Disclaimer: I am sorry for the slight delay. I might get another chapter up in the next couple days. I have temporary computer access now. Enjoy the fruits of my labor.
Eragon worked tirelessly to collapse the tunnels. The work reminded him of the activity before the first battle for Farthen Dûr. I've changed so much since then, he thought bitterly. He would not have recognized himself now. Back at the battle of Farthen Dûr, he would never have thought that Arya would ever return his affection, but now that she had, he wondered if it had been because he had been so persistent. He felt like he had forced himself on her.
Eragon! Saphira snapped in his thoughts. Do not think so negatively!
I'm sorry Saphira, but what if my thoughts are true?
Eragon, Arya loves you, replied Saphira. She's always loved you.
She treated me like a child, growled Eragon.
Because you are young, said Saphira. But youth is nothing to be ashamed of.
I miss her, Saphira, he admitted.
I know little one, said Saphira sofly.
"The tunnels are collapsed, Shadeslayer!" cried Orik.
Eragon hurried to his foster brother's side. "What now?" he asked.
"Tell Saphira, and see what King Roran and Vanir wish to do," answered Orik.
Do you need me to repeat that, Saphira? Eragon asked.
No, answered Saphira. There was a pause, before she said, Get our enemies out into the open.
Eragon repeated the message to Orik, but added, "You shall have your own bed tonight, my King."
"Aye, that will do," replied Orik. He turned to the other dwarves and shouted, "Adh sartos oen dûrgrimst!" For family and clan!
"Vor Orikz korda!" roared Eragon, brandishing his sapphire sword. By Orik's hammer.
They swept through the mountains, making all the noise that they could. A cloud of arrows showered down on them. Eragon raised his palm marked with the gedwëy ignasia, and shouted, "Letta ornya thorna!" The arrows fell short of their targets.
A group of dwarf archers surrounded Eragon, waiting for his command. "Fire at will!" Five hundred arrows were fired simultaneously. Eragon cringed as he felt so many lives being taken at once. He willed himself to ignore it. Saphira, tell Roran to get his forces in here at my signal!
His sword bathed itself in crimson liquid. He pitied the men who dared themselves to fight him. To him, their reflexes seemed sluggish. He wondered if this was how the elves felt when they fought him before his transformation after the Blood-Oath Celebration. His armor was stained with his enemy's blood.
The day dragged on. Both sides of the conflict were suffering heavy losses. Eragon began to feel the effects of the prolonged battle. "Shadeslayer, we need reinforcements!" growled Orik.
Saphira, now! Eragon cried out with his mind.
I thought that you would never call, replied Saphira. Her roars could be heard throughout the mountains. It gave Eragon and the dwarves the motivation that they needed to continue fighting.
The tides of the battle turned. "Kill the Rider! Take him down! Take him down! For Galbatorix!"
Eragon dodged arrows that flew like missiles past him. He jumped on Saphira's back. "Retreat!" he bellowed. "Roran, get your soldiers out of here! This is a lost cause!"
"No!" roared Orik. He continued fighting his way through. It seemed that nothing was going to stop the dwarf from taking back his home.
"Orik, fall back!" yelled Eragon. A pike struck his left arm. "Damn!" he snarled. Saphira was already chomping away at the soldier that injured him. He yanked out the weapon and threw it across the battlefield, hitting a soldier in the gut. We need to get out of here.
I know, agreed Saphira. But we are surrounded.
Try burning our enemies, suggested Eragon. I can put out the fire and we can make our getaway.
It will be suicidal, reasoned Saphira. She ate her way through a group of swordsmen that had surrounded him.
Do you have another idea? Eragon snarled. He stabbed at as many men as he could. Saphira arched her back and took flight. He held tightly to the saddle. She released a jet of flame.
"ADURNA!" bellowed Eragon. He felt his strength waning. He blacked out and knew nothing more.
When he woke, he found himself in a tent. He felt like a ton of bricks had hit him in the head. He tried sitting up, but a hand forced him back down.
"It's a good thing that I was in the area, Shadeslayer."
Eragon recognized that voice. He opened his eyes to see Angela. "Angela—but what are you doing all the way out here?" groaned Eragon.
"Right now, taking care of you," answered Angela. "Where is Arya? I wish to speak to her."
"She is in Ellesmera," informed Eragon. "Why?"
"No she is not," replied Angela. "I was there a few days ago, and the elves say that she left in quite a hurry."
Eragon began to panic. Why would she not tell me that she was leaving? He thought for a long moment. "I do not know where she is then…I told her to stay in Ellesmera."
"You should know by now that elves don't listen," chuckled Angela. "But this is serious. Since I can't find Arya, I suppose that I shall tell you. Triana has been spotted. There have been villages burnt down to the ground in her trail. I have been tracking her for weeks now. She might be the leader to these loyalists."
Eragon frowned. "Do you think that she went after Arya?" he asked quickly.
"It's possible," answered Angela. "But how could she get into Du Weldenvarden without the elves knowing about it. I barely stepped foot in the forest and a group of elves were already surrounding me."
What do you think Saphira? Eragon asked.
I think that we should find out what's going on, answered Saphira.
"Angela, how about going on a journey with me?" offered Eragon. "We will find Arya…and my apprentice, who should be with Arya, train her up and wait for Arya to be fit for battle, and then take care of Triana."
"You mean to say that you're going into hiding," replied Angela.
"For a time, yes," murmured Eragon. He closed his eyes. "That seems to be our only option. These loyalists have numbers that are far greater than I had originally anticipated. It's just a shame that this war did not end with Galbatorix."
"Aye, it is a shame," agreed Angela. "I shall prepare for this journey of yours then. Should I tell King Roran and King Orik to go into hiding as well?"
"That would be best," said Eragon. He drifted off into a deep trance.
Several days passed. No one was happy with the decision made to go into hiding, least of all the dwarves. Yet Eragon did not waver in what he had decided. It is for the best, he told Saphira.
The air was beginning to grow cold with winter. Eragon sat on a lonely cliff with Saphira curled around him. He meditated and felt a chill of fore coming doom. He was sending so many to their deaths. He pushed all the negativity out of himself and focused on Arya, like he had the past few days. He took out a mirror and murmured the words for scrying. He saw her traveling on horseback with the Spine in the distance, and Galzra and Amestat flying above her. Tasha rode Amestat with such immaturity that it made Eragon sick. Did he really start out riding like that? He felt relieved though that they were alive. Where do you suppose they are going?
Surda…I think, answered Saphira. Is that where we should go?
For a start…then perhaps contact the Urgals and see if they can help us, replied Eragon. Our soldiers will require years of training and we need to be well organized.
A/N: I will try and make the next chapter longer. I just had to get things going in a new direction. Please review your ideas.