The Return of the Guardian
Chapter 11
Eragon sensed his dragon approach, her sadness radiating within the bond they shared. He was still holding Lena as her sobs subsided. Having her near calmed him and he was thankful to have her with him. She was the only one aside from Saphira that he could trust, and he treasured that more than anything. They had only been together for a few days, but he felt that he had known her much longer.
"Are you all right?" he asked. Lena suddenly clung tighter to his shirt as if she were about to cry again.
"He's gone," she said, barely above a whisper.
"Who?" Eragon was unsure if she was still referring to her grandpa.
"Brom." She looked up into his eyes. "He was the only one I knew who knew about the prophecy and the portal." Eragon paled as the realization sunk in. She was right; Brom seemed to know a lot about the prophecy and now he was gone. Her fear became his as he cursed under his breath.
"What are we going to do?" Her eyes were pleading with him.
He had to look away else he would find himself trapped in her blue orbs. He gazed at his dragon. Saphira, what are we to do? Brom was my mentor and I feel so lost without him.
Do you still want to pursue the Ra'zac? Saphira asked through their mental connection.
Aye, I do, but the task is dangerous and we cannot defeat them. It was foolish of me to even think that I had a chance. No, I think my course must change; no matter how much I want revenge, I must be reasonable.
Brom mentioned the Varden. Perhaps we should find them. They can offer us protection and maybe someone will be able to help Lena.
Eragon nodded. Lena knew he was consulting his dragon as soon as his gaze left hers. She waited patiently for his response, her head resting on his chest. The Varden! Saphira, that's it! Thank you.
You are welcome, Little One.
Eragon felt better after he had a plan. Lena was now his responsibility and he did not want anything to happen to her. "Lena," he began, catching her attention. "Saphira and I agreed on a new plan. We decided not to pursue the Ra'zac and head straight to the Varden instead."
Her eyes widened. "I thought you wanted revenge…"
"I do," he said, not meaning to cut her off. "It's just there are too many of them and I cannot defeat them even with Saphira by my side. Brom was right; this was a fool's errand. But no more. The Varden is our best option."
"Where exactly is the Varden?" Eragon explained to her where it was located and the route he planned to take. "So far…" she trailed off.
"It is, but what else are we to do?" Lena shrugged. Becoming bold, he took her hands in his and said, "By my honor as a Dragon Rider, I promise to help you find a way home."
"So, you think someone at the Varden can help me?"
Eragon nodded. "There has to be someone. If we cannot find someone at the Varden, then we will look elsewhere."
"All right. We will head to the Varden. Just keep in mind that I will hold you to your word."
Murtagh cleared his throat. He had just gotten back from hunting and was surprised to find Eragon holding Lena so close. "I am sorry to interrupt, but…" he paused.
"Yes?" Eragon asked trying to get the young man to finish his sentence, letting go of Lena's hands.
"Oh, I found us some dinner," he held up two rabbits, "and, I was wondering how you were doing. You have been up here almost all day." He said this quickly, feeling bad for intruding on them.
Uncertain of his feelings, Eragon simply avoided the question. "You can start dinner. We will be down in a moment."
Murtagh nodded and left. When he was out of sight, Lena addressed Eragon. "Do you think we can trust him?"
Eragon thought for a moment and then said, "As far as I can tell, he means well. Besides, we cannot do this alone. We could use someone like him traveling with us."
"Someone like him?" Lena inquired.
"Someone who has skill with a blade. Right now I am injured and cannot fight very well. We would be wise to have him travel with us until I am healed."
"And if he refuses to join us?"
Eragon sighed. "Then, we make do without him. I will not make him come with us against his will."
"But, you will try to persuade him?"
Eragon shook his head in agreement. "Aye."
Lena stepped away from him and turned towards the tomb. "I'm going to miss him."
"Me too." They stood silent for a few minutes before Eragon said, "Come, we should go; Murtagh is waiting for us."
"Wait," Saphira stepped towards the tomb. Eragon sensed her melancholy as she stared at the structure. Slowly, she leaned in until her snout touched the cold stone. A garish blue light suddenly radiated from the tomb, frightening Eragon and Lena. The light engulfed the entire tomb and when it finally diminished, the sandstone was no longer visible. In its place was diamond.
Tears rolled down Eragon's cheeks at the tombs beauty. Inside, he could see Brom lying peacefully as if here were only sleeping. "Saphira…" he was at a loss for words.
The dragon dipped her head. It was the least I could do. Now time cannot ravage him.
"Thank you." He walked up to Saphira and hugged her snout.
