub and she knew from the look in his eyes that he'd found what he was looking for.
He pointed a finger towards it and addressed the town's people. Everyone's eye was immediately on him. K-Mart was able to slip away almost too perfectly while he spoke. She could still hear his voice by the time she was clear of the town.
Murtagh spotted the mechanical horse at once. It didn't look like a horse at all; just some unnatural machine with two odd wheels on each side of it. It looked like an alien compared to the rest of the town's wooden appearance.
He punched his finger towards it. "I'm looking for the woman who rides that… thing. Where is she? Anyone who harbors her will suffer the ultimate punishment of King Galbatorix."
A man coming from the pub answered him immediately. "She was here, sire. She came to the pub and ordered food and drink."
"Where is she now?"
He looked around sheepishly. "Well ah… she was here a moment ago."
"She was?" His heart leapt. So she wasn't too far away. She may very well be in that town at that precise moment. Finally, after months of failures regarding the successful capture of his brother, and he would at last be returning to Galbatorix with results. The man wouldn't be able to blame him this time. "Where is she?"
"I—I don't know, your grace. She was just here and now she's gone. The girl Ada spoke to her."
Someone shoved a frightened looking girl forward. A man (possibly her father) attempted to stop them and was halted by the other villagers. "Don't you touch her!" He shouted trying to break free.
Murtagh's arm shot forward and he grabbed the girl by the wrist. "Where is she?" he demanded.
The girl shook her head and looked on the verge of tears with how frightened she felt. "I—I—I don't know, sire. She came for food and then she left when you got here. I don't know where she went though."
"What did she speak to you about?"
"S—she wasn't from around here. From Alageasia I mean. It seemed she didn't know anything about this land. She said she was from across the sea and said something about… the uh… the…"
"The what!" This girl was becoming incredibly useless and Murtagh was very close to using violence to get her to remember.
She shook her head under the pressure. "I—I don't know. It was a name of a place I can't remember. It was a foreign name for the land she came from. The… the… United something of America I think."
The name was unfamiliar to him. He sensed the girl wasn't telling him everything. No matter. His hand came up and he touched her forehead. Her eyes glazed over as he went through the details of their meeting in her head.
Interesting. So what the girl was saying was true after all. He released her and she stumbled back a bit drunk from the mind contact. Not only that but he also got a picture of what the new rider looked like.
"She couldn't have gotten far. Does anyone know which way she went?"
People everywhere shook their heads.
This girl was more lithe than he'd predicted.
"Search for her." He commanded jumping up to ride of Thorn's neck. "This woman is a thief and has stolen something highly valuable from the king."
There were murmurs all across the yard as people took in the information.
"A thief?"
"Stole from the king…"
"Knew I didn't like her..."
"How is that possible?"
"It is possible." Murtagh called from his perch above Torn. "Those who do not wish to suffer the wrath of Galbatorix will aid in my search for her. But take great heed, the woman is armed and extremely dangerous."
There was only a moment's hesitation before people began scrambling about to gather torches and pitchforks as the swept the dark for any traces of the girl. Thorn's wings beat the ground and they were air born momentarily.
Murtagh reached out, searching for the girl's mind among the towns people. From one to another towns folk he search and search until his mind struck a brick wall with the force of a speed of lighting. The mental blow was so strong, Murtagh had to lean against Thorn's saddle for support.
Are you alright, little one?
No, Murtagh answered glumly swaying dangerously. I just hit a wall going at the dead speed of a flash of lightning. Murtagh's head cleared and he righted himself on the saddle.
Will you be alright?
I'll survive. For the moment what we need to do is find that rider. He scanned the earth below using Thorn's enhanced vision to spot out victims. He spotted something the size of a small person running from the village at a dead sprint and knew instantly that it was the girl they were searching for.
Thorn turned towards the person.
To be honest, Murtagh was frightened of the weapons the soldier had explained to him. He said that the things that hit them traveled faster than an arrow. He couldn't imagine anything so fast and yet they'd insisted that the weapons were instant. After that, Murtagh had been sure to put up protective wards that would guard perfectly against such things.
No fear, little one, we will not fail this time. The dragon is small and will be easy to carry back to the king. And I will be there to aid you in your battle against the magician.
