Free Riders

Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.

Chapter 24: Misjudgement

When they stopped for the day, Eragon went out to search for water while Brom and Blaster made dinner. Blaster made small talk, doing his best to avoid taking about sensitive topics while he talked. It wasn't long before Saphira suddenly jerked.

"Saphira?" Blaster asked. "What's up?"

She didn't answer. No more than a minute later, she took Brom and hid him behind her wings. Brom protested loudly, as did Blaster as he was soon dragged underneath her wings.

Sara, do you mind asking Saphira what is going on? Blaster demanded. He got no response for a few seconds.

She has been tasked with protecting you, Sara said. There was a rustling in the brush, and someone lept into the camp.

"Stop!" Eragon shouted, avoiding Saphira's tail. "It's me!" Saphira merely muttered an "oops" in response. "Oops? You could've killed me! Where's Brom and Blaster?"

"Right here!" Blaster shouted.

"Tell your crazy dragon to release me; she won't listen to me!" Brom added.

"Let them go!" Eragon said, exasperated. "Didn't you tell them?"

"No, she didn't say anything," Blaster said, angrily as he and Brom walked out from under her wings.

"I found an Urgal footprint," Eragon said. "And it's fresh."

Brom immediately turned serious. "Saddle the horses. We're leaving." He put out the fire, but noticed Eragon didn't move. Blaster then saw Eragon's right wrist didn't look normal. "What's wrong with your arm?"

"My wrist is broken," Eragon replied, swaying.

"I got it," Blaster said. He pulled out a length of bandage and tried to wind it tightly around Eragon's wrist without causing him too much pain. Using a bit of his own magic, he made a small block of ice to help numb the pain. Brom merely saddled Cadoc for him and then helped Eragon into the saddle after Blaster was done. "I've wrapped it as tight as I can, and I cooled it down a little to numb the pain, but we'll have to put a splint on it. Try not to move your wrist until then." Eragon gripped the reigns in his left hand.

"It's almost dark," Brom said to the dragons. "You might as well fly right overhead. If Urgals show up, they'll think twice about attacking with you two nearby."

They'd better, Sara said, threateningly. If not, it'll be the last thought on their mind. She took off with Saphira not too far behind.

Light faded quickly, and though the horses were tired, they spurred them without respite. Eragon's wrist was continuing to swell and throb despite Blaster's medical aid. Roughly a mile from the camp, Brom halted. "Listen," he said.

Blaster and Eragon both heard the faint call of a hunting horn behind them. As it went silent, panic gripped them.

"They must have found camp," Blaster said. "Probably even our tracks."

"They will chase us now," Brom said in response. "It's not in their nature to let prey escape." Two more horns sounded in the distance, closer than the first. A chill ran down Eragon's spine. "Our only chance is to run." Brom raised his head to the sky, and his face blanked as he called Saphira and Sara.

They rushed out of the sky and landed. "Leave Cadoc and Samson. Go with them. You'll be safer," Brom ordered

"What about you?" Eragon asked.

"He'll be fine," Blaster said, tossing Brom the reigns to Samson. He lept onto Sara as Eragon scrambled onto Saphira and Brom lashed Snowfire and rode away with Cadoc and Samson. Sara and Saphira flew above them.

Eragon clung to Saphira as best he could with his broken wrist. Horns blared nearby, bringing with it a fresh wave of utter terror. Brom crashed through the underbrush below, forcing the horses to their limits. The horns sounded in unison close behind, then went silent. Minutes passed without the sound of the horns. Then, a horn sounded in the distance. Eragon and Blaster sighed in relief.

That, my friend, was close, Blaster said to Sara.

Yes, but we cannot stop until— Sara began. She was interrupted by the sound of a horn blast…directly below them.

Shit! Blaster cursed as Brom resumed his frenzied retreat. Horned Urgals, shouting in coarse voices, barreled along the trail on horseback, and they were gaining ground. They were almost in sight of Brom, who was unable to outrun them. We gotta think of something.

Have anything in mind? Sara asked.

I'm thinking, Blaster replied. He would have tried to take them out from the sky, but he left his big guns in his saddle bag on Samson. There was not enough time to go down and get them. He still had his pistols, but he used one clip to take down an Urgal before. As he was running out of options, Blaster saw Saphira dive towards the ground. Eragon, what are you thinking?

I think he means to fight off the Urgals with magic, Sara replied. I believe he's going to land in front of them.

Descend, but do not engage, Blaster said. He prepared to use any magic that he had learned, hoping that one of them might work.

"NOW!"

