AN: Two chapters for the price of one! I've not been holding out on you, chapters 48 and 49 were originally one long chapter, but I broke it down into two for the sake of my sanity. Proof reading 7,000 words all at once isn't fun for anyone. On a side note...I actually proof-read my chapters now! Oh, how times have changed...
The rush of wings grew ever closer and we turned our eyes skywards as the leaves above us parted and Obsidian burst through, roaring happily to see me standing there. Despite my anxiety, I could not conceal the smile that spread across my face at the sight of him. He landed, gracefully and trotted towards me, nudging me gently with his snout, as the canopy was parted once more and Saphira's glittering blue form dove towards the ground. She landed roughly, with her forelegs bent and her head lowered in a decidedly aggressive stance, her tail thrashing wildly behind her like that of a large, angry cat. Eragon sat astride her, straight-backed and proud, with a dangerous expression in his eyes. Arya slid easily from Obsidian's saddle, moving to stand beside me. She placed a hand on my shoulder with a small smile.
"It is good to see you on your feet, Katharean." She said, quietly, and I nodded gratefully, too nervous to speak. I did not take my eyes from the great blue dragon and her Rider. Murtagh's grip on my hand tightened further, and I gasped in pain. It was too tight...it should not have been, I knew, but I reasoned that perhaps some of my strength was yet to return after the exertion and injury of the night before. He loosened his grip, apologetically, but did not let go.
Eragon slid from Saphira's back, and I made to step towards him, but Murtagh pulled me behind him, gently, standing between Eragon and I in a defensive manner. His actions did not go unnoticed by my friend, and if Eragon's expression had been thunderous before, now it was positively murderous.
"You think Kate needs protection from me?" He hissed. "You have some nerve, Murtagh."
"I do not want Katharean to be caught in the middle of us, Eragon. That is all." Murtagh replied, in a calm, even tone. "She has been through enough already."
I sighed. Where else would I be, if not in the middle of Eragon and Murtagh? That was my place in life, was it not? Caught between a rock and a hard place, caught between my lover and my best friend. So I pushed past Murtagh's arm, gently, finding that it was more difficult to move past his hold than I would have anticipated, especially as he did not seem to be making any real attempt to stop me. I ignored the concerned voice in the back of my mind that asked why I was so weak this morning, and walked towards Eragon, whose gaze was still fixed menacingly on Murtagh.
"Eragon." I said, softly, and his eyes flickered to my face. His expression softened, slightly, and he pulled me into a gentle embrace, resting his chin on the top of my head.
"Kate...Obsidian told us what happened. I should never have stayed in Ellesmera, I should have been there to protect you." He whispered, his voice thick with emotion. I could sense Murtagh shifting uncomfortably behind me, but I ignored him for the moment, knowing that he was going to have to get used to the closeness that Eragon and I shared.
"I'm glad you weren't there, Eragon. If you had been hurt because of me, I would never have been able to forgive myself. And besides, it all worked out for the best, don't you think? Murtagh and Thorn are free...we may finally have the upper-hand in this war." I said, forcing myself to sound upbeat. Eragon scoffed, pulling away from me, gently.
"Well...that remains to be seen." He growled, narrowing his eyes towards Murtagh. "Just because he no longer answers to Galbatorix doesn't mean we can trust him, Kate. And how do you know that he really has changed his true name? This could all be a part of Galbatorix's plan." He snarled, aggressively, pushing past me easily...Too easily, the little voice in my head whispered, and I ignored it once more as I jogged slightly to keep up with Eragon as he strode towards Murtagh, who matched his pace and met him in the middle of the clearing, standing his ground. Saphira growled, snapping her jaws threateningly in Murtagh's direction, and Thorn took a step closer to her, mirroring her aggressive stance. Obsidian let out a small whine of exasperation at their antics, moving between them and snarling dominantly at both dragons in turn. Saphira bowed her head slightly, but kept her eyes locked on Thorn, and Thorn stepped back, raising a foreleg uncertainly as he looked between Obsidian and Saphira. Obsidian caught my eye and I nodded in understanding. As the largest of the three dragons, he would keep the other two in check. It was up to me to do the same with their Riders.
And how are you going to do that without your strength? The little voice in the back of my mind whispered, tauntingly. I had no answer for it.
"I understand your concern, Eragon, but my mind is open to you. You can search me for any hint of lies or trickery. You will find neither." Murtagh said, confidently, although his voice was quiet. I knew he was trying to avoid confrontation. Eragon, on the other hand, had no such concerns.
