Ok, so here's chapter 4. It swaps POVs a bit, but it shouldn't be too confusing.
Chapter 4
Murtagh turned, filled with trepidation as he heard Galbatorix beckon him. Face blank, he approached the King slowly. He was sure this was going to be his punishment for his failure.
"My lord." He said bowing.
"You brought no information from the woman." It was not a question. Murtagh had to force himself not to wince. "Fortunately, other matters have come about. I have another task for you. It shouldn't be too hard, but be warned: I will be most displeased if you are to fail me again."
Murtagh waited in a wary silence. This could not be good. "About the new rider," The King said with a cruel smirk. "I do believe that our dear friends the Varden deserve to hear of this most joyous occasion." His face darkened once more, "You and your beast will inform them, to their faces. Strike fear into the hearts of my enemies. And Murtagh? Kill anyone who gets in your way."
Knowing he was dismissed, Murtagh made as hasty an exit as he could manage. He knew the last part was not merely a suggestion, the more deaths he and his dragon caused, the more Galbatorix would be pleased.
'Thorn,' He said flatly, 'We have one more job to do, and this one we cannot fail.'
Eragon collapsed into the lone chair in his tent, exhausted. He just couldn't deal with it all right now. He had barely slept since facing Murtagh at the Burning Plains. What little sleep he had gotten was filled with nightmares. Then, Roran told him about his plan to marry Katrina, except she was in Helgrind guarded by a bunch of Ra'zac. To top it off, Nasuada was planning an attack on Belatona and expected him to help her.
Eragon let out a long sigh. He was going to sleep. He didn't care if it was midday or that he was supposed to be helping with battle tactics. Someone would come and wake him when his presence was absolutely necessary.
To his disappointment, Eragon could only have slept for a couple hours before a man was calling urgently for him from outside of the tent. Rolling out of bed and straightening his tunic, Eragon hurried to the entrance.
"Yes?" He called trying not to sound annoyed.
"Lady Nasuada requests you. She says it is most important. Something has come up." The man bowed his head before retreating.
As it turned out, 'something has come up' was more than a bit of an understatement. "Are you sure?" Eragon questioned.
"Yes of course I'm sure, Eragon. At lest a dozen people have spotted him. The Red Rider approaches rapidly and his dragon is setting fire to everything beneath him, men included. You and Saphira must prepare for the worst." Nasuada looked nervous, and for a good reason. The Varden had barley begun recovering from Murtagh's last attack.
'Its too soon.' Eragon thought.
'Yes, but that doesn't make it any less true. Nasuada is right, we must be ready for the worst.'
Eragon grunted. When Nasuada raised an eyebrow he explained, "Saphira says that she agrees. We will be ready if he decides to attack."
She nodded. "But you will not initiate the fight?"
"No." Nasuada nodded for a second time, as if she had expected nothing else.
"Go at once." Eragon bowed slightly at her curt dismissal before turning to leave. He took a deep breath once out side.
'I'm not ready to do this again Saphira,'
'I know little one, you are tired, but have faith. We will win.'
Eragon smiled at her reply. 'Thank you for the sentiment, but that wasn't what I meant.'
'I know.' Saphira replied as he made his way back towards his tent.
'Its just, fighting him, its so, so,' Eragon broke off, not sure what to say.
'Wrong?' Saphira supplied.
'Yes.'
Thorn landed on a patch of parched ground a quarter mile from the Varden camp, but still within eye sight. Murtagh knew Eragon would come to him, and sure enough, not five minutes later, the blue Rider was circling over head.
Thorn growled but Murtagh comforted him with a pat "Let them make the first move, we need only talk, remember."
He felt Thorn's mental nod in response. As Saphira flew lower, Murtagh could see Eragon, clad in armor. His face was wary and Murtagh could tell he was sizing him up, searching for his intentions.
Apparently the younger Rider decide that Murtagh wasn't going to attack immediately, for Saphira sank to the ground with a shudder. Her rider dismounted, taking a few cautious steps forward. He was joined by Murtagh. They stood a few feet apart, out of swords distance.
"Murtagh." It was meant as a greeting, but it sounded to Murtagh more like a question.
"Eragon." He nodded. "I have a message from Galbatorix." Murtagh kept his face emotionless even though inside he was waging war. He wanted so much to call out to Eragon, to beg him for help, but his pride and his vows would not allow him.
"You're not here to fight?" Eragon clarified. He visibly relaxed as Murtagh shook his head once.
"No, its just a message." Murtagh raised hand, smirking, to fend off Eragon's question. "Can you communicate to Nasuada, King Orrin and whoever is in charge of the dwarves what I say?"
Eragon's face hardened and he glanced behind him. Saphira let out a low rumble but made no move. Murtagh looked, and saw the leads already standing a safe distance away, surrounded by soldiers.
"Ah, Good," He called out. "then let's not waste any more time. The third and final egg has hatched. The Green Rider is in our Good King's possession. Surrender now and my lord may grant you a small amount of mercy. If not, your meager troops will be decimated twice a quickly. Just imagine what some dragon fire would do to a camp made entirely out of cloth tents." Murtagh's lip curled in disgust at the look of complete shock and horror on his dear brother's face.
