Free Riders
Author's Note: Eragon is not mine. Char, Blaster, and Saranya are. Comment as you see fit.
Chapter 33: Crossing the River Ramr
When night fell, the entire group was worn and drowsy, but determined to continue their pace. As they packed, Blaster checked Char's vitals again, finding nothing wrong. He had known one special trick with Torillians was to put themselves into a kind of meditation in order to protect themselves from harm. That type of meditation could be held for days to weeks without food or water. After resigning to check on her later, he left her to her meditation.
Arya, on the other hand, had Blaster worried. And he was not alone.
"Sara and I are disturbed," Blaster said. "I've healed her wounds as best I could, and yet she shows no signs of getting better. What's more, she hasn't eaten."
"Maybe the Shade tampered with her mind," Murtagh suggested.
"Then we must help her," Blaster insisted.
Murtagh knelt by Arya, examined her intently, then shook his head and stood. "As far as I can tell, she's only sleeping. I could probably wake her by touch or just talking, yet she still slumbers. Her coma might be something the elves self-induce to escape the pain of injury, but why doesn't she end it? She's no longer in that type of danger."
"Yes, but does she know that?" Blaster said. "She might still believe she's being held captive. The same goes for Char. She can induce a meditative state so deep, it's almost as if she's sleeping. She could go for a few weeks like that, but I want to know why she keeps it up."
"Well, this'll have to wait," Murtagh said. "We will lose our hard-won lead if we linger here much longer. We can tend to them next time we stop."
"One thing first," Blaster said. He soaked a rag, then squeezed the cloth so water landed on Arya's lips. He did this several times, but wasn't able to get her to wake. Dejected, he continued.
Once Arya and Char were firmly attached to Sara, they departed. They went through the hills, avoiding the tops to prevent being spotted by sentries. Sara stayed with them on the ground for the same reason. Despite her bulk, she was as stealthy as a cat. The only sound of her tail scraping over the ground could be heard. They traveled like this all night.
Eventually, the eastern sky brightened, and the morning star Aiedail appeared as they reached the edge of a steep bank. Water roared below beyond the mounds of brush. They had reached the Ramr River.
"We should find a place to ford safely!" Murtagh said over the din of the rushing water.
That wouldn't be necessary, Sara said. I could carry you across, no matter how wide the river is.
Blaster looked at Sara's silvery form. I don't think it wise to leave the horses behind. Plus they're too heavy for you to lift.
So long as you aren't on them and they don't struggle too much, I'm sure I could carry them, Sara said. If I could dodge arrows with four people on my back, albeit with a little help, then I'm sure I could fly a horse in a straight line over a river.
Okay, I'm convinced, Blaster said. However, I want to make sure that we don't attempt it unless there is no other option.
We can't afford to waste time here, Sara protested, clambering down the bank. Blaster and Phillip followed, with Murtagh and Tornac at the rear. The bank came to an abrupt end right at the river. White mist wafted up from the water, as if it were from a boiling pot. It was impossible to see the other side. Murtagh tossed in a branch and watched it race away in the torrent, bobbing on the rough water.
"How deep do you think it is?" Blaster asked.
"I would imagine pretty deep," Murtagh said. Can you see how far across it is with magic?"
"Not without lighting this place up like a lighthouse," Blaster said.
With a gust of wind, Sara took off and soared over the Ramr. After a short time, Sara spoke to Blaster. I'm on the other side. The river is over half a mile wide. The Ramr bends here and is at its widest, so you picked the worst place to cross.
"A half-mile!" Blaster exclaimed. He told Murtagh about Sara's offer to ferry them across.
"I'd rather not try it, for the horses' sake," Murtagh replied. "Tornac isn't as accustomed to Sara as I would like, nor is Phillip. They might panic and injure her as well as themselves. Ask Sara to look for shallows where we can swim across safely." He paused. "I say if we don't find any within a mile in either direction, then I suppose she could ferry us."
Once Sara was asked, they set to searching. They hunkered down next to the horses and ate some dry bread while the two explored. It wasn't long before she returned, her wings whispering in the early-dawn sky.
The water is both deep and strong upstream as well as downstream, Sara said.
"I'd better go first," Murtagh said, once he was told. "I can watch the horses that way." He climbed into the saddle behind Char. "Be careful with Tornac. I've had him for a long time and I don't want anything to happen to him."
"I could use my magic as well," Blaster said, trying to figure out what to do to cross. "I will need to be careful though. I will be right behind you."
Murtagh nodded. Sara took to the skies and struggled to gain altitude, but she didn't fall into the swift river. Blaster, using up as much concentration as he could, summoned forth his magic and, using his power to hold things still, lifted Phillip, Tornac, and himself off the ground, ferrying the three of them over to the other side. He could see that the horses were frightened, but they didn't whinny in protest since they were being kept completely still. They soon all landed on the opposite bank. After the horses were released and calmed, they resumed their flight toward the Beor Mountains with the Ramr at their backs.
It took all of Blaster's concentration to keep them on course. Only once did Blaster nod off, which was unusual for him. During that time, Sara's vigilance kept them from straying off course. Before long, the ground gave way under their feet, forcing them to stop with the sun high overhead. Behind them, the Ramr was no more than a fuzzy line. Ahead was a vast expanse of dunes that spread to the horizon like small waves on the ocean.
They had finally reached the Hadarac Desert.
The wind kicked up some of the red-gold sand, and trees grew on scattered patches of solid ground. The softer ground was unfit for vegetation. A line of purple crags rose in the distance. Other than birds gliding around, there appeared to be no animals in this barren land.
"You're sure we'll find food for the horses out here?" Blaster asked, slurring his words slightly. The hot, dry air stung his throat.
"Yes," Murtagh replied, pointing to the crags. "Grass grows around them. Though it's short and tough, the horses will find it sufficient."
