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*LE GASP!* An update! If you don't like Garrow, skip this chapter. Period.
Chapter 47: Piracy is a Crime
After a few hours of planning, Garrow sent Nolfavrell to fetch Gertrude and Mandel from the Green Chestnut. After all, their new friend offered his hospitality to their entire group. They spent a few more minutes talking before they have agreed upon everything.
As they finished their plans, Jeod rose to his full height. "Now if you will excuse me, I must talk to my wife. I need to admit everything I should never have concealed from her. It would be best if she accompanies us to Surda, especially as she would be giving birth soon. You may take your pick of rooms anywhere on the second floor. Rolf will summon you once supper is ready."
As Jeod departed, Garrow let out a slow sigh. Over the course of their planning, they have locked the study from the inside to prevent anyone from walking in on them. Jeod's wife, Helen, threw multiple fits over that.
"That woman's an ogress," Loring muttered. "Do you think that telling her is a wise move?"
"Loring, she is pregnant. That's how pregnant women act when they worry," Birgit said with forced patience.
Garrow suppressed a chuckle. He lived with two pregnant women more than sixteen years ago – his dear departed wife Marian, and his sister Selena. Just keeping the house from crumbling down with the sheer force of their personalities was quite a challenge. "I am not sure if it is wise or not, but we cannot stop him. He will never be at peace unless he does."
With that, they split up to find rooms. Garrow stored his things in the room nearest the stairs. He marvelled at the size of his quarters, which was at least five times bigger than the rooms in his farm. The farm that Enduriel and his Ra'zac destroyed. He cleaned himself of the filth that the days of travel caused him, and just finished changing clothes when his door opened.
"Should have known that you are here." Birgit crossed her arms and sat on the bay window without waiting for his permission. "Do you miss them?"
"Who?" Garrow knew full well who she was talking about, though.
"Your son. And your nephews."
Garrow did not reply immediately. He stared at the short, sturdy, red-haired woman. He did not know where it was going. "I miss my sons equally," he said, emphasizing all of the words slowly. "I raised them together as brothers, and that is how they always are in my eyes. Yes, I miss them. They are my family. The only family I have left. It hurts me that I cannot do more for them and have left them on their own, but Brom and the others are there for them, and that is enough for me. Now."
Birgit wrapped her shawl around her idly. "I miss Quimby too. And you know the difference between us? You still have a chance of seeing your sons again. Quimby and I will never be together again because of what you have brought upon us. I hate you, Deftblade, but I also need you."
"Well I do understand that," Garrow said with a mirthless laugh. "I will lead you to the Riders who will make sure that you will see the Forsworn fall. If ever that they truly are strong enough for it. And then you will enact your vengeance on me. It is quite simple, isn't it?"
Birgit nodded. "If you put it that way, yes." She stood up and left.
Having nothing to do, and with only his thoughts for company, Garrow began to wander through the mansion, peering out of windows idly. He passed by the dining room and heard Jeod's loud voice. Curiously, he peered through a crack by the middle door's hinge. Jeod was standing before a short, pale-haired, pregnant woman – obviously Helen.
"Let us assume that you are saying the truth now. How, exactly, am I supposed to trust you?" Helen was asking.
"Forgive me. I will not be able to answer that," Jeod told her sadly.
"You are asking me to become a fugitive for you, you foo!"
"If I remember correctly, you once even offered to leave your family and your wealth behind. You asked me to take you with me and wander the land, spirit you out of Teirm."
Helen let out a frustrated sigh. "That as a long time ago. I thought you were terribly dashing then, with that sword and that scar."
"I still have both of those. They never were gone." Jeod seemed to deflate. "I must admit, I have made so many mistakes with you. Please know, I understand all of it now. I still love you and want you to always be safe. You and our unborn child. I will never have any kind of future here. I will only bring grief and trouble to you and your family. You can return to your father to raise our child or come with me. You can choose what you think is best and I will never hold it against you. But I am begging you to please give me a second chance. Have the courage in you to leave this place, shed bitter memories. Let's start anew in Surda with our child."
