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Destiny Riders	By : ShadowSpark1015 Category: A through F > Eragon Views: 16962 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Eragon and Alagaesia are owned by Christopher Paolini. I am doing this purely for fun, no profit is being made from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-I
- 2-II
- 3-III
- 4-IV
- 5-V
- 6-VI
- 7-VII
- 8-VIII
- 9-IX
- 10-X
- 11-XI
- 12-XII
- 13-XIII
- 14-XIV
- 15-XV
- 16-XVI
- 17-XVII
- 18-XVIII
- 19-XIX
- 11
- 12
- 13
The desert heat was oppressive. I learned quickly that it was easier to travel at night when it was cool and to rest during the heat of the day. If I followed the map I could be out of the desert in a matter of days. The loose sand made it slow going, but I was still making good time. I'd left all signs of civilization behind me when I left the tiny village where I picked up my supplies, so I knew I would have to ration the water as best I could to make sure it would last. There were times I had to stop to vomit, which made us slow more. I'd heard the village women talk about their own pregnancies, so I knew a little of what to expect, but I was still terrified and ashamed. I knew I could not fault the babe growing inside me, and the thought that I would be able to raise it away from its cruel father gave me some measure of comfort. But the prospect of raising a child alone frightened me more than knowing I was expecting one.
The sky gradually lightened, and the sun was painting the sky pink before I even knew it. I loved watching the sun rise. I always had. The light of the new day always made me feel peaceful. It gave me hope that maybe the new day would change my fortune. If only I had known what the new day would bring ahead of time. I probably could have been a little better prepared.
I made my camp a few hours after the sun rose using my cloak as a tent. We were in the shadows of a rather large rock, so I felt some measure of safety. I gave Minna some water and took a quick drink myself before crawling into my makeshift tent and laying down. I heard Minna shifting around and made a mental note to take her saddle off her the next time we stopped. With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.
After what felt like only minutes I was awakened by a terrified scream from my mare. Strong winds buffeted my little tent, threatening to blow it away. I was lucky I thought to secure it with magic before laying down for my nap. I jumped to my feet, throwing back the cloak as I went, and gathered my magic around me, preparing to fight. The sight that greeted me froze the blood in my veins. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. There, in front of me, was a massive blue dragon. It landed on the sand a few yards away and folded its wings. It crouched a little, hampered by something tied to its legs. Then it looked at me, and waited. Try as I might, I couldn't get my body to obey me. I was frozen in terror, staring at the huge beast in front of me. Moments later, two riders came around the rock I had been camping under. Shock registered on their faces as they pulled up short. I found little comfort in the fact that I didn't recognize them.
The young one recovered first. He slid down from his saddle and took a step forward. The movement gave my legs a jumpstart and I scrambled backward away from the two men. He stopped walking and held up his hands. "My name is Eragon. This is Murtagh, and that is my dragon, Saphira. What is your name?" He spoke slowly and softly.
"What do you want?" I demanded. The dark haired man, still seated on his horse eyed me speculatively.
"Just to know your name, and what you are doing in the middle of the desert alone." The one in front of me moved a little closer again. "We are going to join the Varden. Where are you going?"
I looked a little closer at him. "If this is some kind of trick, it won't work. You won't take me back."
"Back where?" They both looked genuinely concerned.
"Uru'baen."
The dark one slid off his horse and moved to join his companion. A loud sound from the dragon caused me to jump, and the younger man reached out to grab the other one's arm. "Saphira's right, I think we are frightening her. I need to check on the elf anyway. Back up a little."
They slowly walked back a few steps to where the dragon was still crouched. It lifted its wing to reveal the board that was tied to its legs. The young one, Eragon, tended to the elf strapped to the board as best he could. He stood and turned back to me. "She is very sick. We need to get her to the Varden and a healer. You may come with if you want. I swear I am not trying to trick you. It may be better if you come with us anyway, they can keep you safe." They mounted their horses again and waited. I recalled what the old woman in the shop had said to me about meeting company and decided it might be a good idea. I quickly picked up my things and climbed into the saddle.
"My name is Artemis." Murtagh's head swing toward me very fast and he stared very hard at me. I shifted in my saddle uncomfortably. Eragon smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Artemis." He didn't seem phased by my name, so I pretended not to notice the reaction of my new companion. "Are you originally from Uru'baen? You said you were coming from there, so I was curious."
"My village was attacked, many people were taken by the king's men as conscripts for his army. The women he turned into wives for his men or servants for his house."
He looked saddened by my statement. "I'm sorry to hear that. What happened to you when you got there?"
I looked down at my hands, not wanting to answer him. I was gripping the reins so tightly my knuckles were white. A wave of nausea rolled over me so quickly I almost didn't have time to stop Minna before leaping to the ground before my stomach revolted. The two men waited quietly until I was able to regain my composure. They looked at me with concern as I wiped my face and climbed back up.
"Sorry," I murmured. "I haven't been feeling well."
"Are you okay to ride? Maybe we should stop until you are better," Murtagh seemed worried.
"No," I shook my head quickly. "I'm fine. Really."
