The Return of the Guardian

Chapter 9

Murtagh cut the rope that bound Lena's hands. Without hesitation, Lena stood up and grabbed a nearby sword. Her hands shook as she pointed the blade at the man in black.

Murtagh put up his hands. "There is no need for that; I am not going to hurt you."

"I will be the judge of that." Lena said, trying to stay calm. "Eragon and Brom are hurt, but before I tend to them, I want to free Saphira." She pointed at the dragon.

"I just saved you from being captured by the Ra'zac, and this is how you repay me?" Murtagh was becoming annoyed.

"I appreciate what you did, but that does not mean that I can trust you. How do I know that once I turn my back you will not run off, or worse, hmm? If you mean well, then you should have no problem helping me free Saphira. Then, we have to attend Brom and Eragon."

When Murtagh did not speak immediately after, Lena became nervous. But, he finally spoke after he pondered her words for a few more seconds. "Fine." Lena dropped the sword when he started to walk over to Saphira. It did not take very long to free the dragon.

"There, you are free." Lena said as the last chain fell to the ground. "Now, help me with Brom." She ran over to where the old man lay. The dagger had went right between his ribs, the blood oozing around the wound. "This is bad, this is very very bad." Lena said softly to herself. Murtagh kneeled down next to her.

"I have to remove the knife." Lena nodded her head. Murtagh placed his hand on the hilt. "When it's out, I need you to place your hand over the wound and apply as much pressure as you can." Again, Lena nodded her head.

"I'm ready." There was more blood than what she had anticipated, but she still held her hands over the wound while Murtagh grabbed a few rags.

"Okay." Lena lifted her hands so that Murtagh could replace them with the shredded material. "This is all I can really do for him right now. Until the bleeding is under control, I cannot properly clean the wound."

"I understand." Lena's stomach flipped as she looked at her hands. "I am going to wash off the blood." Walking away, she heard Spahira's voice enter her mind.

I am not letting him touch Eragon until you get back, so hurry! She growled.

The water was cold as she rubbed the blood off her hands. When she returned to camp, she noticed Murtagh pinned to the ground. A smile formed on Lena's lips. "It seems I am not the only one who doesn't trust you."

"How can I prove myself if no one will even give me a chance?" He asked as Saphira released him.

Lena ignored his question to focus on Eragon. She lifted up his shirt to reveal a large bruise on his left side. Using her fingers, she pressed down against the discolored skin. "I can't really tell if any of his ribs are broken, can you?"

Murtagh gestured her to move over. She complied to allow him to prod Eragon. When he finished, he sighed. "It is hard to tell, but I think he has at least two that are broken."

Between the two of them, they mended Eragon's chest using strips of a blanket. When they finished, Murtagh got up to take a drink of water. He offered Lena the canteen after.

"Thanks." Murtagh stood there awkwardly waiting as Saphira gazed down upon him. "Now," said Lena, "how did you find us?"

"Will you believe what I tell you?" Lena narrowed her eyes. "It's an honest question. What I am about to tell you may not seem like the truth, but I assure you, it is."

"Stop beating around the bush and get to the point."

"I was chasing the Ra'zac."

"Why?"