A/N: OMFG do you have any idea how long this has been sitting on my desktop!?!?!? I got it back over a month ago, started editing it, then term 2 of classes came. I WAS DROWNING IN CHEMISTY!?!?!?!? I'm surprised I'm still alive….only a few days left though then I'm done chemistry FOREVER! Yay for graduating! Anyways I'll shut up now and let you read. Enjoy!
Chapter Four: A New Partner
Raine padded through Murtagh's room alone, stretching her cramped muscles and getting the blood flowing after her long slumber. She had been with Murtagh for several days now and she had healed quite nicely in that short period of time. Her limp was now gone, she was well fed and her fur looked far healthier. Only a few days ago she did not think she would ever feel this good again. In fact, she had thought her time was up. She had been sent to death and was mere seconds away from being executed when Murtagh had stepped in and saved her for reason known only to him.
Murtagh had gone against the King's orders when he had saved her so she had to stay out of sight as she healed. The last thing she wanted was for her savior to be caught and executed. Now that she was almost completely healed however, there was less of a chance that they would be caught due to the fact she could hide herself far more easily now. She was already fairly decent at staying unnoticed, being a hunter and all. It may be against her nature to stay quiet and hidden while not hunting but Murtagh had saved her life. She owed him this much at least.
He wasn't there often so all that was left for her to do was eat, sleep and reflect on her situation. Now what her strength was returning however, confinement was becoming exceedingly boring and she was itching to get out. She wanted to run, to feel the wind in her fur, the thrill of the hunt again. Maybe she could scare the birds or even a fox or two. She laughed silently in her head. Birds and foxes were such jumpy creatures, not to mention cocky little bastards. They strutted about forest acting like they owned everything and even tried to mock some of the other creatures. Every time she saw one she couldn't help but feel a rather large twinge of irritation. Someday she would show them. She would show them who owned the wild! Evil laughter rang out in her head.
As Raine sat in a corner plotting her raid of the forest and silently fuming over the stupidity of magpies, Murtagh walked into the room with a heavy sigh. He was to be sent out on another mission, if you could even call it that. All this was was another recruitment run to another nearby town that would be too frightened of too angry to do anything. He wasn't even allowed to bring Thorn along! They were never allowed together unless they were going on a scouting mission somewhere in the Empire or they were going off to a fight. He flopped down in a chair and leaned back to think. He had about an hour before he had to depart.
He never enjoyed doing errands for the King and recruitment runs were the worst. Angry parents, frightened wives, crying children, there was just too much to it. And what right did they have to complain about their lives? At least they had some degree of freedom. Fighting, at least, was simple. He only had to worry about one thing then; go in and kill the enemy. Because he was a dragon rider, he never had to worry about injury or getting out. Besides, fighting took his mind off other things.
Raine finally realized that Murtagh had entered the room. She turned away from her corner to see him leaning back in a chair and staring off into space. He seemed to be deep in thought and a little annoyed.
After a moment he glanced outside the window and stood up. He walked over to the wall where his sword, Zar'roc, rested. He picked it up and unsheathed it slowly. He then sat on the chair again and started cleaning it. Even though he was just going on a recruiting mission, he wanted to clean his sword while he had the chance to do so. It occupied his mind and it gave him something to do before he had to leave. Besides, you never knew what was going to happen.
Raine, fascinated by the gleaming red sword, padded over to Murtagh's side and sat down, still staring at the sword. Murtagh noticed her apparent interest in the sword and a faint smile creased his lips.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He held the sword aloft, gazing at the magnificent red blade for a moment and then he looked down at Raine. She nodded dumbly in agreement. "Its name is Zar'roc, which means 'misery' in the ancient language." He gave a small humorless laugh and looked away while lowering the sword. "Fitting, isn't it." A sad expression crossed his face as he thought about the scar on his back that very sword had given him when he was still young.
It was fitting. The blade was beautiful, but it was a bewitching beauty with tales of sadness, loss and betrayal woven into its past. Its aura was one of pain and, well, misery.