"That may be so, but what about all of the death and pain you have caused the Varden in the last two years? The people will not just forget that. You will pay for your crimes, Murtagh." Eragon snarled, roughly jabbing an accusatory finger into Murtagh's shoulder. Murtagh did not flinch, but I felt my temper rise slightly.
"Eragon, think about what you are saying. Any wrongs on Murtagh's part have not been his doing. Galbatorix is the enemy here, not him." I insisted, but he paid me little heed.
"No...Katharean, Eragon is right." Murtagh said, diplomatically. "If there is any way I can make up for what I have done, I will do so gladly. We all want the same thing, Eragon."
"I really doubt that." Eragon retorted, smirking. This time, it was Arya who spoke. She stepped towards Eragon, frowning.
"Enough. You are Dragon Riders, not children. Think about this rationally, Eragon. Murtagh has offered his mind to you. Search him, and search him well. If you find nothing of concern, then we will have to decide how to handle the public. But how are we supposed to convince the people that Murtagh is worthy of their trust, when you cannot even bring yourself to allow for the possibility that his intentions are noble?"
Eragon seemed to calm down a little, looking from Arya to me. I nodded, in encouragement, and he turned back to Murtagh.
"Very well." He reached out his hands, hovering them a few inches from Murtagh's temples. "Are you ready for this?" He asked, with a hint of a challenge in his voice. Murtagh smirked.
"I have nothing to hide." He replied, throwing me a quick, reassuring smile. Eragon placed his hands to Murtagh's head, and I felt a slight shift in the air as he started to explore his mind. Murtagh shut his eyes, tightly, clenching his jaw. I frowned at Eragon, but he was too intent on the task at hand to notice. I knew that he was causing him pain unnecessarily, but Murtagh remained silent, and I knew that if I were to intervene, I would only be damaging his pride. After several moments, Eragon dropped his hands, taking a half-step back, and he and Murtagh faced each other, both panting with exertion. I tried to read Eragon's expression, but his face was turned away from me and it was impossible to know what he was thinking. That is, until he straightened himself up and swung his arm around, slamming his fist into Murtagh's face with what appeared to be the full force of his strength.
I knew that Murtagh could have dodged the punch easily if he had wanted to, but he did not. He staggered backwards, raising a hand to his jaw, but made no attempt to retaliate.
"Eragon!" I exclaimed, angrily, rushing forward to inspect the soon-to-be bruised area on Murtagh's jaw. I ran my fingers over it, lightly, noting that it was already hot to the touch. I turned to Eragon, ready to demand an explanation, when I froze. What had Eragon seen in Murtagh's mind that had caused him to strike his brother like that? And why had Murtagh not avoided the blow, unless he felt he deserved it? "What's going on?" I asked, looking from one to the other. Eragon shook his head, a furious expression on his face.
"Nothing." Murtagh said, softly, placing a hand possessively on my lower back. "Eragon just saw some things that he did not want to see, that's all. I'm sorry, brother, but when you invade a man's private thoughts like that, you will not always like what you find."
"What things?" I demanded, but Murtagh shook his head, throwing me a look that said "Drop it, you don't want to know". I flexed my jaw, defiantly, turning to Eragon, knowing that he would most likely be more than happy to share, especially if it was something that he felt cast Murtagh in a bad light. "Eragon, what things?"
"Sorry, Kate..." Eragon replied, deliberately avoiding my eyes. "I just...I don't think I can look at you right now." His voice was quiet, almost apologetic, and Murtagh pulled me closer to him, scowling at Eragon. I opened my mouth to demand an explanation, but then it struck me. There was only one thing that Eragon could have seen in Murtagh's memories that would incriminate me. There was only one thing that could have turned his eyes so dark and mistrustful, and it was the one thing that I would never have wished to share with another, let alone Eragon. It was private, meant only for Murtagh and I. I blushed, furiously, feeling somewhat violated.
"Maker's breath, Eragon, was that really necessary? I thought you were supposed to be reading his intentions, not dragging up his memories!" I fumed, embarrassed and angry. "What did you expect? You know that Murtagh and I..."
"I didn't know that." Eragon spat, still avoiding my gaze. "All of those nights we spent together, Kate...and you were infected with him the whole time."
"What?!" Murtagh demanded, thunderously, pulling away from me with a furious expression, taking Eragon's words to the wrong, though admittedly logical, conclusion.
"No, it's not like that, Murtagh..." I started to explain, looking to Eragon for help, but he turned his head away from me. I turned to Arya, not really knowing what I expected from her, but she averted her gaze. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I saw something like pain swimming in the depths of her beautiful eyes.
