AN: Next chapter! To be honest, I wasn't sure where I was going with this, but now I'm back on track and got some good ideas. Ish. There were a couple of reviews commenting on my change of perspective from chapter to chapter (going from first person to third person and back again). This is deliberate, believe it or not. I prefer writing third person but I like the insight you get with first person, and I think it lets you get a better feel for the character, but third person's better for story-telling...why am I explaining myself? Because I'm right, that's why. Yup yup yup.
Anyway, this chapter's in first person.
They're looking for you, you know. Perhaps you should go back now...Obsidian's voice was full of concern as he interrupted my Murtagh-related musings. With a start, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. Nothing looked familiar, and I closed my eyes again as my head started to spin. I remembered with a pang of shame that I had wept to myself for most of the night, conflicted and hurt. I tried to push away the empty, queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, the kind that is only ever born of grief, but it lay there still. With forced resolve, I opened my eyes once more, slowly this time, and tried to figure out where I was, and how I had come to be there. Gradually, my thoughts and memories started to return to me. It had been dark when I had stumbled upon a small cave somewhere in mountains, cold and exhausted and blinded by angry tears, and I had no idea where I was. The Beor Mountains were, I had discovered, riddled with caverns and burrows, and I had left the foot-path hours before.
Where am I? I groaned, stretching my aching limbs and yawning.
You're on the east side of the mountains, about seven miles from Tronjheim. Obsidian replied, and I could tell from his tone of voice that he was in flight. I heaved myself to my feet, ignoring the muscles in my legs as they screamed in protest at my movements, and walked unsteadily to the mouth of the cave to search the skies for the dragon. I was just about to ask him where he was when a great black shape came bursting through a low hanging cloud formation a few yards to my right, swooping down upon me like some terrible bat. With a soft thud, he landed gracefully by my side with a snort, in way of greeting. I reached out a hand to his snout, automatically, and stroked him affectionately, smiling when his eyes fluttered closed, contentedly, at my touch.
How do you feel? He asked, his large, black eyes glittering at me with concern. I rolled my shoulders back a couple of times and winced as my muscles protested against the movement.
Like I slept on a rock. I replied. Funny, that.
Eragon is worried. He told me, softly. I sighed.
I know. I shouldn't have left like that. It was selfish of me. Eragon must be hurting exactly as I am. He's just stronger than me. I frowned, thinking only now of the rash foolishness of my actions, and wondering what Eragon now thought of me.
Do not be so hard on yourself, little heart. I have spoken with Eragon. He understands completely. Obsidian replied, comfortingly.
Of course he said that to you. He is too polite to tell you the truth.
My dear, Eragon cannot lie at the best of times, but it is simply not possible for him to speak anything other than the truth in his internal voice.
Oh. Right. This brought me a small amount of comfort, but not nearly enough to make me feel any better that morning. In just a few hours, Galbatorix's army would be approaching Tronjheim. Murtagh would be leading them. Thousands would fight in the battle that would surely be waged upon their arrival, but in my mind, there were only two. This was personal.
Obsidian registered my thoughts with quiet contemplation, but his reaction was undetectable.
Shall we make tracks, then? I want to apologise to Eragon before we have to start preparing.
It will have to be a brief apology, Katharean. Preparations are already underway. He replied, spreading his wings as I mounted him with a skill and finesse which I had only recently acquired during my time in Tronjheim, after observing Eragon do the same countless times. Seconds later, we were above the clouds, and the world fell away. I almost forgot about Eragon and Murtagh and battle then, soaring through the skies. I almost let everything go and guided Obsidian away from Tronjheim and Farthen Dur and the Beor Mountains. I almost told him that I wanted to stay here forever, amongst the birds and cloud banks and air currents. Almost. But as soon as the thoughts entered my head, we began to descend, and I was forced to leave them behind, unspoken, in that place between worlds, floating peacefully just above the clouds.
Before long, I caught sight of Eragon and Saphira, standing in a crowd of soldiers. Cold apprehension swept through me when I realised that they were already in full battle armour. Obsidian landed beside Saphira with a gentle thud and I dismounted quickly, adrenaline already coursing through my veins despite the lack of imminent danger. The soldiers assembled there inclined their heads in respect that I felt I did not deserve and I returned the gesture as sincerely as I could, though my eyes were trained on my fellow rider, trying to gauge his feelings.
"Kate." He breathed, making his way towards me with long, graceful strides. He embraced me, tightly, much to my grateful surprise, and elicited a few murmurs from the troops. "Are you..."