A knock came at the door a moment later. Raine glanced at the door once before quickly dashing off to a safe hiding place. Once she was out of sight Murtagh set Zar'roc aside, stood up and opened the door.
A young, rather nervous looking servant stood in the open doorway. Obviously, he didn't enjoy being the one to report to the big bad dragon rider.
Murtagh looked at him with a black expression on his face. "Speak," he said simply. The young man shuffled nervously and his eyes flickered from the floor to Murtagh's face and back to the floor again.
"Well, sir, it's, uh, about your mission, sir." He paused for a moment. Murtagh stood waiting with thinning patience. Sensing this, the young messenger hastily continued. "There are reports that the town you are to go on your recruitment mission to has rebelled. Due to his change of events, your mission has changed as well. You are to go and kill all of the rebels, sir." He stopped speaking and finally remembered to breath. "Oh," he added, as if an afterthought. "You are still not to bring your dragon." With his message delivered, he waited to be dismissed. Murtagh took no notice of him for a moment as he stood thinking. After a moment he dismissed the young servant and closed the door.
Raine reemerged from hiding with a mischievous look in her eyes. Finally, she would be able to go out. She hadn't even considered that Murtagh wouldn't let her come. She would just follow him anyway.
Murtagh went back to the chair he had vacated earlier to answer the door. Well, at least this was no longer a recruitment run, but this wasn't the type of fighting he wanted. This was going to be nearly the same as a slaughter, and he would be their executioner. It wasn't that he was worried about the role he would play, he had had to take up the role of the executioner in the past and it did not particularly bother him, but this wasn't the type of fight he enjoyed. The fights he looked forward to were ones where he faced skilled opponents. This was not what he preferred, but did he have a choice?
Of course I don't, he thought bitterly. I am as much the King's slave as that messenger. The only difference is in the way I'm used. He looked out the window to check the position of the Sun and then rose to leave.
Grabbing Zar'roc he strapped it on and turned towards the door, only to find his way blocked by Raine. She was sitting right in front of the door, looking at him expectantly. It took a moment for him to realize what she wanted.
"You're not coming," he stated flatly. Raine didn't move and continued to stare at him with the same expression. "No," he repeated. "One, there's going to be fighting. Two, how can you get out of here without being seen?" Raine just smirked, stood up and rolled her eyes, which was a strangely human expression that was odd to see on the face of a wolf.
Raine walked to the door and placed both front paws on it. Quickly, she walked herself upright until her eyes were level with the handle. Placing her jaws around the handle, she opened the door.
Murtagh stared in wonder for a moment but quickly recovered himself. Raine looked back at him with sly eyes and a contented smirk on her furry face. "Well, I didn't expect that," he said.
Raine turned back towards the door with her ears perked, listening for signs of anybody outside. When she was satisfied that on one was there, she dashed out the door.
"Oh, no." Grabbing the rest of his equipment he dashed out the door after her. "If that damn wolf gets caught it will be my head," he mumbled to himself.
After dashing around the halls of the castle looking for Raine, he stopped near the western entrance, though still inside the palace walls. Damn it Raine, he thought. Where the hell are you?
Something nudged the back of his leg and he nearly jumped out of his skin. As he jumped, he reached for Zar'roc which rested in its scabbard at his hip. When he turned though, he saw Raine sitting patiently waiting for him to open the door for her. He cursed himself for not paying attention to his surroundings.
Murtagh seethed silently as he sheathed Zar'roc. He was very close to turning her in to minced wolf. "Fine" he said finally. "If you want to go, that is fine with me. You are healed anyways." He reached for the door and opened it for her.
As soon as there was enough room for her to fit through, she was dashing out the door. She headed for the nearest bird, growling ferociously. As she approached the bird, it took off in alarm. She leapt into the air after it, snapping her jaws and catching the tip of a tail feather.
She reached the edge of the woods and prepared to dash off, but hesitated. She stopped running and looked back towards the castle and Murtagh. He looked at her for a moment then turned back to the door.