K-Mart ran blindly into the trees of a forest. She heard the knight's threat to anyone who did not help him search for her. She would've fought if it'd been soldiers. But he was using innocent lives to do his dirty work, and if she'd stayed, someone would've undoubtedly have gotten killed.
She pictured the sweet girl who'd brought her meal. She didn't want anyone so nice to get hurt because of her. K-Mart had been so jazzed to find actual living, breathing people, that she'd let her guard down.
Earlier that day as she was viewing the village she'd broken down in sobs.
"I can't believe it." She'd said to Neo. The shock had been so great, she didn't know what to do at first. "After all these years, and so many are alive. I—I can't…" She looked up, her eyes glittering with tears. "But it's just so… how could this be? They're living as if the T-Virus was never even heard of before."
Neo nudged her with his scaly head and a feeling spread through her body; an uneasy sense of ancient foreign sensibility. "You're right. This doesn't make sense. I don't know if I'm right, but this just reeks with some sort of alternate dimension. I don't think I'm in my own world anymore." The thought of being some strange alien plane of exsistence was daunting, and yet at the same time... euphoric. She'd been given a second chance. She could reenter the world as another normal human being. She didn't have to be afraid of infection or toxicities or the Umbrella Corporation or the fear of extinction. She wasn't alone. She wasn't the last.
She was safe.
"I'm safe?" As she said those words, a weight lifted from her shoulders and she could feel the full completeness of that phrase. She was safe. She looked down to Neo and embraced him in a compassionate hug. "We're safe! There is no virus. I understand now. You're not an experiment after all. You're your own species, aren't you?"
The dragon's look was so evident that it seemed to say, "well duh" to her.
Yet now as she ran through the underbrush of the dark forest, she realized that she wasn't safe after all. She'd left one tyranny only to enter into the hands of another. After all that she'd been through and she still could not find peace to live free from fear.
She held tightly to the bag that Neo was curled inside. Wakened by her thumping feet and jerking body as she sprinted through the trees, the baby understood that trouble was afoot.
After the last few survivors of Earth had been eliminated by the UC's gunships, Alice had pushed K-Mart to train in ways she'd never undergone in her lifetime before. K-Mart's own anger and hate had fueled the girl, making her push herself in ways like nothing before. Every day it was wake, drill, eat, drill, spar, drill, eat again, spar, rest, drill, spar, drill some more, eat, and drill just before bed. Days blended together until all that was definite was the here and now. By the time it'd taken for the two women to finally make their move against Umbrella, K-Mart had managed to fulfill more grueling training than even an elite Spartan warrior. Together, with Alice guiding her, they'd been able to destroy what remained of the UC. So a bit of running was nothing to get tired over really.
She was able to run about four miles more before needing to halt and catch her breath. She felt the ground quiver and looked up into the darkened sky to see a great shadow cross over the quarter moon. The red dragon was closing on her. She could feel it and the knight looking at her.
Suddenly, K-Mart didn't understand why in the world she was acting so afraid. He might ride a dragon but that didn't mean he was stronger than her. What did he have but some over grown lizard? She was stronger in mind and body than he would ever be and had undergone trials that were only dreamt of in this world. He was nothing compared to the sights she'd witnessed.
She undid the clasp on the bag and Neo jumped out to perch on her shoulder. With him beside her she stood up to her full height and looked into the sky.
"I don't have to be afraid of you." She hissed into the air. "I'm here Crimson Knight. Face me!"
In response the trees billowed violently as something huge descended from the skies. She tapped into the night vision she'd adapted from the T-Virus and focused on the red dragon. The rider jumped from his saddle like he'd done from the village. They stood silently for a moment, studying the other, searching for weaknesses.
Finally it was K-Mart who broke the tension. "What do you want?"
"You've stolen something very valuable from our king Galbatorix." The knight said, pointing at the hatchling around her shoulders. "If you merely stole the egg, then I would only have to kill you and take it back. As it is though, the dragon has hatched for you. Now you both belong to the emperor."
"Really?" K-Mart said cocking her head to the side. She searched herself as if expecting something to be on her. "Funny thing. I don't see his name anywhere on me. Maybe you've got me mistaken for some other girl with a dragon."
"Do not, make light of this situation, rider." He snapped. "I will not allow you to escape me as Eragon and Sephira have done. If I have to drag your broken body back to the king step by step, so be it. But either way, you are my prey and I will not let go this time."
