Free Riders

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

Chapter 25: Master of the Blade

The next day was easier for all of them. Eragon felt much better and was able to answer more of Brom's questions correctly. After an especially difficult exercise given by Blaster, Eragon mentioned his scrying of a woman he had seen imprisoned in his dreams. Brom pulled at his beard. "You say she was imprisoned?"

"Yes."

"Didja happen to get a good look at her face?" Blaster questioned.

"Not very clearly," Eragon replied. "The lighting was bad, yet I could tell that she was beautiful. It's strange, though. I had no problem seeing her eyes. And she did look at me."

Brom shook his head. "As far as I know, it's impossible for anyone to know if they're being scryed upon."

"Do you know who she might be?" Eragon asked, surprised by the eagerness in his voice.

"Not really," Brom replied. "If pressed, I suppose I could come up with a few guesses, but none of them are very likely. This dream of yours is peculiar. Somehow you managed to scry in your sleep something that you'd never seen before—without saying the words of power. Dreams do occasionally touch the spirit realm, but this is different."

"Perhaps to understand this we should search every prison and dungeon until we find the woman," Eragon bantered, thinking it was a good idea. Brom laughed. "That, and that other woman I saw in my dreams."

"Didja happen to get a look at her face?" Blaster asked.

"Yes," Eragon replied. "Unlike the other woman, her face was lit rather well. She had blue eyes, and brown hair. It extended to about mid-back. I couldn't see her clothes, but she did have a small scar on her left cheek."

"Small scar on her left cheek?" Blaster asked. He dug into his saddlebags, sifting through some of his stuff before he came upon his wallet. He pulled out a picture and handed it to Eragon. "Did the woman you see look like this?"

"Yeah," Eragon said. "How did you know?"

"Because," Blaster said, taking back the picture. "I was the one who gave her that scar."

"So, you know her?"

"Char," Blaster said. "She's my fiancé."

"Why did you give her that scar?" Eragon asked.

"It was several years ago," Blaster admitted. "I lost control of myself and attacked my friends. She deliberately left that scar as a reminder of what happened to me and to her." He sighed. "But, she was able to help me regain control. For that, I am thankful."

"How long have you two been engaged?" Eragon asked.

"Long enough," Blaster said. "Now, should we continue?" He rode on without another word.

Brom's strict training filled nearly every hour as the days blended into weeks. Due to the splint, Eragon was forced to use his left hand whenever he and Blaster sparred, though Blaster proved he was just as ambidextrous by fighting left handed as well, having trained dual wielding swords in the past. Before long, Eragon could duel as well with his left hand as he had with his right.

In the time it took them to cross the Spine and reached the plains, spring had crept over Alagaësia, summoning forth a multitude of multicolored flowers. The bare trees were beginning to bud, and new blades of grass began to ride from the dead stalks of the previous year. Birds soon began to sing as they arrived from their summer homes.

The travelers followed the Toark River southeast, along the edge of the Spine. It grew as small streams and tributaries flowed into it. When the river was over a league wide, Brom pointed at the silt islands that dotted the water. "We're close to Leona Lake now," he said. "It's only about two leagues away."

"Do you think we can get there before nightfall?" Eragon asked.

"I see no harm in trying," Blaster said.

Dusk soon made the trail hard to follow, but the sound of the river at their side guided them. When the moon rose, the bright disk provided enough light to see what was before them.

Leona Lake looked like a thin sheet of silver beaten over the land. The water was calm and smooth, so much so that it didn't look like it was liquid. Aside from a bright strip of moonlight reflecting off the lake's surface, there was no distinction between it and the ground. Saphira and Sara were on the rocky shore, fanning their wings to dry them. Once they were greeted, Saphira said, The water is lovely—deep, cool, and clear.

If you're game, let's go take a dip in the lake tomorrow, Blaster said. They set up camp under a stand of trees and were soon asleep…save for Blaster, who meditated.

As dawn was beginning to overtake nightfall, Blaster looked out to the lake. It had become whitecapped with small waves where the wind took hold of it. He thought about it for a few seconds, then, without missing a beat, ran into the water. Sara, you wanna go for a swim?