Eragon's shout was Saphira's command to drop straight down, landing heavily in front of the Urgals. The Urgals reigned in their steeds, only to get tangled in each other. They quickly untangled themselves in order to face Saphira with bared weapons. Hate crossed their faces, all twelve of them. Blaster thought that the presence of a dragon would frighten them into fleeing.

Sara, get me closer, but don't give yourself away, Blaster ordered. I want to be there in case Eragon's head is thicker than his heart.

Sara dove a little closer. Blaster was glad because the largest Urgal advanced and spoke.

"Our master wishes to speak with you, human!" The monster spat in deep, rolling gutturals. There was a pause that Blaster assumed was Eragon conferring with Saphira.

"Who is your master?" Eragon finally asked. The Urgal sneered.

"His name does not deserve to be given to one as low as yourself," the Urgal replied. "He rules the sky and holds dominance over the earth. You are no more than a stray ant to him. Yet he has decreed that you shall be brought before him, alive. Take heart that you have become worthy of such notice."

Don't do it, Eragon, Blaster thought. It's a trap.

"I'll never go with you nor any of my enemies," Eragon declared.

Now would be a good time to kill them! Blaster said.

"Whether you serve Shade, Urgal, or some twisted fiend I've not heard of, I have no wish to parley with him."

Now! Blaster shouted.

"That is a grave mistake," the Urgal growled, showing his fangs. "There is no way to escape him. Eventually you will stand before our master. If you resist, he will fill your days with agony."

NOW!

"Keep your offer and tell your master that the crows can eat his entrails for all I care!" Eragon said.

You idiot! Blaster shouted. You don't insult them! KILL THEM! Eragon continued to ignore him.

Rage swept through the Urgals; their leader howled, gnashing his teeth. "We'll drag you to him, then!" He waved his arm and the Urgals rushed at Saphira. Eragon raised his injured right hand.

"Jierda!" he cried.

NO! Blaster shouted.

The monsters wavered as Eragon's palm glowed. Beams of light lanced from his hand, striking each of them in the gut. The Urgals were thrown into the air.

Sara, descend! Blaster shouted. He pulled out Cratona as Sara dropped. As the Urals smashed into trees and tried to regain their senses, Sara came into view. Blaster dropped off her, between Eragon, who was suddenly drained from the energy and tumbled off of Saphira, and the Urgals. Raising his sword into the air, he recalled the magic from his second adventure through parallel worlds and hoped it would work. "GATHER!"

A multicolored orb appeared above the tip of his blade. He felt the drain of his energy, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as Eragon. The Urgals who had gotten up were suddenly pulled towards the orb, some of them screaming in terror. Blaster jumped into the fray and began to slice through any Urgal he could reach. When his spell expired, the bodies of about half a dozen Urgals fell to the ground. The other half dozen fled before Blaster could cast his Magnet spell again.

Saphira, Blaster said, accessing the sapphire dragon's mind, take Eragon to Brom and let him know what I've gone to do. Whatever you do, do NOT tell Brom about the magic you have just seen. I will tell him myself.

As you wish, Saphira said. She picked up Eragon gently in her front claws, then took off to where Brom may be. Blaster jumped up as Sara swooped down and landed right where the saddle should have been.

After those Urgals, Blaster said. Activate your tracking computer, Saranya.

Why use my full name? Sara replied. Are you mad?

Furious, Blaster admitted. I have a bone to pick with Eragon once he regains conciousness.

FRFRFRFRFR

Blaster, Brom, Saphira, and Sara were returning to where Eragon was left to heal. Blaster's blade was covered in black blood, as were some parts of his clothes. Brom's beard was stained red. As they approached the clearing, they saw Eragon up and moving about, one of Blaster's wrist guards as a splint. He looked up as the four landed.

"What happened?" Eragon asked.

"What happened?" Blaster said, dropping off Sara. His anger was at the boiling point. "What happened? I'll tell you what happened! We've been trying to clean up the nice mess you made!" He slashed his sword through the air, sending blood flying as it arced. The sword hummed and slipped, imbedding itself into a nearby tree. "Do you know what you did with that little trick of yours?"

"I stopped the Urgals from catching Brom," Eragon said, pit forming in his stomach.

"Well that's all fine and dandy," Blaster said, "but that little piece of magic nearly killed you! You've been out for two days! There were twelve Urgals. TWELVE of them! But that didn't stop you from trying to throw them all the way to Teirm, now did it? What the hell where you thinking? Send a rock through their heads. That would have been the smart thing to do. But no, you had to knock them out so that they could escape later. Brom and I have spent the last two days trying to track them down. Even with Saphira and Sara, three of them managed to elude us!"