The three dragons now stood, facing their Riders, looking at one another in confusion, Saphira and Thorn's previous rivalry momentarily forgotten as they tried to understand our exchange. Obsidian shared his thoughts with them and realisation dawned on both of their faces, and I saw Thorn turn his gaze towards Murtagh, clearly conversing with him. As he conveyed Obsidian's thoughts to his Rider, Murtagh's shoulders visibly relaxed and he let out a breath that I did not even notice he had been holding, moving to take me in his arms again.
"Sorry," he murmured into my hair as he kissed my head. "I jumped to the wrong conclusion and landed on your chest...but I trust you, Katharean. More than anyone."
All the while, Eragon and Saphira seemed to be in the midst of their own conversation, and I looked hopelessly at Obsidian, who shook his head, dismally.
"Eragon," Arya said, tersely, in a tone that reminded me of a particularly strict tutor I had when I was younger. "I trust from your little display of wounded male pride that there was nothing of any real concern in Murtagh's mind?"
"It's not...wounded pride, Arya." Eragon insisted, defensively. "I don't feel that way about Kate. But...she's like my sister." He glanced at me, and I smiled, hopefully, but he stiffened slightly, looking away again. "I suppose I am just overly protective of her. I do not like to see her being taken advantage of, that's all."
"You think I took advantage of Katharean?" Murtagh asked, in a low, dangerous tone. "I assure you, brother, that I did no such thing. My intentions towards her are, and always have been, pure. I fell in love with her...how could I not?" He looked down at me, and his expression brightened, instantly, to one of complete, unashamed adoration, and I could not help but return his smile. "And, I believe, for some reason only Gods can know, she feels the same for me. If you have a problem with that, Eragon, then it's your problem. My love for Katharean has been the only thing in my life over the last two years that was not of Galbatorix's creation. It is the only good thing that I have allowed myself to feel. So you can judge me all you like, but you cannot and will not make me regret falling in love with her, because that is something that I simply cannot do. My love for Katharean has changed me, Eragon. I did not realise just how much until last night, when I was confronted with the very real possibility that I might lose her...even worse, that I might actually have a hand in it. You saw this in my mind. Do you still doubt it?"
"I know what I saw." Eragon muttered, although he sounded less sure of himself now. He sighed, reluctantly. "But Arya is right. There is no deception in your mind. Your intentions truly are to rid the world of Galbatorix. It seems we do share a common goal...for now, anyway."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Arya stated, with a small smile.
"Yes, well...I would not go that far...but I would be a fool to think that we could not use you and Thorn in the upcoming battles. I cannot pretend that I like this," He muttered, gesturing to Murtagh's hand in mine, "But I don't suppose there's a great deal I can do about that, is there?"
"No, I don't suppose there is." Murtagh replied, but not unkindly. "Thank you, Eragon. A lesser man would not have taken the time to grant me a fair trial." He released my hand, snaking his other arm more firmly around my waist, and held his free hand out towards Eragon for him to shake. Eragon considered his outstretched hand as he would a poisonous snake, but he looked up at Murtagh's face and saw the intentions that lay there. He conceded, shaking his brother's hand firmly, in a silent contract of accord. It wasn't much, but it felt like a beginning. I let out a small sigh of relief, allowing a smile to brighten my face.
Still gripping Murtagh's hand, Eragon leaned towards him to mutter something in his ear. His voice was quiet, but it was still just loud enough for us all to hear.
"You make Kate happy, that much is plain for even I to see. But if you ever hurt her, Murtagh...I will hunt you down and I will kill you. That is a promise."
Murtagh stiffened, but pulled Eragon a little closer, and replied in barely more than a whisper.
"If I ever hurt her, you will not have to hunt me down." He glanced down at me, with a sombre smile. "I will welcome your blade. That is a promise."
"If you boys are finished being ridiculous," I cut in, shaking my head at the moroseness of their words, "do you think we could maybe get on our way? We do have a battle to fight in a couple of days, lest you had both forgotten. I have my family to feed and house, and we really have to work on our public relations campaign. It is going to take more than a silver tongue to win the people of the Varden over I'm afraid, Tag...we're going to have to be smart about how we approach this. I suggest speaking to Master Oromis first."
"Who?" Murtagh asked, looking confused. I grinned at Eragon, who couldn't suppress a small smirk.
"Eragon? This is your call." I said, knowing how close he had grown to his mentor. If any doubt remained in his mind that Murtagh might betray Oromis and Glaedr to the Empire, I knew that there was no way he would let him in on Alagaesia's best kept secret. But he nodded, a slow grin creeping along his face.