Sara dove towards the lake in response. She hovered over Blaster and allowed him to climb onto her back. They flew over to the lake, circling upwards, but even then, they couldn't see the opposite bank. With unspoken consent, Sara locked her wings and sank to the waves. She skimmd the waves, then folded her wings and dived into the lake, her head and neck entering it like a lance.

Blaster was hit by a wall of water, almost ripping him from Sara's back had he not gripped tighter. He held on as Sara swam back to the surface, breaching it in three strokes of her feet. Blaster shook his hair as Sara slithered across the lake, using her tail as a rudder.

Ready?

Blaster gripped the neck spike in front of him and nodded. They slid gently under the water. The unclouded liquid allowed them to see for yards. Sara began to twist and turn, narrowly avoiding Saphira and Eragon as they plunged into the water. It was as if she were made for the water as much as the air.

Before he could suck in a breath of water, Sara arched her back and pointed her head upwards. They burst out of the water like a copy of the scene from Hunt for Red October, then took to the skies with a couple of flaps of her wings.

I could breathe underwater, Blaster admitted. It's one of my unnatural abilities I picked up recently.

Now that is cool, Sara replied. How did you manage to do that?

I do not really know how it started, but it must have something to do with the computer on my wrist, Blaster replied. I'm guessing that it senses that I have water in my lungs and, using chemistry, takes out the hydrogen and leaves the oxygen for me to breath. That's what water is, two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen.

I see. Sara thought for a moment. I never knew this lake was so large.

Where I come from, there are five of them in one general area. The largest and northernmost was called 'Gichigami' by the natives of that region. Translated, it means 'Big Water' in their tongue. I would bet that this lake is about as big as that lake, if not bigger.

Once Blaster was dry, using a layer of fire momentarily to dry his clothing, he and Eragon joined Brom, saddled the horses, and started around Leona Lake in high spirits. Saphira and Sara playfully alternated diving into and out of the water.

Before dinner that night, Eragon blocked Zar'roc's edge in preparation for the usual sparring. Neither he nor Blaster moved, waiting for the others to strike. Blaster watched Eragon's eyes inspect the area, and he accurately predicted that the younger's opening move would be to hurl a stick near the fire at him.

Eragon's splint got in the way, sending the stick flying in Blaster's general direction. Blaster easily sidestepped the stick and rushed forward, swinging his sword. Eragon ducked and Cratona whistled over his head. He growled and tackled Blaster.

They pitched to the ground, each struggling to stay on top. Eragon rolled to the side and swept Zar'roc over the ground at Blaster's shins. The alien parried the blow with the hilt of his sword, then jumped to his feet. Eragon attacked again as he stood, guiding Zar'roc through a complex pattern. Sparks danced from their blades as they struck again and again. Blaster blocked each blow he could.

Blaster got a little carried away and tried to block another complex pattern. Eragon smashed the flat of his blade against Blaster's guard and ripped Cratona from Blaster's hands, sending it spinning to the ground, well away from Blaster's outstretched hand. Before Blaster could react, the tip of the red sword was at his neck. They stood panting for a few seconds. Eragon slowly lowered his arm and backed away. It was the first time Blaster had been bested without Eragon resorting to trickery. Blaster picked up his sword and sheathed it. "We're done for today," he finally said.

"But, we just started," Eragon said, startled.

Brom shook his head. "We can teach you nothing more of the sword."

"Of all the fighters I've met, I can only think of about three or four who could have defeated me like that," Blaster added. "And I doubt any of them could have done it with their off hand." He smiled. "Consider that as a compliment. You have become a rather talented and rare swordsman. Though to be fair, I kinda goofed up at the end there."

"Does this mean we're not going to spar every night?" Eragon asked.

"Oh, you're not getting out of it," Brom laughed. "But, we'll go easier now. It's not as important if we miss a night here and there. Just remember, if you ever have the misfortune to fight an elf—trained or not, female or male—expect to lose. They, along with dragons and other creatures of magic, are many times stronger than nature intended. Even the weakest elf could overpower you easily. Same goes for the Ra'zac—they are not human and tire much more slowly than we do."

"Is there any way to become their equal?" Eragon asked. He sat down cross-legged by Saphira. Blaster just sat with his legs outstreched and his back against Sara.

"There are a few," Brom shrugged, "but none are available to you now. Magic will let you defeat all but the strongest enemies. For those, you'll need Saphira's help, plus a great deal of luck. Remember, when creatures of magic actually use magic, they can accomplish things that could kill a human, because of their enhanced abilities."

