Free Riders
Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.
Chapter 15: Daret Dilemma
The days seemed to follow a similar pattern. First, Eragon struggled to learn the ancient words and manipulate the pebble, while Blaster nearly had everything down pact. Then, in the evening, Blaster would watch as Brom and Eragon sparred with the wooden swords. Eragon was in constant discomfort, but he gradually began to change, almost without noticing. Soon, his pebble no longer wobbled when he lifted it. He mastered the first exercises Brom gave him and undertook harder ones, similar to Blaster's. Their knowledge in the ancient language grew.
In the sparring, Eragon gained confidence and speed, striking like a snake would. His blows became heavier, and his arm no longer quivered when he warded off attacks. The clashes lasted longer as he learned how to fend off Brom. It got to the point where Blaster had to start awarding points to determine the winner, which was usually Brom. But now, when they went to sleep, Eragon wasn't the only one with bruises.
Saphira and Sara continued to grow as well, but much slower than before. Their extended flights, along with periodic hunts, kept them fit and healthy. They were soon taller than the horses, and much longer. Because of their size and the way their scales sparkled, they were altogether too visible. Brom, Eragon, and Blaster all worried about it, but they couldn't convince the dragons to allow dirt to obscure their scintillating hide.
They all continued southward, tracking the Ra'zac. It frustrated Eragon more than Blaster that, no matter how fast they went, the Ra'zac always stayed a few days ahead of them. At times he was ready to give up, but then they would find a new mark or print that would renew his hope.
There were no signs of habitation along the Ninor or in the plains, leaving the five companions undisturbed as the days seemed to slip by. Finally, they neared Daret, the first village since Yazuac. The night before they reached the village, Eragon seemed to have a nightmare.
Blaster, who was still awake, soaking up the energy from a dying white dwarf star billions of miles away, could hear Eragon waking up and feeling ill. He watched as Eragon watched the stars slowly turn in the sky, then could feel Saphira's presence in Eragon's mind, soothing him. He let it go as Eragon fell back to sleep.
Daret was on the banks of the Ninor—as it had to be in order to survive. The village was small and wild looking, without any signs of inhabitants. Eragon, Brom, and Blaster approached it with great caution, Blaster even unbuckling the strap holding his pistols in his holsters. Saphira and Sara hid close to the town this time, so that if trouble arose, they would be there within seconds.
They rode into Daret, striving to be silent. Brom gripped his sword with his good hand, eyes flashing everywhere. Blaster was just as cautious. Eragon kept his bow partially drawn as they passed between the silent houses, glancing at each other with apprehension. This looks suspicious, Blaster said to Sara. She didn't answer, but he could feel her preparing to rush in after them. Eragon looked at the ground and was reassured to see fresh footprints of children. But where are they?
Brom and Blaster stiffened as they entered the center of the town, but they found it empty. Wind blew through the ghost town, dust devils swirling sporadically. Brom wheeled Snowfire about. "Let's get out of here," he said. "I don't like the feel of this." He spurred Snowfire into a gallop. Eragon followed him, urging Cadoc forward. Blaster followed soon after.
They advanced only a few strides before wagons toppled out from behind the houses and blocked their way. Cadoc snorted and dug in his hooves, sliding to a stop before Snowfire. Blaster slowed Samson to a trot, stopping behind Brom and Eragon. A swarthy man hopped over the wagon and planted himself before them, a broadsword slung at his side and a drawn bow in his hands. Eragon swung his own bow up, followed by one of Blaster's two pistols, and they pointed their weapons at the stranger, who demanded, "Halt! Put down your weapons. You're surrounded by archers. They'll shoot if you move." As if on cue, a row of men stood up on the rooftops of the surrounding houses.
Sara, stand down, Blaster said. There are too many to take out. They'd shoot you out of the sky if you were to arrive. She heard, but he was unsure if she would obey. Finally, to make sure she would he said, I will let you know if the situation can be diffused peacefully. Besides I have a few tricks up my sleeve. He thought for a second, then decided to try and infiltrate the mind of the other guys.
"What do you want?" Brom asked calmly.
"Why have you come here?" the man demanded.
"To buy supplies and hear the news, nothing more," Brom said. "We're on the way to my cousin's house in Dras-Leona."
Blaster had finally hacked into the man's brain. Upon reading his mind, he realized another's presence. Brom was also inside this guys mind. However, he seemed satisfied. It took Blaster two seconds to realize why. We can stand-down, Sara, Blaster said, as soon as he retreated from the man's mind. We are safe. They are merely protecting their own.