"I didn't want to kill them," Eragon said, feeling rather small, even though Blaster didn't really tower over him.

"That didn't seem to be a problem in Yazuac!"

"There was no choice then, and I couldn't control the magic. This time it just seemed…extreme."

"EXTREME?" Blaster roared. "It's not extreme when they wouldn't show you the same mercy. Neither is it extreme when you are trying to keep your head on your shoulders. And why-oh-why did you show yourself to them?"

"You said that they had found Saphira's and Sara's footprints," Eragon defended. "It didn't make any difference if they saw me." Blaster snapped.

"I said they probably found their tracks," Blaster roared, the earth literally quaking beneath his boots. "We didn't know for certain. They might have believed they were chasing down some stray travelers, for all we know. But, why would they think that now, hmm? After all, you landed right in front of them! And you let them live! Might as well hold a gigantic sign above your head telling the Empire that you are here!" He walked over to the tree wrenched his sword out of it. "I've had enough talk with this boy!" He stomped to the fire.

Blaster heard Brom talking, then yelling at Eragon, berating him again for his blatant lack of intelligence. Blaster's anger had hit a literal boiling point, so, to let off some steam, he conjured a fireball twice the size of a basketball and flung it into the trees. The fire struck the tree and tried to engulf it, but with the springtime dampness, Blaster's fireball merely dissipated until it was extinguished. He was soon joined by Brom at the fire, who was fuming.

"I at least had the sense to tell him to kill them, but he wouldn't listen," Blaster said.

"So you've told me," Brom grumbled. "That kid is more trouble than he's worth."

"And you expected him to be different?" Blaster questioned.

"I expected him to be somewhat like you," Brom admitted. They fell silent and began to clean their swords until Eragon approached.

"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" Eragon asked, hesitantly.

"No, it wouldn't" Blaster snapped. "Your feelings cannot change what happened. What's past is past, there need not be dwelling on what you could or couldn't have done."

Brom sheathed his sword and jabbed Eragon in the chest with his finger. "You made some very bad choices that could have dangerous repercussions. Not the least of which is that you almost died. Died, Eragon! From now on, you're going to have to think. There's a reason why we're born with brains in our head, not dung."

Eragon nodded, then said, in a slightly lighter tone, "It's not as bad as you thing though. The Urals already knew about me. They had orders to capture me."

Brom's eyes widened in astonishment as he struck a match to light his pipe. "No, it's not as bad as I thought. It's worse! Saphira and Blaster told me you had talked with the Urgals, but they didn't mention this." Eragon described the confrontation in detail. "So they have some sort of leader now?" Eragon nodded. "And you just defied his wishes, insulted him, and attacked his men? I didn't think it could get any worse. If the Urgals had been killed, your rudeness would have gone unnoticed, but now it'll be impossible to ignore. Congratulations, for you have just made enemies with one of the most powerful beings in Alagaësia."

"Alright, I made a mistake," Eragon said sullenly.

"Yeah, you did," Blaster agreed. "What has me worried, though, is who this Urgal leader might be."

A collective shiver went through the three.

"So, what happens now?" Eragon asked.

There was a pause. "Your arm will take at least a couple of weeks to heal. That time would be well spent forging some sense into you. I suppose this is partially my fault. I've been teaching you how to do things, not whether you should. It takes discretion, something you obviously lack. All the magic in Alagaësia won't help you if you don't know when to use it."

"But we're still going to Dras-Leona, right?" Eragon asked.

"Yes, we can keep looking for the Ra'zac," Blaster said. "But, even if we do find them, it won't do any good until you're healed." He and Brom began to unsaddle the dragons. "You well enough to ride?"

"I think so," Eragon said.

"Good," Brom said. "Then we can still cover a few miles today."

"Where are the horses?" Eragon asked.

"Over there a ways," Brom said, pointing to the side. "I picketed them where there was grass." They all prepared to leave, then followed Brom to the horses.

As they rode, every bump and dip in the trail made Eragon wince. It didn't help that Brom was giving him difficult scenarios involving Urgals, magic, and Saphira. Variations in the fighting and scenarios were numerous, and sometimes, Brom would throw in another dragon, or dragons, or even a Shade. Eragon got flustered, and managed to get most of the questions wrong.

When they stopped for the night, Brom grumbled shortly, "It was a start."

Will Eragon learn from his mistakes? How does Blaster know such magic? Why can't these guys go anywhere without causing some sort of commotion? Find out the answers to these questions and more on the next Free Riders.

Please R&R. Hope you enjoyed.