Chapter Twenty-Two

Blood and Love

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

The sound of a man screaming in agony, and the feeling of fever-hot, sticky blood on his skin roused Aragon, and he lashed out blindly, striking someone, or something, hard, and causing who or whatever it was to give a high pitched squeal of pain.
Blindly drawing a knife, and blinking in the near-darkness, Aragon saw someone loom before him with a rust speckled sword.
Aragon stabbed at the figure's torso, and felt the blade drive home into yielding flesh.
The figure screamed as Aragon twisted the knife, before drawing it free, and wrenching the badly maintained sword from it's previous master's nerveless hand.

A gout of fire lit the scene.
Arrayed around the camp were twelve slavers.

Eight others lay dead around Aragon.
As he watched, an arrow whistled out of the dark and took one of the attackers in the chest.
Then another figure appeared behind the ambushers, with a two-handed war hammer with a flanged head in his grip, which he swung into one of the men's back with a gristly crunch.

Then from both sides of the clearing, a dragon jumped in, pinning the men around the camp fire.
On instinct, Aragon jumped back into Thelduin's shadow, as the two dragons lit the remaining seven attackers up like a bonfire, flash-frying their brains before the flames consumed them.
A mostly painless way to die.

Aragon stood shakily.
'Thanks for the save there.' He said with real feeling.

The man wielding the hammer approached, and carefully skirted the smouldering patch of scorched earth and charred bodies that was where the aggressors had been standing.
'What are friends for, eh Aragon?' Asked the man, sticking the butt of the hammer's haft into the dirt and leaning on it, hands clasped between two of the flanges.
'Holy Hellfire Jarren, I didn't recognise you for a second there.' Said Aragon, before pulling his friend into a rough embrace.
'You've bulked out since I last saw you.' He explained.

It was true; Jarren had put on some weight since Aragon had last seen him, and all of it was hard muscle.
'It's damn well good to see you too Aragon, but you look as pale as a sheet and as gaunt as when you showed up uninvited to the Choosing.' Replied Jarren.
'So, what was all that about? Those bastards bandits?' Asked Aragon, indicating with the rusty sword the charred corpses.

Jarren spat on the smouldering carcasses.
'No, they were slavers, there's a big mob of the bastards operating around the plains and in the desert, bugger-all Sarah and I can do about it, and what with everyone chasing the bastard who killed Dorian, and…half-way killed you, nothing much we can do but report back I 'spose.' Answered Jarren, seeming rather dissatisfied to Aragon.

It was a sentiment Aragon could empathise with: The second night he'd been on the streets after the Ward had thrown him out, he'd nearly been grabbed by a stranger in the street; it wasn't unknown for the opportunistic to try and capture a street-kid and sell them off as a slave.
He'd only escaped by the skin of his teeth, and had quickly learned how to fight afterwards.
Aragon nodded in understanding, then changed the subject.

'Well, shall we stay the remainder of the night here, or shall Thelduin and I accompany you back to your camp?'
Jarren gave a snort of laughter.
'We never stopped to set one up, so I reckon Sarah and I are best off stickin' with you for the night, that way we can set watches, and we can all get some shut-eye.' Replied Jarren, going over to the fiery-scaled dragon, that Aragon now recognised as Infernia.

'So, where's Sarah now then?' Asked Aragon, as he recognised the other dragon as Marinæ.
'Right behind you,' said Sarah in his ear.
Aragon jumped violently, and dropped his recently acquired sword.
'Bloody hell!' He swore.

Why didn't you warn me she was there? Asked Aragon of Thelduin.
She wasn't going to kill you, and I wanted to see how high you'd jump. Replied Thelduin, who was busily coiling herself up tighter so she wouldn't end up entangled with Marinæ or Infernia.
And just how high did I jump? Asked Aragon, crossing his arms, and giving Thelduin a look of cool dignity.
About a foot; maybe two. Replied Thelduin, oblivious to the sarcasm in Aragon's tone.
Aragon chose to ignore Thelduin's ribbing.

'A pleasure to see you again Sarah, I see your skill with the bow has increased,' said Aragon politely, motioning to the graceful longbow Sarah held loosely by her side as she checked Marinæ over for injuries.
Sarah gave him a mischievous smile.
'And your penchant for getting into trouble has gotten worse,' she said with amusement.
It can only get better from here, after all, you cannot do worse than die, unless you become a Shade, which isn't likely to happen, considering that riders are forbidden from learning sorcery. Said Thelduin, now settled comfortably. It is good to see you two again, Infernia, Marinæ. Said Thelduin to the other two dragons.
Likewise Thelduin, replied Infernia warmly.

Marinæ gave a friendly rumble, but remained silent, before busying himself cleaning his talons.
'Oh come on Marinæ, it's not like Thelduin's asking you for a clutch of eggs,' scolded Sarah jokingly, before settling against her partner's side.
Jarren chuckled quietly to himself, 'Marinæ's been acting like that for about two months now: every time Infernia speaks with him, he gets all shy and unintelligible,' explained Jarren upon catching Aragon's raised eyebrow.

Aragon snorted, 'funnily enough, that about fits the time-frame for when Thelduin started falling for Anarch,' he commented.
'Well that explains it then, it's not Marinæ acting weird, the mating season must've started,' mused Sarah with a look of realisation dawning on her.
'Marinæ, you aren't tongue-tied around Infernia because you're falling for her are you?' Asked Sarah with an amused look.
….I might be. Came the evasive reply.

The night passed relatively quickly, the group taking it in turns to keep watch, except for Aragon, who was let off on the reasoning he needed his rest after the resurrection, even if it was nearly three days past.
Still, the next morning, it was no rest for the wicked as usual, and Aragon was woken by the base of Jarren's hammer.
'Rise 'n' shine princess,' he said as he nudged Aragon.

The day was spent flying, heading with all speed for Ilirea.
So, aside from what Eragon told me, anything else happen that I should be aware of? Asked Aragon curiously.
Well, that bastard Kialandí, and his pal Morzan were strutting all around the city saying 'good riddance to bad rubbish', recounted Jarren.
Irrelevant, I don't give half a damn what they think of me. Said Aragon.
Whoa, death made you all serious-like Aragon, don't you usually say something witty? Replied Jarren.
It happens, and I'm still pretty damn weary, not to mention pissed as hell.
Heh, that's catchy: Back from the dead, and pissed as hell.

Anyway, said Aragon dragging the conversation back on course, what else?
Elmïra damn near tried to cast a spell to take her directly to Galbatorix's bolt-hole so she could kill him herself, supplied Sarah.
Yeah, she really lost it, if Teclian hadn't pinned her down, she probably would've torn Alagaësia apart trying to find that bastard. Added Jarren.
Whoa…anything else? Oh yeah, what happened to that thief-girl? Asked Aragon, remembering.

She's under heavy guard, apparently with Elmïra at present; I reckon she wants to apologise for getting you killed. Said Jarren.
That's horse-manure, and you know it, interjected Infernia. She wants to know if you'll have her on for odd-jobs, apparently if she can't be a rider, she's willing to be a rider's page.

Aragon broke the contact, and withdrew to his own mind, projecting his surprise by way of reason for his withdrawal from the conversation.
Bloody hell! Thought Aragon.
Aragon, if you develop feelings for that girl, and I'll drop you on your head. Promised Thelduin.
Says the she-dragon with the crush on the dragon of one of my most ardent haters. Shot Aragon back.
For the last time…Actually, you know what? I'm not even going to answer that. Replied Thelduin, and left Aragon to himself.

No One-liners.