No, she couldn't leave. She would not do that to him, she could not. She would not abandon him like everyone else in his life appeared to have done.
As Murtagh was closing the door through which he had just left, he sensed a presence approaching from behind. He turned around and was surprised to see Raine behind him. Her ears were slightly pressed back and she wore a look of guilt on her silver furred face.
"What are you doing back here? I thought you were leaving?" He reached down to touch her on the head but she grabbed his sleeve in her jaws and tugged, growling playfully.
He realized she was pulling him in the direction of the village he was supposed to go to. He looked down at her and asked "are you still set on going with me?" She nodded her head once then took several paces in the right direction then stopped to wait for him.
Murtagh let out a heavy sigh, but inside, he was grateful Raine had stayed with him. He would never admit or let it show though.
Suppressing a smile, he called after her. "I have to go to the stables and get myself a horse. While you may be able to run, I cannot without exhausting myself." She paused for a moment but then returned to his side. "It would be best if you wait here. Knowing you, you'll scare all the horses." He may have just been imagining it but Murtagh thought he saw her give a sheepish smile.
Murtagh turned away from here and headed to the stables. He no longer had Tornac, but the Empire had many good horses, though none could quite compare to Tornac. After a short order to the stable master Murtagh sat atop a large stallion. He trotted back over to Raine and together the two of them set off towards the village. At first, Murtagh's horse was a little uncomfortable being around a wolf, but he soon got over it.
Murtagh galloped down a road that led to the village while Raine ran full out beside him. A normal wolf might not have been able to keep up with a full grown stallion from the Empire, but Raine was anything but normal.
It wasn't long before they came in sight of the village. The entrance was barricaded, but only lightly. Murtagh would easily be able to blow it aside. Murtagh turned to Raine before they went any further. "If we have to kill them, no one can be left alive, not even the women and children." It wasn't exactly honorable, but it was what the King wanted and disobedience could get him killed.
As he approached, he sensed several men watching him from the roof tops. He heard the creaking of wood as the men drew back their bows in preparation to fire. It would do them no good however. He had placed wards about himself, Raine and even his horse before they had reached the village.
"Who are you? State your purpose for being here!" The voice called to them from the other side of the barricade. It was gruff and strong but held a hint of unease.
"I am from the Empire," he called back. "Throw down your weapons and surrender. You will not be able to escape the will of the King!" It didn't sit well with him to refer to the Empire so proudly, but it was required of him.
"You think we will throw down our weapons just because you ask it of us? Ha! The Empire is even more foolish then we thought." His voice dripped with undisguised disdain. Murtagh heard more men beyond the barricade. Obviously these men were not properly organized or they would not all converge in one place.
"If you do not surrender then I shall start killing until you either surrender or you are all dead." His voice was sharp and cold. He was not making an empty threat.
Unfortunately, the men in the village did not seem to pick up on that. Several of them began laughing, believing Murtagh was jesting. "A single man to deal with an entire village? Do not insult us! We shall never bow down to the Empire again! Fire!" Bows twanged as the men on the roof tops fired their arrows at them.
The missiles stopped a foot from Raine and Murtagh and fell to the ground. Without hesitation, Murtagh raised his right hand towards the barricade. "Jierda." The barricade blew apart and went flying into the men behind it. Several men were sent flying from the force of the blast while others were clipped by debris.
Several of the men realized immediately what was happening. "That was magic! He's the King's dragon rider!" Several others screamed out similar remarks but, for the most part, their words went unheard. The men on the roof began firing again and those on the ground drew their weapons and charged. Murtagh drew Zar'roc in one swift motion and Raine barred her teeth and snarled. The fight had begun.
Raine did not feel like waiting for the men to come to her. She dashed forward, her powerful muscles rippling beneath her fur. One man swung his sword at her but she easily side stepped it and hamstringed him, his warm blood spilling into her mouth. He fell to the ground with an agonized scream and she finished him off by tearing his side open with her claws. When she was done with him, she went for the neck of the next man.
