9 Chapter 9

As they are making their getaway from the town of Gilead, Brom pulls himself up into a sitting position and casts Waise Heill (be healed) on his arm to heal his sword wound. He then checks on Arya and is quite concerned because she has remained unconscious throughout her rescue. She appears to have a slight fever and cold sweats but other than that he can't fully tell what's wrong at the moment. Once they stop to camp for the night he plans to check on her again and hopefully he can find out what is ailing her. 

Standing up and walking to the front of the cart, Brom looks forward and sees no horses pulling the cart yet they are moving quite fast. Another thing is that while they are traveling through a forest without a road to follow, the cart is unnaturally stable, the cart not bouncing in the slightest on the uneven ground as it should. Unable to keep his thoughts in his head any longer, he climbs into the passenger seat and sits next to Eragon. 

"Eragon… When did you make this enchanted cart that can move without horses and ignore difficult terrain?..

Eragon glances over and sees Brom glaring at him. Beads of sweat start to fall from his brow and he looks away from him.

"A-a few days ago… I mean… I just randomly think about things and want to make them right away. Can you blame me? We just killed a Shade, made a daring escape, and rescued Arya with nothing but a scratch on your arm. I see this as a complete victory."

Brom just rubs his temple and sighs. "What am I going to do with you…" 

Eragon smirks as he directs the cart through the underbrush and towards the Ramr river, Saphira circles around them in the air while keeping an eye on them. 

Breaking through the tree line, lake Isenstar is on their left and this lake feeds the Ramr river that flows towards the south east. They follow the river until it reaches its narrowest point before deciding to cross it. 

"Alright Eragon this is as good as it's going to get. Have Saphira come down and ferry us one by one to the other side."

Eragon looks at Brom with a devious smile. "You didn't think this was only a cart did you?"

Brom doesn't even get enough time to think of a reply before Eragon makes a sharp ninety degree turn straight towards the river. Brom desperately tries to get a hold of something as his only thought at the time is that they are going to fall in the river. The cart hits the bank and flies through the air for a second before crashing down in the water.

Instead of the cart sinking immediately into the river as Brom expected, it only partially sinks but remains buoyant. Eragon taps on a small topaz crystal on the panel and their speed which had halted from entering the water picks up once again. Meanwhile, Brom is trying to recover from the heart attack his son just gave him. He takes a few deep breaths before he calms down only to immediately get angry again. 

"Why don't you warn me next time before you pull a stunt like that again."

Eragon just laughs. "but that would be no fun."

An exasperated sigh escapes Brom's lips before he takes in the fact that they are now floating down the river while slowly making progress towards the distant shore. 

"Eragon… Why don't we just follow the river down for a bit then land on the other side. We can shave off a few days' travel over the Hadarac desert."

Eragon nods. "Good idea Brom. We can follow the river till around nightfall as any farther than that we might attract unwanted attention."

Brom chuckles. "Yeah, we don't need to sail straight to Uru'baen and deliver ourselves to the king on a silver platter now do we?"

Brom and Eragon laugh at the joke and have lite conversations until dusk. Saphira had gotten bored of flying over them and had been diving into the river and catching fish. 

"You know Eragon, the fish at the bottom of the river are quite tasty. Would you like a couple?"

Eragon looks over the side and sees Saphira's large eye staring back at him. "If you would be so kind my lady."

A small chuckle reverberates through their mind link as Saphira springs up out of the water next to them and dives back in, spraying Brom and Eragon with freezing water. Or at least, that's what would have happened if Eragon wasn't prepared for such a scenario. He presses another gem on the console and an invisible dome covers the floating cart, completely blocking the water from drenching them. Brom watches the water flow around them and for the millionth time is flabbergasted by Eragon's skill in making enchantments. 

"How on earth can you come up with all of this? Next thing you know we will be sailing beneath the waves and flying through the sky without dragons."

A bead of sweat rolls down Eragon's forehead. He decides not to tell Brom that this cart can go underwater at this very moment as he doesn't want to give him another heart attack. 

… 

Once night falls, Eragon directs the cart turned boat towards the east bank of the river and drives up and onto shore. From there they make their way into a forest once again before making camp for the night. 