"You sure?" Eragon asked. I nodded and spurred Minna to a quick walk. Saphira took off and circled the sky high above us while we traveled. The two chatted amicably most of the time, and occasionally tried to include me in the comversation. I joined in sometimes but mostly I just rode in silence. It was odd, after so long alone, to have two travelling companions. I looked up at the horizon and gasped in awe. The mountains were looming above us. How I didn't notice them before was beyond me. They were massive, with peaks tipped in pristine white snow, towering above the forest growing at their feet. Eragon heard me gasp and followed my gaze. He chuckled.
"Yeah, I felt the same way the first time I noticed the mountains."
"They're huge! How are we supposed to know where to look?"
"We will find a way. You just have to trust me."
"Something tells me she doesn't trust men at all," Murtagh muttered darkly.
"I'm sure there is a good reason," Eragon said. "One she may choose to share with us some day." He looked at me expectantly.
"Not any time soon, I'm afraid," I told him. "I don't know you well enough to talk about something so personal. Until then, it's best if you give me space. I don't want to have to hurt you."
Murtagh laughed. "Whatever you say."
We rode in silence for a while. My stomach rolled again, and I had to pause while the nausea passed. The men looked back at me in concern but I waved them on and after a few moments I caught back up to them. The landscape slowly started to change. It became obvious we were no longer in the desert. The border of the desert also meant the border of the empire, and a feeling of relief swept over me so fast and so strong that I started to cry. I covered my face in my hands to hide my tears, and tried not to sniffle too loudly. After a few moments, I calmed down and wiped my eyes on the hem of my dress. When I went to reach for the reins again, they were gone. I looked for them, wondering why I was still moving, when I noticed they were in Eragon's hand. He'd seen that I'd dropped them and had grabbed them to guide Minna, to keep her moving in the right direction. He glanced over at me and smiled.
"Feel better?" He handed Minna's reins back to me.
"A little," I smiled back at him. "I guess I just got a little overwhelmed. We're not in the Empire anymore. I might finally be free."
"What happened back there that made you want to get away so badly? Don't tell me he tried to marry you off to one of his soldiers."
I laughed bitterly. "Something like that." He looked at me curiously but didn't ask anything else. I was grateful he didn't pry; I really didn't want anyone knowing anything about what happened. I knew eventually I would have to tell them something. It wasn't as if I would be able to hide my pregnancy forever, especially after the baby was born.
We found a stream to camp by, glad to be out of the heat of the desert. We let the horses drink as much as they could hold, and I held to my promise and took the saddle from Minna. She immediately dropped to the ground and had a good long roll in the dust. I grabbed my bag and headed down the stream a little to a slight bend where I knew I would have some measure of privacy. Once I was reasonably well hidden, I stripped off the worn dress and draped it over a rock in the shallow water to clean some of the dirt off it. I could still hear my companions' voices, but they were far off and muffled. I stepped into the cool water and sat in the shallows, letting the water flow around me. It felt good on my aching muscles, and it felt even better to rinse off the grime from traveling. I found a small cloth in the bottom of my bag and used it to wash the dust and sweat from my limbs. When I reached my stomach I was surprised to feel the tiny bump already growing. I knew I was already into the third month, but I didn't think it would start showing so soon. All the dresses I had were rather tight around the waist and would make it difficult to hide for much longer. I sighed and resigned myself to wearing my cloak for a very long time.
With my hair and body sufficiently washed, I pulled a gown from my bag and dressed quickly. It was a simple green dress with a scoop neck, long flowing sleeves, and a belt with a beautifully made brooch. I used the hairbrush the old woman gave me and brushed the tangles from my hair, letting it fall down my back. I heard raised voices coming from the camp and decided it was time to head back. I grabbed my bag, pulled the dress from the water and carefully carried it to a tree by the fire one of the men had lit and draped it over a limb. I moved quietly, trying not to interrupt what was undoubtedly a very heated argument. I had just begun to step into the firelight when Murtagh shoved Eragon. Fists flew and then they were both on the ground. I shouted and ran forward but Saphira beat me to it, pinning both the men to the ground. I stood with bated breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
"Is she going to let us up?" Murtagh was very determinedly not looking at Eragon.
"She wants us to talk first," Eragon muttered, his face coloring in embarrassment. I stood there trying not to laugh while watching the exchange. It was obvious the situation was rather serious, but I found it comical. Murtagh finally answered Eragon's questions, for the most part, and Saphira let them up. Murtagh looked as if he were about to reveal a huge secret when Saphira hissed loudly and pointed her snout at the horizon.
"It's the Empire. They've found us." Eragon looked exhausted. My heart stopped and I spun on my heel to look. I felt the color drain from my face as I backed away.
"They are Urgals." Murtagh pointed to a banner barely visible in the twilight. They were still a long way off, but the sheer number of them made it impossible to miss them.
"No. No, no, no, no. This is not happening," I heard myself muttering. I turned and saddled Minna as quickly as I could while the others did the same. Saphira took off as we mounted our horses and turned them east. We pushed them long and hard, pausing only long enough for them to catch their breath. We soon lost sight of the Urgals behind the horizon, but we didn't slow. None of us knew how long we could keep the pace but none of us were willing to fall into the hands of the Empire.
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Destiny Riders