"Gather your things together and we'll get going." He replied, turning to walk towards Saphira. He swung himself into the saddle and looked down at Murtagh, with an air of superiority that did not suit him. "Oh, and...Murtagh?"
"Yes?"
"Get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor. You are in for the shock of a lifetime." He professed, with a self-satisfied grin that quite plainly said "I know something you don't know".
Murtagh looked down at me, cocking an eyebrow questioningly, but this time I was with Eragon. I shook my head, with a small smile.
"Some things have to be seen before they can be believed." I replied, teasingly, in a sing-song voice, and he rolled his eyes, but smiled, affectionately. "Come on. Let's round up the others and make way. You really don't want to miss this."
"Okay...I'm intrigued." He admitted. "But you should know, I am not an easy man to impress."
"That sounds like a challenge." I grinned, flirtatiously, and a slight blush crept into his cheeks. Eragon made an exaggerated retching noise, and I rolled my eyes at him, but he met my gaze with an easy, mischievous grin, and my heart lightened at the playfulness in his expression.
At least he can stand to look at me again. I mused, smiling up at him.
Eragon will always be there for you, Katharean. I am certain of it. He will just take time to adjust to you and Murtagh being together, that is all. Obsidian reassured me, and I switched my gaze to him to see a soft, loving expression on his great, beautiful face. He will come around. But I fear you may be in for a good few weeks, if not months, of putting out Murtagh-and-Eragon induced fires.
I shrugged in acceptance.
If that is the price for having both my friend and the man I love with me at all times, then it is a price I shall be glad to pay. My best friend is a Dragon, after all...what would my life be without a few fires?
Indeed. He chuckled, snorting in appreciation. I released myself, gently, from Murtagh's grasp and strode over to my dragon, giving him a quick, affectionate tickle under his chin before I moved under his wings to his saddle. I placed a foot in the stirrup, pushing myself up to sit in the saddle, the same way I had done a thousand times before, but this time I felt my muscles shake with exertion and I grunted, sliding back down Obsidian's side before I could get a purchase on his saddle. I planted my foot back on the ground, frowning. What was wrong with me?
Obsidian swung his head round to look at me, confusion evident in his eyes. I shrugged at the silent question his expression posed, and tried again to heave myself up, again to no avail. The small, worried voice in the back of my mind grew from a whisper to a warning cry, and I could no longer ignore it, as I had been doing so intently all morning. My heart started to pound as real fear rose in my chest.
"Kate? Are you okay?" Eragon asked, watching my struggle from his perch. Saphira cocked her head at me, in question, looking from me to Obsidian with a curious expression on her beautiful face. I nodded in determination, attempting to pull myself up for a third time, and again failing to mount him, as the others watched my futile efforts. Eragon slid from his saddle, easily, striding over to me, reaching my side just as Murtagh did. I removed my foot from the stirrup, turning to lean my back against Obsidian's side. I tilted my head back to rest against his scaly bulk as they approached me.
"Katharean, what's wrong?" Murtagh asked, urgently. I shook my head.
"I don't know...something's wrong Ever since I woke up this morning, I just feel...weak. But it's not the weakness you feel after battle or when you're over-tired...I mean, I feel...normal. But not normal for me...normal for any other nineteen year old girl who has never lifted a sword or threaded a bow. I feel mortal...human."
Eragon turned towards Arya, who had joined us silently, regarding me with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"Arya, what's wrong with her?" He asked, a note of pleading in his voice. She studied my face for a moment, before shaking her head.
"I am not sure. We should get you to Master Oromis, perhaps he will be able to help." She said, but she sounded uncertain.
"I'll be fine." I said, dismissively, trying to force the fear from my voice. "It's probably just part of the recovery process...perhaps my wound from last night has weakened me." I suggested, but Murtagh shook his head, slowly.
"No...I healed you. My magic is strong, Katharean..."
"Even if he does say so himself." Eragon muttered, seemingly unable to help himself, but Murtagh ignored him and continued.
"...my magic is strong, you should be completely healed, you shouldn't be feeling any side-effects now. This must be something else."
"Don't worry her when you don't even know what's wrong!" Eragon snapped, and Murtagh glared defensively at him.
"No, let's just bury our heads in the sand and pretend that this kind of thing happens to her all the time, shall we?" He snapped back, angrily.
It sort of does. I joked, feebly to Obsidian. Just one thing after another, huh, Sid?
Are you okay? He asked, his voice laced with worry.
I'll be fine. I'm not in any pain, it's just...it's a little scary, that's all. I haven't felt this helpless in a long time. I admitted, closing my eyes.
