AN: The last chapter had a lot going on, so I want to let you adjust...don't want to give you an information overload! Hope you enjoy it! Please review...
Obsidian! Where are you? Murtagh-
I know. He growled, furiously, and his rage spurred me onwards, deeper into the woods. Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you.
I stopped in my tracks and doubled over, resting my hands on my thighs, panting. My chest felt like it would explode if my heart was to hammer into my ribcage any harder. There was a crash behind me and I whipped around just in time to see Obsidian come diving through the trees, towards me. He landed just in front of me, with an angry snort.
So Murtagh has betrayed us. I am sorry, Katharean. I should have seen that this would happen. He looked down at me, sadly, and I was forced to blink back tears again.
Hush. You couldn't have known. He tricked me too, you know. I assured him, glad that my internal voice did not shake the same way as my real one would have. But we can kick ourselves later for that. Right now, we really need to make tracks. You know the plan. Now that we are past Ceris, we have to continue South. We can follow the river all the way to the mountains.
He bent his forelegs, lowering himself down to the ground. When I did not move, he snorted, looking at me, pointedly. We will not get very far walking, my dear. It will be difficult enough evading Murtagh and his beast in flight, if we were to stay on the ground we would be as well surrendering ourselves to the King now.
The truth of his words brought me to my senses and I clambered onto his back, the same way I had done only once before. His back was much broader now, forcing me to stretch my legs to a point of minor discomfort, but I said nothing. When we were both ready, he pushed himself up to his full height and took a few steps forward, allowing me to find my centre.
Ready? He asked. I nodded, but he knew my answer without having to look at me. He unfurled his magnificent, black wings and in one single, powerful movement, we were airborne. I closed my eyes against the rushing wind, and by the time it had calmed enough for me to open them again, we were gliding effortlessly over unfamiliar lands. The world was beautiful from my newly acquired vantage point, and I laughed, giddily, temporarily forgetting all of our problems as I collided with the astonishing view.
Far below us, the river was a long, shining snake winding around masses of trees and earth, and directly in front of us, lining the midday horizon, were the mountains.
Take us to the horizon! I laughed, airily. I felt Obsidian's joy as my own, and his pride at being able to show me the world from his point of view. As we cut effortlessly through the air, I felt almost euphoric, and all of my pain seemed to just melt away. Nothing mattered. Murtagh, Galbatorix, my father...nothing. They were all such small matters in the great scheme of things. I was riding on the back of the wind. I was a dragon rider. A legend. Nobody could take those things away from me.
I knew you would love this. Obsidian told me, with a smile in his voice.
Oh, I do. How do you ever bring yourself to land? This is how life should feel. I beamed. On an impulse, I let go of him, securing myself with my knees, and held my arms out by my sides. I closed my eyes and rolled my head backwards, breathing the cold air in deeply, feeling the rushing of the wind in my hair.
I like flying a lot more when it is with you. He admitted. But I am afraid it cannot last forever. I can already feel myself tiring slightly...I am not used to flying with the extra weight, as light a load as you may be, little heart.
It doesn't matter. When we reach the Varden, we will be safe. We will not have to hide who we are from anybody, and nobody can stop us from doing this all the time. We will no longer be forced to sneak around like fugitives. We can make our own rules...I thought, more to myself than Obsidian, but over the noise of the high wind surrounding us, I heard him snort, appreciatively.
It will not be long, Katharean...we will fly until nightfall, and then again at dawn. If all goes well, we should be there this time tomorrow.
That soon? I asked, surprised. When Murtagh and I had went over the map, we had calculated that we would have to travel for at least another fortnight to reach the mountains.
That soon. I told you the boy would hold us back. If we had never met him, we would have reached the Beor mountains more than a week ago.
Yes, well, it is not a mistake I will make again. I swear to you, I shall never trust again. Not entirely. You are the only one I can trust, because I can see your heart, and you can see mine. We have no secrets, no expectations...no lies. It's just...us. And you love me as I do you. I know now that I will never have that kind of safety in loving anyone else but you. I ended on a soft note, frowning at my own words. I knew in my heart that I did not want to feel so defensive. I wanted to love, and be loved, some day. Obsidian acknowledged my doubtful musings with an agitated flap of his wings.
Perhaps you will not feel so badly in time. He said, quietly, and it was difficult for me to determine whether his voice was hopeful or bitter, but the wind picked up again, lifting my heart with it, and I let it go.