"Fine." I cut him off, with a dismissive smile and he nodded. "What do we know?" I asked, as business-like as possible. He looked grim.
"The first wave of troops is less than two hours away from the mountains. They are approaching from the north-west."
I frowned, as I realised what this meant.
"They came from Dras-Leona?" I asked, thinking immediately of Hearan's family. Eragon nodded, curtly.
"It certainly looks that way." He replied. I turned to look at Obsidian, but he seemed to be deep in conversation with Saphira.
"Well...let us hope that they did not cause too much trouble for the villagers." I muttered, darkly. Eragon nodded in agreement, but he seemed unable to find his voice. I thought I saw a flash of pain in his dark eyes beneath his steely reserve, but it was gone before I could be sure I had seen anything at all. He cleared his throat.
"Quite. Now, maybe you should go with Obsidian and get ready. Your battle armour is ready for you in the armoury. It should be a perfect fit." He said, gruffly. Without another word, I pulled him into a bear hug and planted a light, platonic kiss high on his cheekbone, before leaving for the armoury with Obsidian suddenly by my side.
We had not walked more than fifteen paces before a young man with shoulder length red hair and an over-eager expression on his face blocked my path, pointedly. Obsidian snorted, warningly, but I came to a halt before him.
"Can I help you?" I asked, trying to be polite despite my haste and failing spectacularly. My harsh tone did not seem to have any effect on the stranger, however, as he beamed down at me. He looked to be only a few years older than myself, perhaps in his early twenties, but he towered over me.
"Lady Athem, this is a great honour, I cannot tell you how delighted I am-"
"Forgive me, but I am afraid I will have to cut your delight short. We go to war, sir, and there is no place for laughter and merriment on the battlefield." I replied, cringing inwardly at the lack of warmth in my voice as I moved to walk past the young man, but he started to speak again, unabashed by my manner.
"Of course, of course, that is why I have come. It would be my great honour and pleasure if you would accept my sword in battle." He smiled, unsheathing his generic-looking long sword. For a moment, I was confused by his words. He wanted me to have his sword? Why? There was no shortage of weaponry in the armoury.
He means he would like to join us in battle, Kate. Obsidian explained, hearing my thoughts. I almost blushed at my stupidity, but recovered far too quickly for the boy to notice.
"If you wish to join us, then I suggest you come with me. We shall see what we can find for you in way of armour. It would not do to go charging into battle against the King's army without the proper attire." I replied, with what I hoped was a good-humoured smirk.
"Certainly, m'lady! Thank you, thank you, a million times thank you!" He gushed, breathlessly. I frowned at his eagerness.
"Do not thank me quite yet, stranger. War is no gift. I must admit I am curious as to why you readily throw yourself into this battle which is not your own."
"The battle may not be my own, but by the Gods, the war is. There is not a single soul in Alagaesia who has gone unscathed by Galbatorix and his iron rule. I only wish to play my part." He replied, some of the giddy eagerness fading from his voice and from his eyes. I considered this for a moment and nodded, deciding that it was not my place to deny this man only what we all wanted: a taste of revenge.
"The Varden is comprised of men and women whose feelings match your own. I do not doubt that you will find kin among us." I spoke smoothly, Obsidian's words flowing out of my mouth before I even knew I was speaking.
"Oh, thank you, m'lady, thank you! You will not regret this!" He grinned. I did not return his smile; my mind was still very much on the impending battle.
"Just see to it that I don't." I answered, shortly.
We do not have time for this, Katharean. Obsidian snorted, clawing at the ground in barely-concealed agitation.
"Come, we have little time left to prepare." I muttered, frowning, as Obsidian and I swept past the young man, who immediately followed after us with a look of awe on his round, youthful face. We reached the armoury in what felt like seconds, although I am sure it must have been longer. Time never behaves as we will it to.
I entered the large, busy room with an uncomfortable knot in my stomach, although it was eased slightly by the presence of a familiar smiling face.
"Aye aye! There's our girl! How are you feeling, Kate? Are you ready to give them Hell?" The delightfully playful voice of my dear friend reached me above the screaming noise of clanging metal on metal which filled the air in the armoury.
"Ready and waiting, Hearan." I replied, managing a small smile. "I trust you are as eager for battle as anyone."
"Aye. You heard then?" He asked, his voice growing lower as I arrived by his side. My smile quickly faded, and I nodded, frowning.
"They came from Dras Leona. My first thoughts were of your family." I told him, darkly. He nodded, but said nothing, and I knew him well enough to know that he did not trust his voice to hold steady enough to answer. The knot in my stomach tightened and seemed to move upwards towards my chest when I saw my friend's face crumpled in worry and distress.