"What is going on up here…" Murtagh appeared with his sword in hand. Upon seeing the tomb, he stopped and stood stunned. "How was this accomplished?"
"It was Saphira." Lena said, smiling. The sun's rays shone through the crystal making it look as if it were on fire.
"It's beautiful." Murtagh uttered under his breath. When the sun was lower than the trees, they left the rock to eat dinner. Over the meal, Eragon explained his plan to Murtagh. After he had finished, he held his breath hoping the man would accept his proposal.
With a heavy sigh Murtagh rubbed the back of his neck. "You are asking a lot of me."
"I know." Eragon lowered his eyes and stared at the fire in front of him.
"You do not have to come with us, but it would be greatly appreciated. Besides, it's not like you would be helping some common stranger; Eragon is a Rider."
Murtagh studied Lena as she spoke. He could not figure her out no matter how hard he tried. He knew she had to be special in some way because she was unlike any woman he had ever encountered and that made him become interested. He wanted to know more about her and the only way he could learn more was to travel with them.
His eyes left Lena as he looked at Eragon. Murtagh had to admit that he felt obligated to help him. He was still injured and could not fight off the Ra'zac if attacked again and that bothered Murtagh. All his life he wanted to prove himself worthy and this could be his chance. "All right, I will travel with you until you are fully healed. After that point, I fear I must leave; I have no desire to go to the Varden."
Satisfied with that answer, Eragon gave the man his thanks and prepared himself for bed. That night, he dreamed about the imprisoned woman again. Weeks had passed since he had seen her and she looked worse than before. Trickling down one of her skinny fingers was blood and in his heart he knew he had to help her, but the question remained: how? He awoke, troubled, and shook his head to clear his mind. Murtagh was keeping watch and shot him a concerned glance.
"What is it?" he asked.
"A dream, I think." He decided it would not hurt to tell Murtagh about the recurring dream. When he had finished, Murtagh looked mystified as well.
"Well dream or vision, I have a feeling that it means something. Do not forget what you saw, but try not to let it fester in your mind as well. In time I am sure you will learn what the dream means."
Eragon nodded and laid back down closing his eyes. His mind no longer lingered on the woman, instead, he dreamed about Brom and all they memories he shared with him.
In the morning, they saddled their horses and left the dismal sandstone cave, saying goodbye to Brom for the last time. Eragon rode Snowfire, the horse Brom had used while Lena rode on Cadoc. Murtagh had his own horse, Tornac. The ride was slow due to Eragon's broken ribs Lena's monthly sickness, which made them halt when she doubled over in pain nearly falling off her horse. They took a break then and did not leave until her pain had subsided.
A week rolled by with a similar pattern. Each morning they would leave their encampment after eating a quick breakfast and travel southwest towards the Beor Mountains. At least twice a day they would stop for a break to eat and relieve themselves before pressing on again. When the sun became low in the sky, they would find a place to camp and prepare dinner. Each evening, Eragon would have Murtagh teach Lena how to sword fight.
Her first night was awful. The sword was heavy and she had trouble just lifting it let alone swing it around. The two men were patient with her and throughout the week, her arm became stronger. Aside from learning the sword, she continued practicing her archery, a task she liked better. With her arm sore, she fared no better than her first attempt. She knew it would be a while before she would become proficient with the sword and bow, but it gave her something to look forward to.
"Despite what you might think, you are progressing quite fast," Eragon said one evening.
Lena had just finished sparring with Murtagh and was covered in sweat and grime. "How do I know you are not just saying that to flatter me?"
Eragon chuckled. "You don't."
Lena smiled and took a long drink of water before passing the canteen over to Murtagh. The night was still young, but she was exhausted. She handed Zar'roc, the sword she had been using to spar with, and sat down on her blanket. "I hope you are right though. I'd hate to remain a burden forever."
The smile Eragon had faded instantly. "Lena, you are not a burden. If anyone is a burden, it's me." Saphira growled, upset that her Rider would say such a thing. Before she could tell him otherwise, he explained his reasoning. "I can barely move without my ribs igniting in pain. Until I am healed, I will be unable to fight or help out much around camp. So, for the time being, I am a burden for I am forced to rely upon others where you can still take care of yourself well enough."
She felt better after hearing his rebuttal, but she still felt like a burden. After all, she still knew little about the land she was in and had no idea what she was even doing in Alagaesia. She may be able to physically take care of herself, but she depended upon his guidance. With Murtagh around, they had little time to talk about the prophecy, so she had to keep up the pretense that she belonged there, an act that she feared would remain permanent.