Wind ruffled her hair and a cloud blocked the light of the moon. K-Mart's face grew dark and her expression became savage with suppressed rage. Her voice was a soft hiss. "Well then you are a fool to think you can possibly match me. And now you will reap it."
Her eyes dilated and a blast of energy flew from her. Earth and leaves exploded from where she stood and cut a path directly to the red rider.
Murtagh was caught off guard. He barely had time to utter a counter attack in the ancient language to protect from her assault. His hand flew out as if to halt the explosion. "Skölir nosu fra bluatin!" He shouted. The blast swept the earth around him and he was otherwise left unharmed. Murtagh stared at her for a moment. She hadn't uttered a single word when the magic came.
He didn't have time to gawk though. She'd taken advantage of his distraction to withdraw one of the strange weapons from her belt and began firing mercilessly at him. He threw his hand out again and uttered another shield up. Then he shouted for the weapon to leave her hand. It flew away easily. She seemed surprised for a moment but then quickly took hold of the swords behind her back and brandished them in a flourish of shining metal. Murtagh took zar'roc from its sheath and prepared for hand-to-hand combat.
So this is how she wants it is it? He thought with traces of a smile twitching on his face. He wondered how she would fare against him. Very well then.
She didn't turn her head from her opponent but whispered to her dragon to take cover. The dragon understood he would be no match in this fight and would only succeed in getting in the way if he stayed round her shoulders. He squeaked once and jumped from her shoulders. He was still too young to truly fly, but he was able to use his wings to gently glide to the ground and hide somewhere up a small tree.
Murtagh would leave Thorn to retrieve the dragon when the time was right. For the moment he would deal with the rider himself.
They stood rooted to their spots, each neglecting to make the first move. They were studying each other; measuring the other's strength—searching for weaknesses. She rushed at him without warning, finally becoming impatient or having discovered an opening in his stance. Their blades clashed and they battled away at each other without holding anything back.
He swung. She blocked. He battered. She rammed. He struck. She recoiled.
On and on it went in the clearing of that forest. Neither showing any sign of tiring. The knight hooked his blade into one of her swords and jerked it out of her hand. It clanged against a tree and fell to the ground. Now it was single blade against single blade. Both fighters needed both hands to hold their swords if they didn't want them to fly out of their hands with the amount of strength they were fighting with. The two weapons banged against each other into the night. Both the opponents seemed to be equally skilled.
The new rider maneuvered her blade to pin his flat against an upturned tree trunk. Murtagh struggled, trying to regain his weapon. He rammed his shoulder into hers, but she didn't falter.
"I gotta admit it," She said breathlessly. "You're very good. You're the second person I can think of whose ever matched me."
Murtagh's teeth grinded together. "Likewise." Then he rammed his head into her temple. She stumbled back, holding her head with her forearm to where he'd struck it. The tip of her sword dragged in the dirt as she tried desperately to grip it.
Murtagh was trading into the offense now. The blow to her head had made her dizzy and he was able to take advantage of her injury. He struck at her and she barely had time to raise her weapon and block his attack. He herded her against a tree and swung zar'roc above his head. Her sword came up to block. His blow was so powerful, though, that it cut her blade clean in two. She fell to the ground and panted up at him.
Zar'roc's tip pointed at her throat with malice.
"You are beaten. Yield." He demanded.
She glared. "No."
"I don't have time for these games. You have lost. Yield now!"
All she did was smile. "You know the best things about broad swords? There's always an extra one." She slashed at him and cut a mark deep in his armor. He stumbled back, surprised by her furry. The extra blade shone brightly in the moonlight and she wielded it so wrathfully, that she almost looked demented.
"I will die before I yield to scum like you!"
"Very well."
She rushed at him and he dodged to the side. She corrected her blunder before he could take advantage of it and strike again. Then a high animal howl cut the night air. Her face turned, sensing an alternate danger. She saw the great red dragon leap at a emerald green baby and pin it under sharp cage-like claws. Murtagh saw his opening with her distraction and struck hard on her head with the hilt of Zar'roc. The blow did not nock her out, as it was originally planned, but stunned her so she lost the grip on her sword. It fell from her and she landed on her knees, holding the back of her head with both hands.
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and held the blade to her throat.