Katharean...Obsidian urged, impatiently. I threw him a stern look, but realised he was right to hurry me.
"Well, we can't fight soldiers without your help, blacksmith." I smiled, trying to make my voice as light-hearted as possible, and Hearan seemed to brighten a little.
"Just as well, I didn't sweat blood making these just so you could go out and get yourself killed." He replied, moving aside to reveal a strikingly beautiful suit of armour resting on the work bench behind him.
"For me?" I asked, gesturing the heap of gold and silver. He nodded, with a small smile. I rested a hand on his shoulder. "I knew I could count on you."
"Yes, well, you can pay me back later." He grinned. "Right now, I need you to go and change. Let me know how it fits, and I'll make any last minute adjustments I have to."
I picked up the glittering mass of chainmail and armour plating with surprising ease, ignoring, as I often did, the small nagging voice in the very back of my mind that told me this was not natural for an eighteen year old girl.
"Obsidian, you come with me and we'll get you sorted." Obsidian snorted and followed Hearan, reluctant to leave me even for a moment when we were so close to battle. As I turned to leave the armoury, I was stopped in my tracks by the forgotten presence of the red-headed stranger, still regarding me with an unexplainable eagerness on his face. I grimaced at him, though not unkindly.
"Uh...go...and talk to Hearan after he's finished with Obsidian. He's the best blacksmith I know of, he is bound to have something for you." He nodded, and rushed off in the direction my friend had disappeared into. "Wait!" I called, on impulse. He spun around immediately. "What's your name?"
"Kaspar. Kaspar Dulce." He answered, bowing several times as he spoke. I nodded once before leaving the room, feeling better somehow now that the kind face had a fitting name. After the close heat of the armoury, the cool air outside was a welcome change, and I walked without haste to my quarters, enjoying the peaceful silence: the calm before the storm.
Once inside, I changed as quickly as I could into the armour Hearan had slaved over, though this was easier said than done. Although the weight of the thing was not a hindrance to me, it was bulky and awkward and I was sweating with exertion by the time the last plate was in position. I ran my hands over the cool, smooth metal and stretched my limbs, testing the mobility that the suit allowed. Satisfied that it did not hinder me to any great degree, I made my way to the large oak chest at the foot of my bed in which I kept all of my most precious belongings. I knelt before it, grimacing as the chest plate of my armour pressed uncomfortably against me in the awkward position, and slowly lifted out the beautifully crafted sword that was now the tool of my trade. The hilt rested all too comfortably in hand, telling me wordlessly that I was born to wield such a weapon. I shuddered despite the warmth in the tent.
I shook my head, ridding myself of these thoughts, and rose swiftly to my feet, weighing the sword in both hands before sheathing it. Voices outside of my tent reminded me of the haste that was needed in these moments and I made to replace the lid of the chest when I caught sight of something that made my breath catch in my throat. Selena's ring.
I reached down and picked it up, gently, choking back a sob as my memories of home came flooding back.
"Katharean? Kate, are you in there?" Eragon's voice called to me from the mouth of my tent and I quickly unfastened the necklace I was wearing and replaced the heart-shaped pendant with my sister's beloved wedding band. I studied it for a moment longer before tucking it inside of my collar to keep it safe.
"Yes, I'm here!" I called back as I strode outside and Eragon whipped around to face me, his relief to have found me evident. His look of worry quickly changed to a warm smile as he approached me and clapped a hand on my armoured shoulder.
"Well, I must say, you look..."
"Completely out of my depth, I know I must." I finished his sentence for him, glancing down at my bulky armour. "Needs must, I fear."
"I was going to say you look like a warrior." He amended, quietly. I smiled, gratefully, and he pulled me into an awkward hug that caused the air to sing of metal on metal.
"I have to get back to Obsidian. I left him in the armoury looking like he might just tear the place down." I muttered, and Eragon nodded. I tried to force myself to return his smile, but the best I managed was a nervous grimace, and I left quickly.
If there was one thing I did not need that morning it was spending too much time with someone I cared about. It was too difficult to think of all the bad things that might happen to the people I love, the people who were fighting with me. Obsidian, Eragon, Saphira, Hearan...would I be able to go on with my life without any one of them? Going into battle against someone I knew in my heart I cared far too much about was going to be difficult enough. I did not need any more reasons to be angry with the world.
AN: Blegh. I apologise. But it gets better! Hopefully...