Murtagh had charged forwards on his horse and swept his blade around him, leaving a trail of blood in the air. Men fell to his blade and to the hooves of his charging horse. The stench of death now hung heavy in the air as blood coated the ground, flowing from the slain villagers. Raine dashed down the red streets, killing anyone in her path. Between the two of them, most of the men of the village were dead in mere moments.
At one point, Raine spotted a woman and her child attempting to leave the village. Even though it pained her to kill two defenseless people, she was forced to give chase. It was over in seconds as she caught up to them and went for the kill. The child did not even have time to scream.
The mother did however. Her scream alerted some of the village men who came after her yelling savage war cries. Raine ran at them, a blur of silver and red, and jumped into the chest of the leading man, knocking him into those behind him. She quickly dispatched with the men who had fallen but then felt the cold steel of a sword bit in to her shoulder. She let out a yelp of pain which quickly turned into a growl of rage.
She lunged at the stomach of the man who had attacked her. The man was caught off guard cried out in surprise and then pain as she sank her teeth in to his soft flesh. Snarling, she jerked her head left and right until his stomach ripped open and his insides spilled out in front of her. He tried to cry out to some of his fellow villagers but he was dead before he could utter a sound.
Now that she had satisfied her thirst for revenge, she continued routing the villagers. She entered the houses as well and took care of those hiding within them. Meanwhile, Murtagh was finishing off the few who remained outside. When one man saw Murtagh riding towards him, he turned around and tried to run away but slipped on blood that flowed through the streets. He flipped onto his back and faced Murtagh. He tried to drag himself backwards with his other hand in front of his face.
"Please, no!" he cried. His face was pale except for where it was covered in blood and fear was etched into the lines on his face. "Please, spare me!"
Murtagh looked down at him coldly. "You had your chance for surrender." The man's eyes opened wider as Murtagh brought Zar'roc down on his head. With his death, there were, to his knowledge, no more villagers left alive in the village.
He dismounted his horse and swept his mind across the village, searching for any other villagers left alive. As he did, he became aware of Raine approaching him from behind. He turned around to see her and was shocked to see her beautiful silver fur smeared with blood. Right away he realized most of it was not hers, but she did have several minor cuts and a few larger ones.
Raine limped up to him and sat down, looking up at him. Murtagh went up to her and knelt before her. He placed his hand over the wound on her shoulder and mumbled "waise heill." The skin under Raine's fur itched as it knit back together. He healed a few of her other wounds and stood up again. He did not need to heal himself. He had not suffered even a scratch.
Taking out a cloth, Murtagh cleaned Zar'roc before remounting his horse. Murtagh's face was set as he rode out of the village back towards the palace with Raine following close behind. They didn't stop until they reached the palace walls. Raine waited for him near the western door again while Murtagh returned the horse to the stables.
When he returned they entered the palace walls again and silently made their way back to Murtagh's room. When they finally arrived, Raine sat down and started licking the blood from her fur. Murtagh placed Zar'roc back in its place and sat down on a chair. When Raine finished cleaning her fur she walked over to Murtagh and nudged his hand.
Murtagh placed his hand on her head and scratched behind her ear. Even though she was a wolf, not a dog, it felt rather nice. "Thank you for your help today," he said to her. "You are quite useful in a fight." Raine smiled at the praise.
He looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment, then looked back down at her with a slight smile. "You know what? I think I shall take you with me from now on."
Raine's ears perked up and she looked at him hopefully. Would she really get to go with him? "Yes, I think that would work out quite nicely. What do you think?" Raine's face split into a smile and her tongue lolled out. This would be great! She would get to go out and run and hunt and even spend more time with Murtagh. She enjoyed spending time with him and she thought he needed the company. He just had that look about him.
Now she was looking forward to the days to come. She would get to travel over more of Alagaësia with Murtagh. She was going to be Murtagh's new partner. Yes, she liked the sound of that; Murtagh's new partner.
End of Chapter Four