"I hope you're right," Blaster said, squinting at the sun. "Before we continue, we should rest. It should clear our minds and regain our strength"
They untied Arya and Char, ate, then lay in the shadow of a dune for a nap. As Blaster settled in the sand, Sara coiled up next to him, spreading her wings over the entire group.
You know, this is a beautiful place, Sara said to Blaster. I could spend years here and not notice the passing of time.
I agree, Blaster said before he closed his eyes. Not only that, but it would be a nice place to fly.
Not only that, but I feel as though we were made for the desert, Sara said. And not just me, but Saphira as well. We'd have the space we need, mountains where we could roost, and camouflaged prey we could spend days hunting. And the warmth! I mean, don't get me wrong, cold doesn't disturb me, but this heat makes me feel so alive. So full of energy as well.
Remind me to bring you to see the Sahara desert, Blaster said. It is similar to this.
As he spoke, he started to drift off to sleep. Before he did, he did one last calculation in his head. Four days since they had left Gil'ead, and they were just about thirty-five leagues away. A hundred and five miles, Blaster thought as he drifted off to sleep. That's just over twenty-six miles per day. We're making good time.
They were rested enough within a couple of hours. Though no soldiers were in sight, they kept their pace, since they knew that the Empire would keep searching for them until they were too far away, far beyond the king's reach.
"Couriers must have carried news of our little break-in to Galbatorix by now," Blaster said. "He would most likely have notified the Ra'zac. They should be on our trail by now. It'll take them a while to catch us, even by flying, but we should be alert. They could catch us at any time."
They will find I'm not so easy to hide from them this time, Sara said.
"I just hope they won't be able to follow us past Bullridge," Murtagh said, scratching his chin. "The Ramr is an effective way to throw-off pursuers, and there is a good chance that our tracks won't be found again."
"That's something to hope for," Blaster said. He checked on Arya, but her condition hadn't changed despite his ministrations. "As of right now, though, I have no faith in luck. The Ra'zac could be on our trail even as we speak."
FRFRFRFRFR
It was sunset when they reached the crags. The imposing stone bluffs towered over them, casting thin shadows. No dunes were within half a mile of either direction. The heat assaulted them like a physical blow. They had sunburned faces and necks. After picketing the horses where they could nibble on the sparse grass, Murtagh started a small fire.
"How far do you think we went?" Blaster asked as he released Arya from Sara. "I ask because I have no idea." He removed Char from the saddle. "I think we traveled at least five leagues. Maybe even ten, but it's tough to tell when you have no landmarks to go by."
Murtagh shrugged, then cursed as he picked up a pot. "We don't have enough water. And the horses have to drink."
"Bring the horses," Blaster said. "Time to see how far down the water is here."
Sara dug a hole for Blaster with her claws. He then summoned his magic and released the spell. Though the ground was parched, there was enough moisture in the dirt for the plants to live on, and more than enough to fill the hole several times over. Murtagh refilled the waterskins, then stood aside to let the horses drink.
The horses quaffed gallons. He ended up drawing moisture from deeper in the earth to satisfy their desire. Finally, once the horses were sated, Blaster ordered Sara to drink. Sara took two long draughts, then let Blaster lean over to take one long gulp before letting the water sink back into the ground. It was harder to hold the water at the surface than he had expected, but well within his abilities.
FRFRFRFRFR
It was freezing when they woke the next day. The sand had a pink hue, and the sky was hazy and obscured the horizon. Murtagh was becoming rather irate, though Blaster's own temper was slowly deteriorating. However, he tried to remain as calm as possible. During breakfast, he asked, "Do you think it'll be long before we leave the desert?"
Murtagh glowered, but said, "Since we're only crossing a small segment, I don't think we'll be here more than two or three days."
"But look at how far we've come already," Blaster pointed out.
"Then maybe it won't," Murtagh said. "All I care about is getting out of the Hadarac as swiftly as possible. It's hard enough trying to get out of here without having to pick sand out of our eyes every few minutes."
Once they finished eating, Blaster went to Char and Arya. The two looked like corpses, if not for their measured breathing. Blaster resisted the urge to talk to Char the way he wanted to, and merely tied her to Sara's saddle and Arya to her belly as they prepared to leave.
A line of dark smudges became visible on the horizon as they left camp, but they were indistinct in the hazy air. Murtagh said they were distant hills, but Blaster wasn't convinced. He didn't question it, though, for he couldn't see any details that proved otherwise. By the time they stopped for lunch around mid-day, the haze had thinned. They continued to ride soon after. Blaster took notice of the smudges on the horizon. They were more defined now.
The purple lumps had transformed into well defined forest-covered mounds. The air above them was a white that was much brighter than the usual hue. From a certain horizontal line up, all color was leeched from the mounds. After a few blinks, Blaster realized what he was looking at.
Ahead of them, giant, even from this distance, were the Beor Mountains. Blaster was shocked at the size. The bases of the mountains must have been tens of miles wide. Their tops were ice-covered, and their peaks were completely obscured, fading from sight this far out. Narrow valleys split the mountains, making them look like a giant, toothy wall linking Alagaësia to the heavens. Sara looked at them and immediately felt like a hatchling again.
We could be close, Blaster said to Sara. However, we could still be tens of miles away. It is impossible to gauge distance with something so big. I wouldn't put it past them to be able to hide whole nations with their behemoth size.
Yes, Sara acknowledged. They would be the perfect hiding spot for the Varden. A group I hope still hides there.
Will they reach the Varden in time? Are the Varden hiding elsewhere? What will Murtagh do once they are by the mountains? Find out in the next installment of Free Riders.
Yes, he used his inherent powers to lift the three of them, not the magic of this universe. There is some other magic he can use, but that won't show up until later.