Understood, Sara replied. But I still don't like it.
Blaster pulled the trigger on his pistol while holding back the hammer, de-priming his pistol. He dropped his aim and holstered his pistol, in his opinion, a sign of trust. Eragon was confused, but didn't press the issue.
"You're armed pretty heavily," the man said.
"As are you," Brom replied. "These are dangerous time."
"True," the man said. He looked at them carefully. "I don't think you mean us ill, but we've had too many encounters with Urgals and bandits for me to trust you only on your word."
"If it doesn't matter what we say, what happens now?" Blaster said, calmly as could be. The men on top of the houses hadn't moved, and it was just a guess that they were either highly disciplined, or frightened for their lives. Eragon hoped it was the latter, while Blaster knew it was both.
"You say that you only want supplies. Would you agree to stay here while he while we bring what you need, then pay us and leave immediately?"
"Yes."
"All right," the man said, lowering his bow, though he kept it ready. He waved at one of the archers, who slid to the ground and ran over. "Tell him what you want."
Brom recited a short list, then added, "Also, if you have a spare pair of gloves that would fit my nephew, I'd like to buy those too." The archer nodded and ran off.
"The name's Trevor," the man in front of them said. "Normally I'd shake your hand, but under the circumstances, I think I'll keep my distance. Tell me, where are you from?"
"North," Brom said, "but we haven't lived in any place long enough to call it home. Have Urgals forced you to these measures?"
"Yes" Trevor replied, "and worse fiends. Do you have any news from other towns? We receive word from them rarely, but there have been reports that they are also beleaguered."
Brom's and Blaster's faces turned grave. "I wish these circumstances were better, and that we didn't have to bring you this news," Blaster said. "Nearly a fortnight ago, we passed through Yazuac and found it pillaged. The villagers had been slaughtered and piled together. From what we could see, there were no survivors. We would have tried to give them a decent burial, but we were attacked by three Urgals."
Shocked, Trevor stepped back and looked down with tears in his eyes. "Alas," he said, "this is indeed a dark day. Still, I don't see how three Urgals could have defeated all of Yazuac. The people there were good fighters—some were my friends."
"There were signs that a band of Urgals had ravaged the town," Brom stated. "I think the ones we encountered were deserters."
"How large was the company?"
Brom fiddled with his saddle bags for a moment. "Large enough to wipe out Yazuac, but small enough to go unnoticed in the countryside. No more than a hundred, and no less than fifty. If I'm not mistaken, either number would prove fatal to you." Trevor wearily agreed. "You should consider leaving," Brom continued. "This area has become far too perilous for anyone to live in peace."
"I know," Trevor agreed, "but the people here refuse to consider moving. This is their home—as well as mine, though I have only been here a couple of years—and they place its worth above their own lives." Trevor looked at Brom seriously. "We have repulsed individual Urgals, and that has given the townspeople a confidence far beyond their abilities. I fear that we will all wake up one morning with our throats slashed."
The archer hurried out of a house with a pile of goods in his arms. He set them next to the horses, and Brom paid him. As the man left, Brom asked, "Why did they choose you to defend Daret?"
Trevor shrugged. "I was in the king's army for some years."
Brom dug through the items, handed Eragon the pair of gloves, and packed the rest of the supplies into their saddlebags. Eragon pulled the gloves on, being very careful to keep his palm facing down. When they were on, he flexed his hands. The leather felt good and strong, though scarred from use.
"Well," Brom said, "as I promised, we will go now."
Trevor nodded. "When you enter Dras-Leona, would you do us this favor? Alert the Empire to out plight and that of the other towns. If word hasn't reached the king by now, it's caused for worry. And if it has, but he has chosen to do nothing, that too is cause for worry."
"We will carry your message. May your swords stay sharp," Brom said.
"And yours," Trevor replied.
The wagons were pulled away, and they rode from Daret into the trees along the Ninor. Blaster sent his thoughts to Sara. Situation has been diffused. We are returning. Her response was relief, but he could feel the simmering anger of Saphira.
Brom pulled at his beard. "The Empire is in worse condition than I had imagined," Brom mused. "When the traders visited Carvahall, they brought reports of unrest, but I never believed that it was this widespread. With all these Urgals around, it seems that the Empire itself is under attack, yet no troops or soldiers have been sent out. It's as if the king doesn't care to defend his domain."