Helen looked away. "Those kids with that old man all those months agos, were they really Riders?"
"Aye. They are. And Brom roams the land again. The world is changing as we speak, whether for good or bad, Helen. The Varden is stirring, and both dwarves and elves are preparing deep within their ancient haunts. War is approaching the land. If we truly are favored, then Galbatorix and his Forsworn are about to fall."
"Then you must be important in the Varden if they entrust such information to you."
"Of course. They owe me some consideration. After all, they would not have acquired those eggs if not for me."
"You will have a position with them in Surda, then?"
"I believe so." Jeod laid his hands on her shoulders, and luckily the woman did not draw back.
Helen bowed her head. "Jeod… please do not press me like this. It is so hard to decide."
"But please think about it."
"Of course I will."
Giving them the privacy they deserved, Garrow drew back. Seeing them pained him. He missed Marian so much. She would have been so proud of the boys. Riders. Who knew that boys from a far-off village would be chosen to inherit such a legacy?
Helen watched Garrow intently all throughout dinner, as if studying and measuring him. There was no doubt that she was comparing him to Roran, Murtagh, and Eragon. That made the entire affair quite uncomfortable, and Garrow trained his eyes on the impossibly rich food in front of him. He self-consciously finished his meal at a slow speed.
Once they departed from the dining room, Garrow took Mandel aside. Together, the two men headed out to the small courtyard behind the house. The older man regarded the younger with a piercing stare. "I wanted to talk to you in private, lad."
Mandel watched him both with wariness and respect. "What is it about, Deftblade?"
Garrow smiled tiredly. Lecturing his own lads about responsibility felt like so many lifetimes ago. He could feel the same old phrase rising in his throat and suppressed a laugh. It would do him no good, especially with what he was intending to do. "I have noticed that you have been becoming quite friendly with the sailors, especially lately."
"But they're not our enemies… are they?"
"Oh, anyone could very well be at this point. Clovis and his men could suddenly decide to turn on us without a warning. Of course, it's not going to be a problem as long as being with them does not make you forget the important things." Garrow said the last sentence as lightly as he could, but the young man stiffened and flushed. "So, Mandel, do you remember what exactly is the most important thing to us right now?"
"Protecting our families, I guess."
"Aye, that's one thing. And what else do you think?"
Mandel turned even redder and look away. "I'm sorry. I don't know."
Garrow sighed. That should have been the father's job. But then again, none of them would be in this situation and Mandel would still have his father if not for him. "It's to help each other. We won't survive long if we don't. I and your mother were both disappointed to learn that you've actually gambled food with the sailors. That is going to endager the entire village." He smiled dryly. "You know what? You might be more productive if you went hunting instead of gambling or learning that knife throwing trick. Your father is gone. Now it's up to you to take care of your mother and your sibligns. Understand?"
"I understand. Sir." Mandel sound choked. His eyes glistened oddly.
"This will never happen again, I assume."
"Never again. Not at all. Sir."
Garrow smiled. "I didn't just bring you here to chastise you. You show promise, and I want you to hone it. I am going to give you a task that I trust to no one else but myself."
While Mandel departed for the villagers' camp, Garrow and the others spent the rest of the next day for resting, honing their weapons, and improving their plans. Helen even made an appearance, shuffling awkwardly from one room to another. Rolf even dropped by Garrow's room every now and then to bring light snacks, though Jeod was mysteriously absent. Apparently, he left to take a walk in the city and accidentally bumped into some men of the sea that he trusted for the expedition.
The merchant returned well after dusk. "We can rely on five more hands. I do sincerely hope that it will be enough." He spent the rest of the evening locked in his study, working on some legal documents and settling some affairs.
Garrow roused his party three hours before dawn. They were all fighting off yawns as they grouped themselves in the mansion's vast and empty entryway. It seemed haunted, the shadows dancing in the silence. Suppressing a shudder, Garrow imitated his companions, muffling himself in a long cloak and drawing it up to hide his face. Jeod soon joined them with a rapier that complimented him.
Garrow sincerely hoped that his head would still be attached to his neck at the end of the day.