As Eragon sets up camp, Brom lays Arya down on a spare cot and checks her condition. He casts a few spells that should let him know if she has been poisoned or not and finds that she has been given a very slow acting poison that weakens her body and mind. And while it is slow, that doesn't stop it from killing unless the antidote is administered within a set time period. It appears that Durza was constantly poisoning her then giving her the antidote as a form of torture. What's worse is that she hasn't received the antidote within the last few weeks making it very likely she has forcefully induced a coma to stop the spread of the poison. They don't have enough time to bring her all the way to the Varden to cure her as she will die before they even cross the Hadarac desert. 

By the time Brom is finished checking on Arya, Eragon has already finished setting up their tents and is currently cooking the fish Saphira caught for them in a pan. The delectable aroma of Eragon's blend of eleven herbs and spices that he is using fills the air making their mouths water. Once Eragon is finished cooking, Brom sits down near the fire and devours his share with gusto. The normally overpowering flavor of the fish has been mellowed considerably and the meat is nice and tender, falling off the bone. 

"When did you learn to cook like this? This has to be the best fish I've ever had." 

Eragon smiles sheepishly. "Why thank you Brom, I know quite a lot about herbs and spices. I topped up my stocks while we were in Teirm just for this occasion. Just because we are on the run doesn't mean we have to live off hardtack and river water." 

Brom grabs his smoking pipe and lights it. "Indeed Eragon, one must enjoy life even in the most dangerous of times. I had a hard time dealing with the pain of leaving you alone but now I am the happiest I have ever been. But I am afraid that this journey with you will be my last." Brom takes a long drag from his pipe. 

"I'm old Eragon. My body isn't as spry as it used to be. My magic is diminishing and my mind is starting to get cloudy. That fight with Durza really put it into perspective for me. In my prime I fought armies and have slain many a beast but the one thing I can't defeat is time." 

Eragon walks over to him and places his hand on his shoulder. "That is why I will do everything in my power to make sure we enjoy our time together, and make up for all the lost years. And besides… You won't be dying anytime soon. You still need to see the mad king's head on a pike and a new dawn rising over Alagaesia, and I will do my best to make that happen." Eragon wraps Brom in a hug. "I love you dad." 

Brom reciprocates the hug with a smile on his face. "And I you, Son." 

The two stay like this for a while before they prepare to sleep. Saphira takes the first watch while they sleep off the harrowing fight and subsequent flight from Gilead. Once dawn breaks, they pack up and head south east towards the blistering Hadarac desert.

…

The next day's travel is uneventful as the verdant forest slowly starts to thin as they continue heading to the south east. By the time they camp for the night, some large shrubs are all that remains of plant life in their vicinity. They again set up camp and savor a delicious rabbit stew that Eragon made before Brom addresses the elephant in the room. 

"Eragon… Arya has been poisoned and I don't think she will survive the trip to the Varden. The cure for this poison is very rare and the only real option to acquire it is to get her to the Varden for treatment. Even with your cart, it would still take at the very least a week before we arrive."

Eragon rubs his chin in thought for a moment. "Let me have a look at her, maybe I can figure something out. Finding unorthodox ways to fix my problems does seem to be my specialty."

Brom shakes his head with a slight smile on his face. "Knock yourself out. Just don't use a mental probe to try and access her mind. The minds of elves are far different than those of men. Many a magic caster have become vegetables from peering into their minds."

Eragon gives a solid nod before sitting on his knees next to her. He holds his hand over her and casts Weiss Heill (be healed), repairing some of the cuts and bruises she has while also seeing if he can stimulate her liver and kidneys to fight the poison. His spell seems to have little to no effect so he changes his approach. Eragon spends a few minutes combing through his knowledge of the ancient language before formulating a new spell that has a higher probability of removing the poison. 

"Atra Eitrum Eitha Onr Blodh (may poison leave your blood)" Once Eragon casts the spell, Arya's body jerks slightly and a black substance starts to ooze from her pores. The smell from the black, tar-like liquid is the nastiest thing Eragon has ever smelt causing him to pinch his nose in disgust. 

Only moments after the poison has been removed Arya wakes up and leaps towards Eragon, wrapping her hands around his neck in a vice grip. Caught completely off guard, Eragon struggles to free himself from her grasp, desperately trying to get air into his lungs. All the while, Arya's pretty elven face which is distorted by rage is mere centimeters away from his own. 

They struggle for what feels like minutes before a powerful roar breaks the quiet in the clearing. Arya looks up and sees a dragon with blue scales diving towards her at full speed. Seeing her approaching demise, she releases Eragon and rolls to the side, just barely avoiding Saphira's sharp claws. Eragon gasps for breath whilst trying to calm Saphira as he doesn't want Arya to get hurt. 