"How do you fight with magic?" Eragon asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Blaster asked. "Like fighting with magic like you did in Yazuac?"

"No," Eragon said. "Suppose I was attacked by a Shade. How could I block his magic? Most spells take place instantaneously, which makes it impossible to react in time. And even if I could, how would I nullify an enemy's magic? It seems I would have to know my opponent's intentions before he acted." He paused. "I just don't see how it can be done. Whoever attacked first would win."

Brom sighed. "What you are talking about—a 'wizards' duel, if you will—is extremely dangerous. Haven't you ever wondered how Galbatorix was able to defeat all of the Riders with the help of only a dozen or so traitors?"

"I never thought about it," Eragon admitted.

"There are several ways," Brom said. "Some you'll learn about later, but the main one is that Galbatorix was, and still is, a master of breaking into people's minds. You see, in a wizard's duel, there are strict rules that each side must observe or else both contestants will die. To begin with, no one uses magic until one of the participants gains access to the other's mind."

Saphira curled her tail around Eragon and asked him a question. He voiced it, asking, "Why wait? By the time an enemy realizes that you've attacked, it will be too late for him to act."

Brom shook his head. "No, it won't. If I were to suddenly use my power against you, Eragon, you would surely die. But, in the brief moment before you were destroyed, there would be time for a counterattack. Therefore, unless one combatant has a death wish, neither side attacks until one of them has breached the other's defenses."

"And then what happens?" Blaster asked.

Brom shrugged and said, "Once you're inside your enemies mind, it's easy enough to anticipate what he will do and prevent it. Even with that advantage, it's still possible to lose if you don't know how to counteract spells." He filled and lit his pipe. "That requires extraordinarily quick thinking. Before you can defend yourself, you have to understand the exact nature of the forces directed at you. If you're being attacked with heat, you have to know whether it is being conveyed to you through air, fire, light, or some other medium. Only once that is known can you combat the magic by, for instance, chilling the heated material."

"That sounds rather difficult," Eragon mused.

"Extremely," Brom confirmed. A plume of smoke rose from his pipe. "Seldom can people survive such a duel for more than a few seconds. The enormous amount of effort and skill required condemns anyone without proper training to a quick death. Once you've progressed, I'll start teaching you the necessary methods. In the meantime, if either of you find yourselves facing a wizard's duel, I suggest you run away as fast as you can."

"Understood," Blaster said.

They ate dinner, then all but Blaster, as per usual, went to bed. Tonight, Blaster thought it would be wise to contact his ship again. Alice was overjoyed with the contact.

"It's been what, about a month?" Alice nearly shouted.

"Easy," Blaster muttered, "I don't want to wake the others."

"Still, it would have been nicer if you talked to me more often than not," Alice retorted.

"Well, we are at least forty kliks north of Dras-Leona, and we are zeroing in on the Ra'zac."

"Seems nice, but I don't see how that helps," Alice argued.

"Well, I have found out that Char is being held prisoner," Blaster said. "Where, I cannot tell."

"And you think she's being held in Dras-Leona?"

"It is probable." Blaster dug out his cloak. "Perhaps Nox's old cloak will serve me well again. Probably not the best move, but I would like to be rather inconspicuous, yet menacing. And what is more menacing than a black, hooded cloak."

Will Char be in Dras-Leona? Will they be able to get to the Ra'zac and serve their justice? Will the wild goose chase end and the running begin? The answers to these and more next time on Free Riders.

As I am sure there is probably a few wondering how he's able to breathe underwater and if his explanation correct, I will say this now: He found out about this ability long before, but he doesn't use it on a regular basis. As he explained, the computer he has imbedded on his wrist is breaking down the water and saving the oxygen using a chemical reaction. It has nothing to do with his powers, and, unfortunately, he cannot control it. However, just like an oxygen tank, the computer can only convert a limited quantity of water to oxygen before needing recharging. Typically, it is one 24 hour period's worth, but, because Blaster uses it sparingly, he may forget he's getting low and needs to recharge the computer's ability after a short time. Trust me, I am trying my best to make sure Blaster is not too overpowered, but he will need it later in the saga (because, yes, I am continuing all the way to the end).

Please R&R.