Eragon stared at the unconscious woman laying at his feet.
He didn't know what to do! If he let her live, she might kill him in his sleep, but if he killed her, he would be going against all of his morals.
"Eragon?" A woman whispered at his side.
"Arya..." Eragon started but stopped unable to form a sentence in his troubled mind.
Lord, what do I do? If I kill her it would be a sin, if I let her live she might kill me. I cant leave her here in her condition. Help me decide.
At his side Aria stared down at the woman.
She gasped and knelt down. Carefully she moved the hair away from her ears. "Shes an elf!" Aria exclaimed.
"What should we do?" Eragon whispered. "We cant leave her hear, shes probably hurt. I cant... I wont kill her." He continued, his voice growing stronger with every word.
"Lets take her with us, I don't think she will cause trouble." Arya said.
She put her hand behind the woman's back and sat her up, draping the unconscious elf's arm over her shoulder she stood.
She began to walk towards the horse, but couldn't keep her burden up with one arm. She slipped her other arm around the woman's middle and gasped.
"What?" Eragon said as he caught up to her.
"Help me lay her down." Arya said. When she was on the ground, Arya reached under her unconscious patients tunic and pulled the pillow out.
Eragon gasped as the tunic settled on a well formed abdomen. "She's pregnant!" He said. "Why was she dressed as a soldier?" He whispered, more to himself than to Arya.
"She must have been trying to escape..." Arya mumbled.
As they stood there staring as there charge, loud thunder caused them to jump. Seconds later rain began to pour down in silver sheets.
The first thing Keeva noticed when she awoke was the throbbing pain in her left ankle, the next was that she was on the hard ground and she could feel stinging rain pelting her body.
She forced her eyes open in time to see a man bending over her. She felt him lift her.
Oh Lord, please don't let it be someone taking me back. Please Lord.
The man started to run, jostling her injured ankle as he did.
Keeva tried to hold in her cry of agony put it was impossible. Keeva gripped the mans tunic hard, moaning at every step.
Keeva was no stranger to pain, but this, this was different. It wasn't just the pain that made her cry, it was fear. Fear for her and more importantly her unborn child.
Time passed slowly as the man trudged on, finally he stopped.
Keeva pressed her face into his shoulder, she considered biting him, but changed her mind. She didn't know whether he was friend or foe.
She heard a squeaky door being pushed open, and then felt herself being carefully placed on a soft bed.
She opened her eyes as the man lit a lamp.
They were in a small one room cabin. There was a table pushed into a corner, and a wood stove about three feet from it. And of course the bed that she now occupied.
Keeva heard hoof beats and seconds later a woman came into the room.
"Start some water please." The man said as he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. "My name is Eragon." He said "My friends name is Arya, you have nothing to fear milady." He said gently.
Arya stepped over from the stove and stood by the end of the bed. "Can you tell me what hurts?" She asked.
"Are you...?" Keeva started to ask but was afraid to continue.
"Are we what?" Eragon asked her gently.
"Are you friends of the Empire?" Keeva quickly blurted out.
Eragon and Arya looked at each other for a moment before he answered. "Nay milady, we are not." He watched her reaction and noticed that she visibly relaxed.
"Now that's enough talking Eragon," Arya said gently to her friend. "Are you injured milady?" She stepped around Eragon to check the woman's pulse.
"My left ankle may be broken." Keeva answered slowly, she was exhausted but didn't want to sleep.
They may not be friends of the Empire Lord, but I still don't know if I can trust them.
Keeva tried to keep her eyes open but she could not. Her exhausted body rebelled against common since and she slept.