"Wait…" Eragon devolves into a coughing fit for a few seconds. "We mean you no harm… Eka Ai Fricai Un Shur'tugal (I am a rider and a friend). 

Arya continues to stare at Saphira while in a battle ready stance before hearing Eragon's declaration. Startled by his words, she looks between Eragon and Saphira, noticing the Gedwey Insignia on Eragon's palm. Her angry expression changes to one of horror as she realizes what she has done. She quickly bows towards Saphira then speaks in the ancient language. 

"Forgive me, oh great and mighty dragon. My time in captivity has weakened my mind and spirit. I did not dare to hope for rescue. I mean your rider no harm." 

Saphira snorts and gives her a death glare before going over to Eragon and nuzzling his chest with her snout. Eragon gives her a lazy smile and rubs the top of her head and she closes her eyes, reveling in the sensation of his hands on her scales. Meanwhile, Brom sprints into the clearing and sees Arya standing to the side and Eragon sitting in the grass rubbing his throat while petting Saphira to calm her down. Upon seeing Brom, Arya's eyes widen and she smiles at him. 

"Brom, so it was you who rescued me. And I assume that this dragon hatched from the egg I sent you. I'm so glad you received it safely." 

"Not quite." Arya turns towards Eragon once he spoke. "You were in a hurry to cast the spell so instead of sending it to him you sent it to his son instead." 

Arya looks between Eragon and Brom, putting two and two together. "Your Brom's son?" 

Arya walks forward but stops when she hears Saphira growl at her. Eragon flicks Saphira's snout. "Behave, she means us no harm. It was just an accident… Right?" 

Arya looks down for a moment before locking eyes with him. "I humbly ask for your forgiveness. My actions could have taken your life and I regret it deeply." 

Eragon waves his right hand in front of his face. "I forgive you. When I cast the spell to remove the poison I should have expected you to react this way as you have been imprisoned for almost half a year." 

Arya closes her eyes as she seems to relive to pain of her torture once again. "Only half a year! It felt like an eternity. The poison drained me of all my strength and blocked my use of magic while Durza tortured me for days on end." 

A smug smile appears on Eragon's face. "Well you don't have to worry about him anymore. I defeated the Shade and we escaped before the guards even knew what was happening. It's only been two days since we rescued you from the prison in Gilead." 

Arya raises an eyebrow in disbelief before looking at Brom. "You expect me to believe that this child defeated a Shade in battle, Durza no less!!!. 

Brom shrugs his shoulders, a look of pride glinting in his eyes. "I hate to admit it but my son is telling the truth. When I failed to defeat Durza he ran up and fought the Shade with precision and power that rivaled its own. He is a prodigy unlike any I have seen before. The mere fact that he cured you mere minutes after I left the clearing tells how adept he is at using the ancient language." 

Arya looks at Eragon, examining him from head to toe. For a human of only 16 years, his body is well defined and muscular. As Eragon is petting Saphira she notices how he carries himself with confidence not born of arrogance but of experience. This natural aura that everyone has tells alot about a person and Eragon's aura reads as someone who is strong and resolute, a capable warrior. 

Brom clears his throat. "What do you plan to do Arya? I will be taking Eragon to Farthen Dur where I will continue training him until such time that I deem him capable enough to seek council with the elves. I'm sure Queen Islanzadi would like to know that you are still alive and well. I really don't want them to go to war with the empire until Eragon is ready to face Galbatorix." 

Arya's eyes widened in shock. "A shade I can accept, but do you really expect him to have a chance against Galbatorix? I think you are letting your blood ties cloud your judgment." 

Eragon raises an eyebrow. "Why, that's quite rude. You don't know anything about me or my abilities. How about this… you travel with us until you fully recover then we spar. If I win, I will get one favor from you in the future." 

Arya's brow furrows. "And what do I get if you lose?" 

Eragon flashes a devilish smile at her. "You get one favor from me. I will do any one thing you ask of me without question." 

Arya seems to contemplate his request. "Sure. Once I'm at full strength, I will prove to Brom that putting his hopes in you is a mistake." 

With that, Arya storms off into the woods. An exasperated sigh escapes Brom's lips. "Don't mind her Eragon. She hasn't seen what you're capable of yet." 

Eragon turns to look at Brom. "Don't worry about me father. My feelings aren't so easily hurt and my resolve to face Galbatorix will not waver." 

Brom smiles. "That's what I want to hear… Let's get something to eat before we head off."