Jeod carefully lit an oil lantern and raised it to illuminate the hallway. "Are you ready? If we leave now, there is no going back."
"We will not shy away now," Birgit said, her eyes daring Garrow and Loring to object.
Jeod nodded, unlatching the door. They stepped out of the mansion and into the empty street. It seemed devoid of life. Jeod gazed longingly at the mansion, as if waiting for Helen. When the woman did not appear, he took a deep breath and closed the door.
If Marian lived, would she have been brave enough to make the choice that Helen could not?
"I'm sorry, Jeod," Garrow murmured.
"I made my choice. She made hers." Jeod sighed. "I hope it brings her happiness."
The group dashed the city, slowing down a little whenever they encountered one of the watchmen or a creature of the night who darted away from them if not flat out drunk. Footsteps could easily be heard on some rooves. Jeod explained that the design of the city gave thieves opportunities to travel from roof to roof.
The slowed down completely to a walk as they reached the eastern gate of Teirm which opened to the harbor. It was closed every night only for four hours because doing it longer may disrupt trade. As a matter of farct, several men were already making their way through the gate.
Of course, they were forewarned by Jeod. Garrow fought back the fear that began to dance in the fringes of his mind as the guards lowered their pikes and inquired about their reasons for passing through. Jeod stood before them primly as he handed them a scroll. A minute felt longer than what it should. The guard nodded and waved them through.
Garrow fought hard not to exhale sharply as they passed through the gate.
Once they were well out of earshot, Jeod smiled. "Good thing that man can't read."
The group waited on the damp planks of the wharfs until Jeod's men emerged from the thick night mist, one by one. They all looked grim and silent, but determined flames lit up their eyes. They were a hardy lot, and were respectable. Garrow liked them, but they did not take to the sight of Birgit.
Jeod silenced them with a quiet warning, speaking praises about Birgit and Nolfavrell's deeds back in Carvahall. Of course, that still produced some mumblings, so Birgit herself kicked one of the men – Uthar, Garrow thought his name was – between his legs. Before anyone could react, she grabbed another man and pressed her knife against his throat.
Ignoring the cussing Uther, Birgit smiled smugly. "Does anyone else have an objection?" Even her son watched her with a mouth that dropped open.
Garrow could barely fight off his grin. Thankfully they haven't noticed Gertrude. After a few more words – and muttered curses – the men revealed lengths of rope and weighted clubs. Arming themselves with those new implements, they made their way to the Dragon Wing. They slunk around, avoiding detection.
After a quick briefing, Garrow and Uther stripped to their breeches and tied the rope and clubs around their waists. Loring kept Garrow's ax for him. Running farther down the wharf, they dove out of the sentries' sight and lowered themselves into the freezing water.
With a warning not to stop moving else he'll freeze, Garrow followed Uthar's example, clinging to the slimy planks beneath the wharf. They swam around until they reached the stone pier leading to the Dragon Wing. Swinging to the right, they dove under the black water and separated heading for the two anchors. Clinging to the chain, Garrow untied the club from his waist and fit it between his teeth.
It didn't really stop the chattering.
Three minutes passed. Birgit's boots could eventually be clearly heard aboce him. The woman was at the end of the pier, on the exact opposite of the Dragon Wing. Her voice was carried by the stillness of the night as she engaged in conversation with the sentries. Hopefully she could keep their attention off the bow for a while.
Counting to three, Garrow climbed up the chain. He was getting too old for farming, let alone something as extreme as pirating. Of course, no one listened to his objections. Entering through the porthole that the anchor chain passed through, he clambered up the ridges that held the figurehead in place. He scuttled over the railing and onto the deck. A soaking wet Uthar was waiting for him.
Armed with clubs, they padded through the area, heading for the aft. They used every possible cover and stopped near the sentries. The two hapless men were still talking to Birgit. Hoping that there was no lasting damage, Uthar and Garrow leapt toward them and struck their heads. Birgit waved for the rest of their party, raising the gangway and sliding one end across to the ship.