Master Oromis will have the answer. He said, with fierce certainty.
Of course he will. I agreed, trying to sound positive and ignore the dread that was twisting uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach. He has to.
"And how would you know that it doesn't? You've not exactly been around, Murtagh." Eragon rebutted, nastily, and Murtagh reddened with anger.
"Please...do not talk about me as if I am not here. Just..." I sighed, not quite able to believe what I was going to have to ask. I lowered my eyes to the ground, unable to bring myself to look at them. "Can you just...help me into the saddle?" I asked, in a tiny, embarrassed voice. Their faces were grave as they both stepped towards me, working together to lift me gently onto Obsidian's back. Once I was there, I gripped the front of the saddle and, for the first time since I had become a Dragon Rider, I did not feel safe there. I swallowed, fighting back hot tears of frustration.
"Murtagh...do you...do you think you could ride with me? I am not sure I can stay on by myself." I almost whispered, my voice breaking on the last word. Without a word, Murtagh climbed up to sit behind me, reaching past me to grip the saddle, encircling me protectively with his arms. I blinked back the tears that threatened to spill and looked down at Arya and Eragon.
"Could you...could you make sure my family make it into the city safely? Don't tell them there is anything wrong, just...make something up." The nodded in unison and I forced a smile. "Don't look so grim. Nobody's dying here...for a change. It could be nothing." I tried to sound light-hearted, but the fake smiles that they had plastered onto their faces for my sake told me that I was not very convincing. Murtagh turned to face Thorn, whose face had grown slightly moody at the sight of his Rider with another dragon.
"I think it would be best if Thorn kept out of sight of the elves for the time being, just until the situation settles." He said, addressing Eragon and Arya. Arya nodded in agreement.
"A wise idea. Saphira cannot carry everyone, though. I have friends among the horses, I shall call upon them to help us transport your family safely through the forest, Katharean. We will move slowly, so don't worry when we do not join you straight away."
I nodded gratefully at her, and Murtagh placed a gentle hand on the side of my head, brushing my hair back soothingly. Obsidian turned and I wobbled unsteadily in the saddle, held in place only by Murtagh's arms. I let out a groan of frustration, and Obsidian brushed my mind, soothingly.
It's okay, Katharean. I will keep you safe.
What if it's not okay, Sid? What if this, whatever it is, doesn't go away? What if I'm stuck like this? Weak and pathetic?
First of all, I do not care about the strength of your arm, Katharean, you could never be weak or pathetic. And secondly, if that happens, which it won't, but if it ever were to happen, I would never allow anything to hurt you.
Murtagh let go of the saddle with one hand, circling his arm around me and holding me tightly against his chest as Obsidian flapped his wings, experimentally.
"Are you all right, there?" He whispered, and I nodded, snaking my fingers through the hand that he held against my chest and giving it a quick squeeze, not trusting my voice to hold. "I'm not hurting you, am I? I'm not holding you too tightly?" He asked, brushing his lips across the tip of my ear as he whispered to me.
Murtagh...you could never hold me too tightly. I promised, and he kissed the top of my head.
"I've got you, Katharean. And I'm not letting go." He whispered into my hair. I'm never letting go. His words in my mind were a promise to me, and they gave me strength. My body was still weak, but I felt my fear subside a little. I gave Obsidian a small, gentle nudge with my heels, and he reacted instinctively to my signal, crouching and launching himself into the air, slower and more carefully than usual, but within seconds we were above the trees, and I felt the sunlight on my face. I breathed deeply, closing my eyes.
Up here, in the clouds, in our world, I could almost forget the claws of worry and doubt that tore at my heart. With Murtagh's strong arms around me, and the strong pulsing of Obsidian's powerful wings in my ears, I could almost forget.
As we soared through the sky, somewhere between the Heavens and the Earth, in that place between worlds, belonging to both and belonging to neither, in the arms of my impossible love, on the wings of my impossible friend...I could almost forget. But, as I had learned all too well from the events of the night before, my mind was not always a friend to me...so yes, I could almost forget.
Almost...but not quite.
AN: Aw, poor Katharean. Just when everything was going so well. Why can't she catch a break? Because apparently my subconscious is evil and twisted and just altogether sadistic. I don't know why my brain keeps making bad things happen to her, I guess I just like to see her overcome adversity. But will this be a challenge she can't hurdle? I don't know, because I haven't written it yet, but I'm right there with you, hoping that she does!
Thank you all for your continued support, your lovely words, your reviews and your private messages, they really spur me on! But I don't really need to tell you that, because this is the most I've updated in...well, probably ever.