"I said, yield!" He hissed in her ear.
"Never!" She retorted.
"YEILD!"
"DROP DEAD, ASSWIPE!"
"Yield or watch your dragon die before you."
She stared at the red dragon and the tiny green dragon pinned below it and knew without a doubt it would be no challenge for the greater one to merely snatch it in his jaws and chew him up to nothing. Yet still she did not move. Instead she searched herself for every bit of power inside her.
Murtagh felt an iron bar strike him in the gut and send him flying yards away where his back struck a tree with a thud. K-Mart moved as if time had slowed down. She rolled, taking up her extra sword and crouching by the claw that held Neo to the ground and sank it deep into the wrist of the red dragon.
A roar split the night and the talons lifted from the ground in fury. K-Mart wasted no time in snatching up the baby and making a run for it.
She ran and ran, not caring where she was going or where she ended up. All that mattered was that she get away as fast as she could. It didn't matter though. The knight and his dragon were in hot pursuit in no time.
K-Mart couldn't risk getting captured. Her one chance was to hide and make a run for it when she had the chance.
She dodged behind a thick tree and waited. She heard the footprints of the other rider. Her lungs burned from the fight and the running but she forced them to settled so her breathing would not be loud. She sensed him just behind her tree so she stole a glance and saw his back to her. He had no idea where she was.
His unsuspecting gave her an idea. She soundlessly motioned up the tree to Neo.
Hide up there, she thought urgently. Neo looked at her confused. Hide up there. She persisted. Just till it's safe. I have to take care of this guy first and then we'll both make a run for it, kay?
His eyes narrowed. She could feel a mixture of disapproval from him swirling in her gut. After a moment's hesitation, he finally clawed up the tree.
She summoned what was left of her energy and focused it in one lethal attack. They weren't going to get far if she was merciful. She didn't want to try and restrain herself anyways. She was going to kill him.
She stepped out from behind the tree and attacked his metal barrier with the force of a rocket launcher. She hit a wall and he spun around to face her. The impact of her blow didn't breach the countless walls he'd placed around his mind, but it still caught him off guard. She was persistent and didn't give in, in the slightest. She pressed forward, drilling through the walls and searching out for even the tiniest crack she could use to slip through.
He held up, keeping up his barrier and fighting her back. He took a step forward, trying to push her attack away. He took another and another as if he were fighting a windstorm.
K-Mart's strength was weakening. She couldn't hold out for much longer. What she thought would be a simple kill and run, turned out to be a mind numbing process and she wasn't getting any closer to victory. She was so preoccupied with breaking through his wall that she didn't see him moving closer and closer till he was finally able to touch her. He grabbed her shoulders and slammed her against a tree trunk. She didn't yield.
"ENOUGH!" He shouted, slamming her again. "You're no match for me! Stop or you'll kill yourself and your dragon!"
She used the last bit of her strength then finally broke. She sagged, heaving up mouthfuls of air with the battle she'd just undergone. Her nose was bleeding and she was drenched in a cold sweat from the strain of the mental assault. She looked up at how close he'd gotten and stared. Then she slammed into him unexpectedly.
He released her and fell to the ground. She took the opportunity to get clear of him. He leapt forward and grabbed her ankle making her fall to the ground with him. She struggled, kicking and clawing at him with every bit of strength she had. She unhooked a knife from her belt and slashed at him. The blade slashed a good cut into his eyebrow. He hissed with fury and grabbed her wrist to stop the attack. He hooked an arm under her back and maneuvered her so that she was face down now. He pinned her with his knee on her back and held her arm above her. Even with their change of positions, she didn't quit fighting. Her extra arm grabbed a large branch and swung it back at him. He grabbed that arm as well and pinned them both behind her back. With the loss of her arms and stance, she attempted to attack his mind again.
Does this woman never stop!
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He shouted. He touched her forehead and whispered in the ancient language. "Let her sleep!"
For a single moment, it seemed she would fight that too. But she stilled and quite struggling at once.
"Finally!" He breathed. Then something flew at him from out of nowhere, clawing and snapping at his eyes. He threw the baby dragon from him and Thorn caught him with a single claw.
Murtagh was furious. He grabbed the rider under him and gripped her by the neck of her shirt. He glared at her unconscious face and pulled an arm back as if preparing to strike her in her sleep. She looked so harmless like this. He growled and lowered his arm.