"Seems very odd to me as well," Blaster said. "Even though I don't know him specifically, it strikes me as odd that he doesn't defend against the Urgals. To me, it seems as if they are now working for him. But, with all this unrest, I think that might be a bit of a jump."
Brom ducked under a low-hanging branch. "Did either of you use any of your powers while we were in Daret?"
"There was no reason to," Eragon said.
"Wrong," Blaster said. "I did because the situation warranted it. You could have sensed Trevor's intentions. Heck, even with his limited abilities, Brom was able to do that." He paused. "Sorry, I just noticed you were searching for Trevor's intentions while I was doing my own search."
"Not a problem," Brom replied. "The fact of the matter is that if the villagers had been bent on killing us, I wouldn't have just sat there, and you wouldn't have lowered your weapon, Blaster. I felt there was a reasonable chance of talking our way out of there, which is what I did."
"How could I know what Trevor is thinking?" asked Eragon. "Am I supposed to be able to see into people's minds?"
"Come now," Brom chided, "you should know the answer to that. You could have discovered Trevor's purpose in the same way that you communicate with Cadoc or Saphira. The minds of men are not so different from a dragon's or a horse's. It's a simple thing to do, but it's a power you must use sparingly and with great caution. A person's mind is his last sanctuary. You must never violate it unless circumstances force you to. The Riders had very strict rules regarding this. If they were broken without due cause, the punishment was severe."
"And you can do this even though you aren't a Rider?" Eragon asked.
"As I said before, with the right instruction anyone can talk with their minds, but with differing amounts of success," Brom replied. "Whether it's magic, though, is hard to tell. Magical abilities will certainly trigger the talent—or becoming linked with a dragon—but I've known plenty who learned it on their own. Think about it: you can communicate with any sentient being, though the contact may not be very clear. You could spend the entire day listening to a bird's thoughts or understanding how an earthworm feels during a rainstorm. But I've never found birds very interesting. I suggest starting with a cat; they have unusual personalities."
I would know, Blaster thought to himself. The thoughts of carrying Cratona, then looking more like a skeleton key, while running around looking like a young lion was enough to remember how complex a feline mind could be.
Eragon twisted Cadoc's reins in his hands, considering the implications of what Brom had said. "But if I can get into someone's head, doesn't that mean that others can do the same to me? How do I know if someone's prying into my mind? Is there a way to stop that?"
"Why, yes," Brom said. "Hasn't Saphira ever blocked you from her mind?"
"Occasionally," Eragon admitted. "When she took me into the Spine, I couldn't talk to her at all. It wasn't that she was ignoring me; I don't think she could even hear me. There were walls around her mind that I couldn't get through."
Brom worked on his bandage for a moment, shifting it higher on his arm. "Only a few people can tell if someone is in their mind, and of those, only a handful could stop you from entering," he said. "It's a matter of training and of how you think. Because of your magical power, you'll always know if someone is in your mind. Once you do, blocking them is a simple matter of concentrating on one thing to the exclusion of all else. For instance, if you only think about a brick wall, that's all the enemy will find in your mind. However, it takes a huge amount of energy and discipline to block someone for any length of time. If you're distracted by even the slightest thing, your wall will waver and your opponent will slip in through the weakness."
"How can I learn to do this?" Eragon asked.
"There is only one thing for it: practice, practice, and yet more practice. Picture something in your mind and hold it there to the exclusion of all else for as long as you can. It is a very advanced ability; only a handful have ever mastered it," Brom said.
"I don't need perfection, just safety," Eragon replied.
They reached Saphira and Sara, but Saphira was seemingly angry. She startled them by thrusting her head at them, causing the horses to backpedal nervously. This concerned Eragon and he looked at Brom, since he had never seen Saphira this angry. Strangely enough, Sara was almost at the same level, but she was taking the matter a little bit lightly.
What is the issue? Blaster asked Sara.
You and him, Sara said. You guys…apparently.
Eragon frowned and got off Cadoc. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he knew that it wasn't the wisest decision he could have made.
What happens now? Will they get to Dras Leona and call for aid? Or will they be forced to take other measures? Find out next time on Free Riders.
As per request, I am trying to ship these out as fast as possible to get to the next book (as is, I'm just copying the main story from the book). My question to you is this, would it be better to do a double-feature (two in one day), or have chapters come in twice a week (like a Tuesday and Friday update per week)? Let me know and I will do my best to comply. Thanks, Blastbone.