"Well?" He questioned.
"N-Never!" His brother had regained his composure once more.
Murtagh shrugged, expecting nothing less. Then he looked up with an almost manic stare. "There is no hope, Eragon. The King will win this. You may as well give up now and save yourself the trouble."
Eragon looked shocked by his former friends dark words. "You may have been defeated, but I swear I'll fight till my last breath."
"How noble of you." Murtagh smirked, before turning suddenly to mount Thorn, muttering under his breath words he hadn't dared to for a long time.
'Well that could have been worse.'
Eragon let out a sharp breath. 'Worse? Galbatorix has the last dragon. We're out numbered three riders to one. He's right. There's no way to win.'
'We could be dead, they could be dead, we could have fought them.'
Eragon sighed at Saphira's optimism. He shook his head trying to figure out if he had heard Murtagh's parting words correctly, the ones he had muttered, more to himself than anything. Eragon could have sworn the Rider had said. 'I have not been defeated. He'll see, you'll all see.' But the whispered words had been so faint Eragon wondered if they hadn't been his imagination. Still, they gave him a glimmer of hope, albeit a very small, very pathetic glimmer.
When Eragon found Nasuada again, she had already called a meeting. The important figures from the Varden, the elves, the dwarves, and the urgals stood around a large table, while Nasuada paced by the entrance. She let out a soft sigh when she saw him approaching.
"Good, good. Eragon. Please tell us, is there anything the Rider said which we didn't hear?"
The two strode over to the head of the table. Eragon grimaced. "No. For the moment at least, he won't attack until the Green Rider has been properly trained. With Galbatorix's skills however, that won't be long. We need to prepare for the worst."
The room was silent for a moment before Nasuada sank into her chair with a sigh, the men followed suit. "You are right. We must indeed be prepared for the inevitable." She stated calmly. "As soon as the new dragon is strong enough, both riders will attack. Until then, the only course of action open to us is to continue our attack on Belatona."
Nobody disagreed. Eragon could have heard a pin drop, and was startled when the Varden's leader leapt up swiftly. "Dismissed." She called, but motioned for Eragon to stay. "We need to talk." Was all she said.
Nasuada began to pace the front of the tent. Eragon remained silent as she puzzled, head bowed. Looking up, she finally addressed him. "Tell me truthfully, Eragon, do we have any hope of winning this war?" He saw a wave of emotions cross her face before Nasuada got ahold of herself.
He hesitated, "There's no way the green dragon will be ready for our attack on Belatona, so we'll have just as good a chance as before. After that," Eragon shrugged with defeated expression. "I really can't say. No doubt Galbatorix will have trained the rider just as well, if not better than, Murtagh."
"Well, then." Nasuada said her mind made up. "We will try and keep this to ourselves. There's no point in upsetting the people until after Belatona." She turned and leaned over the table, muttering. Eragon took his leave, deciding he and Saphira could use some time alone.
Murtagh simmered for the long flight. He couldn't get Eragon's parting look of anger and pity out of his mind.
'He only wishes things were different.' Thorn, as usual, was trying to be the voice of reason.
'And we don't?' Murtagh questioned. 'Eragon can keep his pity to himself, he's the one who'll be needing it when Galbatorix succeeds.'
'IF, he succeeds.' Thorn spoke up, then changed the topic. 'Its getting late, do you think we should stop for the night?'
'No.' Murtagh shook his head. 'I want to return as soon as possible.'
It was late when the pair arrived at the capital, but as Murtagh had suspected, the king was still on his throne in the Hall. Murtagh had left Thorn to get some well deserved rest, so he approached the guards at the doors alone.
When they saw who he was, the two men swiftly pulled open the heavy wooden doors. They surrendered with a groan and the Red Rider stepped through quietly. Shoulders back, he approached the King's throne cautiously. He knelt at the man's feet.
"Did you deliver the message?"
"Yes, my king" Murtagh stated obediently.
"And their reaction?" The king's voice held a cruel anticipation.
"Eragon was devastated and I can only imagine the others reacted similarly." Murtagh knew he had said the wrong thing when Galbatorix's eyes hardened.
"You were alone with the rider?" His voice was deceivingly quiet.
"Yes, my king." He didn't think mentioning the distant soldiers would improved his current situation any. Murtagh felt Thorn tense in his mind.
"And yet, you did not think to incapacitate the young boy and bring him to me? Was he protected by elves, were the Varden around, was anything stopping you from defeating him?"
Murtagh winced at the unfairness of the question. "No, but he was not in my way. You said-"
"Silence!" The kings call literally ripped Murtagh's voice away. He continued in a calmer, sickly sweet voice which was none the less deadly. "I see you could do with a few more obedience lessons. You and that wretch of a girl." The last part, the King muttered, not meaning for the rider to hear.
"Guards!" The man's roar brought both of the soldier hurrying in. They didn't close the doors, but walked brusquely to the front.
"My king." They said as one, bowing.
"Take him." The king had to say no more, the men knew what he meant.
'Murtagh!' Thorn's thoughts were half exasperated and half worried.
Well, there's another chapter done. Tell me what you think. R and R, please.