Now that she was unconscious, he could leave her in the dirt and she wouldn't get away. He grabbed a leather sack and held it out to Thorn who dropped the struggling baby dragon inside. He growled and snapped, trying to get out as Murtagh tightened the string and gave it to the red dragon. Thorn would carry it in his mouth while Murtagh held the rider on the saddle. He retrieved ropes from Thorn's saddlebag and went about binding her hands and feet. He'd taken extra precaution by making the ropes fare tighter than they necessarily needed to be. Then his eyes caught on the gedwëy ignasia she had over her right hand.
He stared, distracted by how large it was. A great silver dragon curled around her thumb where it should've stopped just short over her wrist. Instead it twined round it once and then its tale curled down past her sleeve. He pulled the fabric down wondering where it stopped. It curled round her arm again and ended over a scar in her forearm. Murtagh wasn't sure, but he thought this bight looked human. What sort of creature tried to eat this girl? And why did this gedwëy ignasia look different from others? Not even Galbatorix's was this strong.
He could worry about that later. For the moment all that was necessary was getting this girl to his master as soon as possible. He lifted her in his arms and started for Thorn's saddle. For as strong as this girl was, she was surprisingly light.
He slung the girl over the side and got in after her with his arm holding her so that she wouldn't fall out.
Let's go, he told Thorn quickly.
They'd flown for over two days before they finally couldn't take it anymore. Thorn settled on the flat of a mountainside that would provide them shelter from the east wind that continued to blow against them, throwing them off of track. They were still about two hundred miles away from Urû`baen so it would take some time hand over the new rider to the king. Murtagh was positive that since they had the rider and dragon now, there wasn't as much demand to hurry. Even still he wanted to get this track over with already
The spell Murtagh had put on the rider had done its job very well. She'd remained asleep and inactive for the entire ride with the only movement being an occasional twitch of her body here and there. The dragon on the other hand was becoming impatient for air and freedom from its leather prison. Thorn also announced that the baby was hungry. So that was another reason they had to stop. Murtagh was able to find some rabbits and proceeded to slicing up the meat and dropping them into the pouch. He was reluctant to opening it, in case the dragon made a run for it or managed to rouse his still sleeping rider.
He squeaked angrily when he found out Murtagh wasn't the girl and even attempted to bite his fingers as he was dropping in chunks of meat.
"Stop that!" Murtagh hissed when the baby teeth grazed his hand, breaking the skin enough to hurt. The baby snapped again, furious at the man who was not his rider. "Stop that or you'll go hungry." He didn't stop. Murtagh finally just gave up and handed the whole slab of meat inside. He gave the bag back to Thorn where he'd be able to have a better hold on the baby. Murtagh leaned against a boulder and poked at the fire with a stick.
His eyes swerved to look at the drowsing girl. Her clothes were interesting and the weapons se'd used drew some curiosity. Thorn must've seen the look on his face.
She certainly wasn't intending to yield to you.
Murtagh snorted. That certainly was an understatement.
Thorn read his thoughts and chuckled. I wonder where she hails from. I've never seen the kinds of weapons she used on you. Quite impressive wouldn't you say.
Murtagh sighed, hating to admit it. Yes it was.
She doesn't fight like your brother, He stated studying her. Or anyone we've ever met. She fights with anger, and rage, and hate—not towards us though, but for something else.
Murtagh remembered back to the soldiers that he'd met after their encounter with the strange magician. When I spoke with the men, they said she mentioned something about Umbrella Corporation—whatever that is.
Thorn's head bowed to side with contemplation. I've never heard of such a thing. From that we can assume she is most certainly not from this land.
Perhaps I could find out more. Murtagh moved closer to her, preparing to touch her mind for more information about her. Thorn advised against it.
I wouldn't recommend it. He said quickly. You saw the way she battled you off with her powers—and without saying anything too.
I'll be careful. You'll be here to help me after all.
Thorn still did not feel right with this idea, but nodded his assessment. Very well. I am curious to know as well I suppose.