Nolfavrell tied and gagged the unconscious sentries, while everyone else but Gertrude descended belowdecks, searching for remaining sentries. They managed to find four more men – a purser, bosun, a cook and his assistant. Two of them were captured by Birgit herself. They were trussed up, two of them knocked on the head for their efforts.
They lined up the unhappy prisoners on the deck to make sure that they will always be watched. Jeod assigned Uther as the captain, and they spent the next two hours preparing for voyage. Part of that was to clear supplies they would not need, and compressing the rest to make room for the villagers.
Garrow was securing a barrel when someone alerted them to an approaching person. Everyone dropped to their bellies, hands on their weapons – all except Jeod and Uthar, who pretended to be sentries, pacing the ship idly.
A few breathless seconds passed as Jeod addressed the intruder.
Footsteps echoed on the gangway as Helen stepped in, dressed in dark clothing and her hair also bound under a black kerchief. She lugged a burlap sack over one shoulder, a hand on her belly. Without addressing anyone, she stowed her gear in the main cabin and stood beside a grinning Jeod.
A faint patch of light began to peek through the distant Spine when a sailor pointed to the north and whistled – the signal that the villagers were already spotted. Time was running out. He watched the dark blotch advancing on the coast. Carvahall's remaining villagers were drawing near. Luckily, Teirm's layout meant that the villagers could walk right up to the Dragon Wing without being detected in the city.
With a signal from Uthar, the sailors loaded javelins for the great bows on deck and casks of tar that smelled so foul. They painted the upper half of the javelins with the vile concoction and loaded them. Two-thirds through the path to the ship, soldiers on Teirm's battlements spotted the villagers. They trumpeted the alarm urgently, but before a few seconds passed, Uthar ordered the men to light and fire the javelins.
Nolfavrell opened the shutters from Jeod's lantern, running from one ballista to another to ignite the tar. As they caught fire, the men behind the bows released them. Twelve blazing bolts lit up the sky of Teirm's port as they pierced the ships and buildings along the bay. Drawing and reloading, Nolfavrell repeated his rounds and the projectiles flew again.
The guards began firing at them, though the fire and smoke concealed the ship. A lucky arrow embedded itself beside Gertrude's foot. Chaos ensued as the villagers dashed toward the ship, evading arrows fired toward them and screaming in terror. Birgit and Gertrude ran toward them, guiding the mass of weary people into the ship, packing it to its limit. Those who could not fit had to make do with huddling on deck, holding Fisk's shields over their heads.
The best fighters from Carvahall were assembled by Sloan around the mainmast, all alert and ready for instructions. Mandel joined them with a proud grin. Sloan nodded to the lad with a grim look. Half the original group raised anchors and cut the gangway loose, while others prepared the capstans for sailing. The oarsmen took their places as the Dragon Wing turned to the open sea, gathering speed as it pulled away from the burning harbor.
Garrow joined Jeod and Helen on the quarter deck, their eyes on the inferno raging, casting a fiery wall between Teirm and the ocean. The sun began to rise. "How many more names will be added to those I have killed?" he mused.
"This will harm many innocent men," Jeod said sadly. "But they won't face death, at least. We still have to outrun the Empire."
"We did what we had to, and there's no need to take pleasure in it," Garrow agreed. "I just hope there was a better way."
Arrr, matey! Pirating hijinks aside, we'll be catching up to the Riders next chapter. I skipped Nasuada's chapters (Melikir's here, I guess) in Eldest since they're not really that important.
Anyway, we're going to see Eragon wipe the floor with Vanir next chapter! Any suggestions?
Yup, Helen was definitely not pregnant in the original books. What do you think will her child be? And what do you think is the name?
Hearing about the Comic Con broke my heart. Too bad I was born on the wrong side of the world. Erk.
Do you think Vanir and Aesyr will warm up to each other that way?
Glad to hear I'm getting new readers even this far into the story! Thank you so much, all of you! I seriously need to learn how to PM you guys whenever you review. Ugh, lazy me.
Read and review as always! Askanir loves to hear from you guys. And isn't our sparkly purple friend so awesome? He should meet Spyro, hang out, barbecue a Shade or two...