Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Six: Luminescent

"Saphira is carrying Brom while Eragon handle's the horses." I waited for Saphira to landed near the camp. I ran up to her just as Brom slipped off her back.

"I knew I had a bad feeling," I muttered before I helped Brom sit down near the fire. "You bled through that bandage pretty quickly, let me fix you another one."

I boiled a rag in water and dried it before untying Brom's current bandage, the cut was oozing blood but seemed to have slowed down. I rewrapped his arm and fixed our meager dinner.

I stirred the pot of dried oats as Brom and Eragon conversed about what they had learned about while in Terim. I hadn't gone, the fewer people who saw my face, the better. Eragon left the camp to head to the stream nearby.

Since Brom and Eragon's return, Eragon was quieter than usual. Our next stop was Dras Leona, the information that Brom and Eragon had collected pointed to the city. I refused to step foot in that city, it was too close to the enemy, so I elected to stay with the dragons. I think I've spent more time with the two dragon's then with Brom and Eragon, Eragon was slightly irritated, but Brom was okay with it. All the time I spent with Alethea, ended up being well spent, which is how I found out that my dragon could change to any size it had previously been.

Brom and Eragon had fled Dras Leona faster than I could have blinked, Saphira went to check on them while I pitched camp, since we were this close to Dras Leona I couldn't risk lighting a fire. Brom and Eragon entered our little cave, looking weary.

"How did they find us so quickly," Eragon said with mild irritation.

"A palace servant told me that there are spies everywhere, one of them must have tipped the Raz'ac off about our location within the city," Brom replied scratching his chin.

"We can't go back to Dras Leona, can we."

"Not for a few years."

"Then we should draw the Raz'ac out of Dras Leona. If they see Saphira, they will come running to where ever we are."

"That wouldn't work Eragon," I said, playing with baby-sized Alethea. "They'd bring soldiers with them. They would outnumber us greatly."

"Tonight will be the most dangerous for us," Brom said stiffly. "The Raz'ac will be hunting us in the dark when they are the strongest."

"We'll be trading watches then?" I sighed. "Wonderful."

"Mal, if the Raz'ac come, do not let them see Alethea, right now the empire only thinks there is one dragon against them, I want to keep it that way for as long as possible."

"Right, I'll take the first watch," Eragon said, standing up. Eragon's brow furrowed as he cautiously walked towards the exit of the cave.

"What is it?" Brom said sharply.

"I don't know, I thought I saw something, it must have been a bird," Eragon said right before he pitched forward and Saphira let out a roar. I shoved Alethea into my pack and pushed it behind me as the Raz'ac entered the cave.

Brom leaped to his feet, drawing his sword as I did the same. One of the Raz'ac lunged at Brom while the other started to walk towards me. I brought my sword in front of me and narrowed my eyes. The Raz'ac studied me for a second before lunging forward. I brought my sword up and slashed, my blade met the Raz'ac's with a ring.

"Fiessssty, our master would like you." I kicked the Raz'ac away from me in disgust. We continued the fight until Brom's falling form distracted me enough to get in the hold of the Raz'ac. I wiggled around until the Raz'ac held a knife to my throat. I stopped moving, breathing hard as I saw both unconscious Eragon and Brom. "That'ssss better."