Murtagh smiled and closed his eyes to better concentrate as he prepared to sneak through the walls and walls that were sure to be guarding her mind. What surprised him was the unbelievable ease it took to bridge the wards guarding her. He didn't even have to try. The walls were so thin it had been like he pressed again a screen of paper harder and harder till it'd torn easily away and he was falling through. He felt so amazed when he'd breached her mind, that he didn't see the danger until it was too late. He fell head first into a spinning sea of uncontrolled memories and emotions. When he realized his mistake he tried to pull out of her mind, but horrible grotesque hands grabbed at him and dragged him back to the scenes that happened to this young woman.
A woman with blond hair shouted at him, over the bed of a girl who he couldn't see. "That's your sister right there! Do you know what will happen if you do this?"
He could feel rage and hurt build inside of him. He shouted back at her, surprised by how high and feminine his voice sounded. "Yeah, Mom. Believe it or not but I actually thought about it." A hand collided with his left cheek at that statement and the picture faded.
A pale woman with dark hair and teal eyes smiled at him. He didn't know how but he could feel power radiating off of her unlike anything he'd felt before. "I'm Alice." She said and the picture changed.
He watched as a girl with brown hair and glasses, screamed as what looked like people, burst from a door and grabbed at her flailing limbs then, to his horror, began eating her as she watched them. They ripped her skin clean from the bone and blood poured from her like a fountain. Her hed flw back and tears errupted with the torture. Her horrified expression would forever be a burn in his memory. The memory changed at that moment.
He was running as fast as he could as people chased him through the streets. He ran through a glass door and barricaded himself inside while the people grouped at the glass on the other side. He could see there faces clearly while blood pored from their mouths and their eyes focused hungrily on him like a mob of demons coming to rip him apart slowly.
A woman with another of those strange weapons hugging him tenderly. Tears and trama burst from him as he clutched at her for protection. "It's alright. You're safe now."
A boy with goggles on the top of his head smiled at him. "Hey, I'm John."
The same boy again, but now he was on the ground and more people—or creatures pinned him and sank their teeth in as he screamed with terror.
More images flicked in and out of his vision, growing faster and more pungent as time pressed.
A man, roared as his eyes glazed over with a mad yellow sheen. He looked over to Murtagh and pinned him against a brick wall as he snapped at his throat, hungry for blood and flesh. He knew this man to be his father.
the image changed again. People screamed as metal, glass and fire shot at them from all directions. A woman grabbed him and led him running towards the edge of the boat. People were torn apart and died as they attempted the same thing.
"I don't want to do it anymore!" He screamed suddenly at the blond woman from before. "I want to be able to make my own decisions!"
A girl lied in a bed looking up at him. She was bald and gaunt with bruises and yellow patches all over her face and head. The sight of her brought tears to his eyes. "I need you to do me a favor, sissy."
He sniffed. "What favor?"
The scene changed but the girl from before was still with him. They were outside in the summer sunshine. He clutched her hand and tears burst into his eyes. "Will you wait for me? I mean if you go somewhere crazy how will I find you again?"
Terror.
Rage.
Hurt.
Sorrow.
…HATE.
All these emotions built inside of him like an overflowing dam. Pretty soon he would burst with the emount of pain flooding through him. It was too much for him. Far too much. He needed to pull back. He had to. He couldn't take it. It was going to tear him open.
THORN, HELP ME!
He jerked back landing on the ground, panting and looking up into the starlit sky. Thorn touched his mind gently so he wouldn't startle him. He saw what Murtagh had seen and recoiled a little with the sights.
He waited for his rider to collect himself before speaking. Are you alright?
Murtagh lied there covering his eyes and wishing he could erase those sights. He shook his head to Thorn's question.
"I shouldn't have done that." He said aloud, shaking from the shock of so much hurt and loss. It was like he'd been that girl as she went through those unbearable events. With the strength of so much agony at once, Murtagh couldn't do anything but lie in the dirt for the moment and weep.
Thorn looked over to his rider and placed a claw comfortingly on his back, waiting for him to regain himself. Murtagh drew comfort from the touch and was able to collect himself better than a normal man without the support. He sat up and looked at the girl, who was still soundlessly asleep. Now he was filled with more questions than before he'd touched her mind. And unfortunately none of his old ones had really been answered by that contact.
Where did she come from?
What were those things that wanted to eat her?
That blond woman who was yelling at her, was that her mother?
What didn't she want to do anymore?
Who was the bald young girl laying in the bed?
Who was the woman who called herself Alice?