We flew in contented, comfortable silence for a few hours, neither of us willing to break the calm, peaceful spell that had fallen over the world as we glided low over deserted countryside, with Obsidian occasionally skimming along the smooth surface of the river whenever he felt thirsty. By the time night fell, we were in the shadow of the mountains, although we still had a few more leagues to cover the next day. Astonishingly enough, Obsidian's estimate had been more or less correct, and we had made excellent time.
Excitement built up inside of me for the first time since leaving my father's house all those weeks ago. By noon tomorrow, we would reach the mountains...and then what? Would the Varden greet us? Would the welcome us, or fear us? And, my stomach did a somersault whenever I thought of it, would their dragon rider be there?
I, like everybody else, had heard the stories of Eragon's battles with the Empire's forces, although they had been told to me with a slightly biased slant, as it had been practically in the King's back garden, at one of the many banquets he held for his "most loyal subjects" or, more accurately, the wealthiest and most powerful, and my father fit the bill every time.
Instead of praising his name and his deeds, he had been whispered about, mocked, decried and downright trodden on by my "superiors". Of course, my disdain for the lifestyle and the people who lived it ensured that I took away feelings of awe and respect for the boy who made my father's peers snivel and sneer so.
I wondered how he would feel about me...
If we even get that far. Obsidian snorted.
What do you mean? Of course we will. I replied, dismissing his concerns.
Of course. As long as Murtagh does not catch up with us. And as long as the Varden, the warriors living in the mountains whose sole mission in life is to eliminate people of your standing and your King, do not shoot as down as soon as they see us.
I bit my lip. I had thought there might be some initial distrust on their part, but the thought that they would attack us had not occurred to me, and Obsidian knew it.
That is what I thought. He muttered, quietly, suddenly banking right of the river and preparing to land amongst a scattering of trees nearby.
Well, why have you said nothing before now, when we are in their shadow? I asked, exasperatedly.
Because you would not have listened. How many times have I warned you against things, and you have ignored me?
If you're talking about Murtagh...I started, but he cut me off.
I am. I do not want the same thing to happen. We need to have a solid plan, one that we both have to stick to. You are too impulsive sometimes, Katharean.
OK, obviously you are not a good traveller, it had affected your disposition to a worrying degree. I sniffed, unhappy about being called out on my flaws.
He landed with a disdainful snort and shook me gently from his back.
"Hey!" I cried aloud, as I landed with a soft thump on the leaf-covered ground. "What was that for?"
I am tired. I am not used to flying for so long with the extra weight.
Are you calling me fat? I demanded, folding my arms.
He shook his head, but the manner in which he did so told me that he was not answering my question, but rather shaking his head at me.
Get some sleep, Katharean. I will wake you in the morning. He grunted, turning away from me and I pushed myself up, easily and danced in front of him.
Fine, but if you better be in a more agreeable mood, or I'm casting you off. I grinned, playfully, and he nudged me with his nose.
You will be the end of me, girl. He insisted, trying to be annoyed, although I could tell that I was making it difficult for him.
I love you, dragon. I replied, unphased, and wrapped my arms affectionately around his large neck in a warm embrace, which he returned by nuzzling the side of my head.
Sleep well, little heart. He pulled away, with a smile in his eye, and lay down, curled up like a cat in the bracken. In my haste to leave Ceris, I had left my blankets in the Inn, so I lowered myself down beside him and rested my back against his stomach, which was surprisingly warm, given the cold air surrounding us.
I fell asleep listening to the sound of his deep breathing, but it was a fitful sleep, plagued by visions of dark men and vicious beasts, and cages dressed up like palaces. I should have known then that the nightmares would not be contained within my imagination for very long.
AN: I'm not a fan of this chapter, but I think I've been saying that pretty much the whole way through, so just ignore me. I REEAAALLY want to get in to all the action, but my stupid brain won't let me. It just keeps giving me more WORDS to write...but it was their first proper flight together, so it's a pretty big deal.
And I know this will be one of the questions asked, so let me answer it just now...her legs aren't all cut up like Eragons were because A: I hated that bit of the book, and I thought it was silly that chosen dragon riders would suffer something as minor as chafing...cos chafing makes me think of that time my fat aunty wore short shorts on holiday in Florida...kinda takes away from the whole experience of flying with a mythical creature, I think. But for all you diehards...she...just...has more expensive clothes made from some kind of thick animal skin that was better than Eragons. I'm stopping now, cos I hate long A.N.s....
Review, please!!!